Clinical Decision Making for the Physical Therapist Assistant is a practical guide to developing the clinical judgment essential to effective patient care. Co-authored by two prominent physical therapy educators, this informative reference addresses a skill that is crucial to the success of Physical Therapist Assistants (PTAs). Designed to integrate decision making into PTA education, it covers the types of decisions that must be made in physical therapy treatment and offers sound guidance on how to make them. Critical thinking questions and treatment activities are included with each chapter to enable students to apply what they’ve learned to real-life situations. This text is a valuable resource for intermediate and post intermediate physical therapist assistant courses. Designed Specifically for PTAs Provides clear guidance on making everyday clinical decisions Covers decision making in the context of major areas of physical therapy Integrates decision making into technical education Provides examples of decisions encountered in patient care

From common to complex, thirteen real-life case studies represent a variety of practice settings and age groups. Identify, research, and assess the pathologies and possible treatments. Photographs of real therapists working with their patients bring concepts to life. Reviewed by 16 PT and PTA experts, this comprehensive resource ensures you are prepared to confidently make sound clinical decisions.

Documentation for Physical Therapist Practice: A Clinical Decision Making Approach provides the framework for successful documentation. It is synchronous with Medicare standards as well as the American Physical Therapy Association’s recommendations for defensible documentation. It identifies documentation basics which can be readily applied to a broad spectrum of documentation formats including paper-based and electronic systems. This key resource skillfully explains how to document the interpretation of examination findings so that the medical record accurately reflects the evidence. In addition, the results of consultation with legal experts who specialize in physical therapy claims denials will be shared to provide current, meaningful documentation instruction.

Clinical reasoning is an essential non-negotiable element for all health professionals. The ability of the health professional to demonstrate professional competence, compassion, and accountability depend on a foundation of sound clinical reasoning. The clinical reasoning process needs to bring together knowledge, experience, and understanding of people, the environment, and organizations along with a strong moral compass in making sound decisions and taking necessary actions. While clinical reasoning and the role of mentors has been a focus of the continued growth and development of residency programs in physical therapy, there is a critical need to have a broader, in-depth look at how educators across academic and clinical settings intentionally facilitate the development of clinical reasoning skills across one’s career. Clinical Reasoning and Decision Making in Physical Therapy: Facilitation, Assessment, and Implementation fills this need by providing a comprehensive and in-depth focus on development of the patient-client management skills of clinical reasoning and clinical decision-making. It takes into account teaching and learning strategies, assessment, and technological applications across the continuum from novice to residents/fellows-in-training, along with academic and clinical faculty for both entry-level and specialist practice. Drs. Gina Maria Musolino and Gail Jensen have designed this comprehensive resource with contributions from professional colleagues. The text centers on life-long learning by encouraging the development of clinical reasoning abilities from professional education through residency education. The aim and scope of the text is directed for physical therapy education, to enhance clinical reasoning and clinical decision-making for developing professionals and post-professionals in both clinical and academic realms, and for the development of clinical and academic faculty. Clinical Reasoning and Decision Making in Physical Therapy uniquely offers both evidence-based approaches and pragmatic consultation from award-winning authors with direct practice experiences developing and implementing clinical reasoning/clinical decision-making in practice applications for teaching students, residents, patients, and clinical/academic faculty in classrooms, clinics, and through simulation and telehealth. Clinical Reasoning and Decision Making in Physical Therapy is the first of its kind to address this foundational element for practice that is key for real-world practice and continuing competence as a health care professional. Physical therapy and physical therapist assistant students, faculty, and clinicians will find this to be an invaluable resource to enhance their clinical reasoning and decision making abilities.

Better patient management starts with better documentation! Documentation for Rehabilitation: A Guide to Clinical Decision Making in Physical Therapy, 3rd Edition shows how to accurately document treatment progress and patient outcomes. Designed for use by rehabilitation professionals, documentation guidelines are easily adaptable to different practice settings and patient populations. Realistic examples and practice exercises reinforce concepts and encourage you to apply what you've learned. Written by expert physical therapy educators Lori Quinn and James Gordon, this book will improve your skills in both documentation and clinical reasoning. A practical framework shows how to organize and structure PT records, making it easier to document functional outcomes in many practice settings, and is based on the International Classification for Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) model - the one adopted by the APTA. Coverage of practice settings includes documentation examples in acute care, rehabilitation, outpatient, home care, and nursing homes, as well as a separate chapter on documentation in pediatric settings. Guidelines to systematic documentation describe how to identify, record, measure, and evaluate treatment and therapies - especially important when insurance companies require evidence of functional progress in order to provide reimbursement. Workbook/textbook format uses examples and exercises in each chapter to reinforce your understanding of concepts. NEW Standardized Outcome Measures chapter leads to better care and patient management by helping you select the right outcome measures for use in evaluations, re-evaluations, and discharge summaries. UPDATED content is based on data from current research, federal policies and APTA guidelines, including incorporation of new terminology from the Guide to Physical Therapist 3.0 and ICD-10 coding. EXPANDED number of case examples covers an even broader range of clinical practice areas.

Written specifically for PTAs! Develop the clinical decision-making skills you need to be a successful PTA. This easy-to-follow approach helps you learn how to successfully relate thermal, mechanical, and electrical biophysical agents to specific therapeutic goals while understanding all the physiologic ramifications. Drawing from the APTA’s Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, this text will enable you to make the connection between a physical agent and the appropriate treatment interventions as part of a comprehensive, successful physical therapy treatment program.