The Federation is committed to the development of a national framework that state licensing boards may use to assess continuing competence of physical therapy practitioners. The standards chosen will be used to determine the level of performance to which licensees will be held accountable for ongoing practice. The Federation recognizes that the standards must be dynamic and reflect the evolving nature of physical therapy practice. Therefore, this document should be considered as a work in progress and will be updated and refined over time. Physical therapists are committed to delivering quality patient care services.
Physical therapists are an integral part of the health care delivery team.
Physical therapists are responsible for all aspects of physical therapy services including those provided by assistive personnel under the direction of the physical therapist. While many states regulate physical therapist assistants, standards have not been developed for the physical therapist assistant. Since all jurisdictions require the PTA to work under the supervision of the physical therapist, it is recognized that the supervising physical therapist has the responsibility and obligation to determine a PTA's competence. It is also the responsibility of the physical therapist to direct the physical therapist assistant towards appropriate training and skill development to maintain and improve the knowledge and skills of the physical therapist assistant. This responsibility of the supervising physical therapist is included within these standards of competence.