2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 37. Professions and Occupations › Chapter 11. Physical Therapy › Part 1. General › 37-11-101. Definitions

37-11-101. Definitions.
Unless the context requires otherwise, in this chapter, the following definitions apply:
(1) "Board" means the board of physical therapy examiners provided for in 2-15-1748.
(2) "Department" means the department of labor and industry provided for in Title 2, chapter 15, part 17.
(3) "Hearing" means the adjudicative proceeding concerning the issuance, denial, suspension, or revocation of a license, after which the appropriate action toward an applicant or licensee is to be determined by the board.
(4) "Physical therapist" or "physiotherapist" means a person who practices physical therapy.
(5) "Physical therapist assistant" or "assistant" means a person who:
(a) is a graduate of an accredited physical therapist assistant curriculum approved by the board;
(b) assists a physical therapist in the practice of physical therapy but who may not make evaluations or design treatment plans; and
(c) is supervised by a licensed physical therapist as described in 37-11-105.
(6) "Physical therapist assistant student" means a person who is enrolled in an accredited physical therapist assistant curriculum and who as part of the clinical and educational training is practicing under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist as described in 37-11-105.
(7) "Physical therapy" means the evaluation, treatment, and instruction of human beings, in person or through telehealth, to detect, assess, prevent, correct, alleviate, and limit physical disability, bodily malfunction and pain, injury, and any bodily or mental conditions by the use of therapeutic exercise, prescribed topical medications, and rehabilitative procedures for the purpose of preventing, correcting, or alleviating a physical or mental disability.
(8) "Physical therapy aide" or "aide" means a person who aids in the practice of physical therapy, whose activities require on-the-job training, and who is supervised by a licensed physical therapist or a licensed physical therapist assistant as described in 37-11-105.
(9) "Physical therapy practitioner", "physical therapy specialist", "physiotherapy practitioner", or "manual therapists" are equivalent terms, and any derivation of the phrases or any letters implying the phrases are equivalent terms. Any reference to any one of the terms in this chapter includes the others but does not include certified corrective therapists or massage therapists.
(10) "Physical therapy student" or "physical therapy intern" means an individual who is enrolled in an accredited physical therapy curriculum, who, as part of the individual's professional, educational, and clinical training, is practicing in a physical therapy setting, and who is supervised by a licensed physical therapist as described in 37-11-105.
(11) "Telehealth" has the meaning provided in 37-2-305.
(12) "Topical medications" means medications applied locally to the skin and includes only medications listed in 37-11-106(2) for which a prescription is required under state or federal law.
History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 39, L. 1961; amd. Sec. 241, Ch. 350, L. 1974; R.C.M. 1947, 66-2501(part); amd. Secs. 3, 5, Ch. 491, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 274, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 237, L. 1991; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 253, L. 1995; amd. Sec. 120, Ch. 483, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 257, L. 2017; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 242, L. 2021; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 497, L. 2021.