Physical Therapy Core Concepts Quiz

Physical Therapist Practice Core Concepts

• Evidence-based practice is a key component of professional practice, emphasizing the use of current research findings to guide clinical decision-making.
• Quality assessment and outcomes are essential parts of physical therapy practice. They involve measuring the effectiveness and efficiency of services through standardized tests and measures.
• Professional values are fundamental principles that guide physical therapists' conduct and interactions with patients, colleagues, and the profession.
• The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) identifies nine core values: accountability, altruism, collaboration, compassion and caring, duty, excellence, inclusion, integrity, and social responsibility.

Quality Measurement and Outcomes

• Quality measures are utilized by physical therapists to gauge the quality and impact of their services.
• These measures quantify processes, outcomes, perceptions, and the efficiency of organizational structures and health systems.

Core Values

• Accountability: Physical therapists demonstrate a commitment to taking responsibility for their actions, upholding professional standards, and positively influencing patient outcomes.
• Altruism: Prioritizing the well-being of patients by placing their needs above personal interests.
• Collaboration: Working effectively with patients, families, communities, and other healthcare professionals to achieve shared goals.
• Compassion and Caring: Showing empathy, understanding, and genuine concern for the needs of others.
• Duty: Recognizing and fulfilling obligations to provide effective physical therapy services, contribute to the profession, and promote societal health.
• Excellence: Striving for continuous improvement in knowledge, skills, and patient care by embracing advancements and challenging mediocrity.
• Inclusion: Creating welcoming and equitable environments for all individuals, regardless of background.
• Integrity: Adhering to high ethical principles, being honest, fair, and transparent in all actions.
• Social Responsibility: Building trust between the profession and the public by addressing societal health needs.

Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist

• The Code of Ethics outlines the ethical principles that guide physical therapy practice, consultation, education, research, and administration.
• It serves as a foundation for professional accountability and provides guidance for ethical decision-making.

Subjective History

• Gathering subjective data from the patient through a comprehensive questioning process or questionnaires.
• This includes reviewing existing records and incorporating input from caregivers and other healthcare professionals.

Red Flags

• Red flags are signs and symptoms that may suggest a serious medical pathology during the subjective history and physical examination. These can be indicators for further investigation and referral.

Review of Systems

• Physical therapists utilize a review of systems to gather information about major body systems to identify potential concerns requiring medical evaluation.

Types of Measures

• Performance-based measures involve direct observation of the patient performing an activity.
• Self-report measures assess the individual's perception of how impairments limit their activities and participation.

Measuring Outcomes

• Outcome measures are standardized tests and measures that provide information about the impact of physical therapy interventions on patient functioning.
• They measure functional status, impairments, adverse events, morbidity, mortality, and patient satisfaction.

Evaluation

• Evaluation is the interpretation and synthesis of examination findings, leading to a diagnosis, prognosis, and individualized management plan.
• It involves establishing a diagnosis, determining a prognosis, developing a management plan, and considering the need for referrals to other healthcare providers.

Diagnosis

• Diagnosis is a label based on a cluster of signs and symptoms commonly associated with a disorder, impairment, activity limitation, or participation restriction.
• Diagnosis guides management decisions and intervention strategies.

Prognosis

• Prognosis is a prediction of the expected level of improvement over a specified timeframe, taking into account contextual factors.
• Prognosis informs goal setting and identifies likely outcomes.

Management Plan

• The management plan is a framework that outlines physical therapist services based on evidence, clinical expertise, and the individual's needs.
• It includes goals, prognosis, interventions, referral plans, and consultations.

Goals

• Goals are measurable, functionally driven, and time-limited objectives that aim to improve the patient's functioning.
• Goals are categorized as short-term and long-term and serve as primary criteria for the completion of physical therapy services.

Interventions

• Interventions are actions taken by physical therapists to address impairments, improve functional performance, and promote optimal health and wellness.

Chapter 4: Physical Therapist Practice: Diagnosis, Prognosis, Intervention, and Outcomes

• Diagnosis: Understanding and classifying conditions to guide intervention strategies.
• Prognosis: Predicting expected levels of improvement and setting realistic goals.
• Intervention: Strategies used to rehabilitate patients and promote optimal function.
• Outcomes: Measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.

What is Physical Therapy?

• Physical therapists diagnose and manage movement dysfunction, with the aim to restore, maintain, and promote optimal physical function.
• Physical therapists are experts in purposeful, precise, and efficient movement across the lifespan.
• They create individualized and integrated plans of care based on the person's diagnosis, prognosis, and goals.
• They prioritize movement-related interventions to optimize function and performance.

Biopsychosocial Model

• This model recognizes that a person's health status is influenced by the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

• These are the various exposures an individual experiences throughout life, influencing overall health.
• SDOH impact the environmental context of movement and health.
• Social risk factors are adverse social conditions that contribute to health issues.
• They include economic stability, age, gender, social status, access to healthcare, education, healthy environments, social support, and community context.

Core Concepts of Physical Therapist Practice

• Evidence-based practice: Involves utilizing the best available research to guide clinical decision-making.
• Commitment to professional practice: Includes adherence to evidence-based practice, quality assessment and outcomes, and professional values.

Quality Measurement and Outcomes

• Physical therapists measure the quality and impact of their services.
• They use tools to record and quantify health service delivery, outcomes, and perceptions, assessing effectiveness and efficiency.

APTA Core Values

• Accountability: Accepting responsibility for actions and behaviors that positively impact patient outcomes, the profession, and societal health.
• Altruism: Prioritizing the interests and needs of patients above personal interests.
• Collaboration: Working with patients, families, communities, and other professionals to achieve shared goals.
• Compassion and Caring: Demonstrating empathy and concern for the needs and values of others.
• Duty: Committing to fulfilling obligations to provide effective physical therapy services, serve the profession, and contribute to societal health.
• Excellence: Providing high-quality services by consistently using current knowledge and skills, considering patient perspectives, embracing advancements, and challenging mediocrity.
• Inclusion: Creating a welcoming and equitable environment for all, elevating diverse voices, acknowledging personal biases, and promoting anti-discrimination.
• Integrity: Adhering to high ethical principles, being truthful, ensuring fairness, following through on commitments, and explicating rationale for actions.
• Social Responsibility: Fostering trust between the profession and the public by responding to societal health and wellness needs.

Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist

• Outlines the ethical duties of all physical therapists.

• Defines the ethical principles that underpin practice, consultation, education, research, and administration.

• Provides standards of behavior and performance, promoting accountability to the public.

• Guides physical therapists facing ethical challenges.

• Educates professionals, students, and the public on core values, ethical principles, and standards.

• Establishes standards for determining unethical conduct.

• Physical therapists are obligated to deliver safe, accessible, cost-effective, and evidence-based services.

Consumers of Physical Therapist Services

• Communities: Groups of people sharing common interests, concerns, or identities, not necessarily geographically connected.
• Populations: Groups of people connected by demographics or other factors, such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or population density.

Patient and Client Management Model

• Examination: Includes history, physical examination, and tests and measures, providing a comprehensive understanding of the individual.
• Evaluation: Interpretation and synthesis of examination findings, leading to diagnosis, prognosis, and management plan.
• Diagnosis: Identifying impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions.
• Prognosis: Predicting the course and likely outcome of the condition.
• Intervention: Applying specific treatments and interventions to address the individual's needs.
• Outcomes: Assessing progress and measuring the effectiveness of interventions.

Reexamination

• Re-evaluating selected aspects of the history and physical examination to compare with initial findings.
• May be conducted more than once during a single episode of care or over the course of a condition.

Measures

• Performance-based measures: Observing the individual performing an activity.
• Self-reported measures: Gathering information from the individual about their perceptions of functional limitations and participation restrictions.

Properties of Tests and Measures

• Reliability: Consistency of measurement over time, minimizing variation.
• Validity: The degree to which a meaningful interpretation can be drawn from the measurement.

Measuring Outcomes

• Outcome measures: Standardized tests and measures used to determine changes in outcome status over time.
• These measures address:
  • Functional status, including health, wellness, and fitness.
  • Impairments of body functions and structures.
  • Adverse outcomes and complications.
  • Morbidity and mortality.
  • Individual-reported outcomes.
  • Satisfaction with care.

Test your knowledge of the core concepts of physical therapist practice, including evidence-based practice, quality assessment, and professional values. Explore the significance of the American Physical Therapy Association's core values in guiding professional conduct. This quiz will help reinforce your understanding of key practices in physical therapy.