PTAS 1040 - Physical Therapy Interventions 1 - Theory

Credit Hours: 2.00

Objectives: The student will:

1. Describe models of disablement as an approach to patient management.
2. Describe steps of the patient-management process.
3. Describe physical therapy intervention as it relates to short term goals and functional outcomes.
4. Discuss to role and ideal relationship of the PT and PTA in patient management.
5. Describe methods of documentation common to the provision of physical therapy in various settings.
6. Identify and describe the components of an initial evaluation completed by a physical therapist.
7. Identify and describe the components of a SOAP note.
8. Discuss the Health Care Insurance Portability Act and its implications for the PTA.
9. Describe the role of data collection in the progression of treatment within the plan of care.
10. Identify and describe data collection and intervention activities that are outside of the scope of practice for the PTA.
11. Describe values based behaviors for the PTA in the provision of care under the supervision of the physical therapist.
12. Briefly describe the relationship between provision of care and third-party reimbursement.

Outcome 2: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to describe techniques to ensure safety in the provision of physical therapy

Objectives: The student will:

1. Recognize patient attributes that increase the risk of adverse response to treatment.
2. Describe methods to reduce disease transmission in various physical therapy settings including the use of protective equipment, isolation, and universal precautions.
3. Describe methods to reduce staff and therapist injury during the provision of care including body mechanics and equipment management.

Outcome 3: upon completion of this course, the student will be able to describe the role of body mechanics in physical therapy settings to conserve energy, reduce fatigue, reduce the incidence of injury and promote safety and wellness.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Correlate principles of body mechanics to musculoskeletal anatomy.
2. Describe principles of body mechanics related to safe performance of given activities including bending, lifting, pushing, pulling, and reaching.
3. Discuss methods of teaching related to body mechanics that may be effective for patients, families, and other members of the health care team.

Outcome 4: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to discuss vital signs as indictors of patient condition and the role of the PTA in measuring vital signs:

Objectives: The student will:

1. Describe pulse, respiration, blood pressure, temperature and pulse oximetry including normal ranges.
2. Identify common measurement techniques for the assessment of vital signs.
3. Identify peripheral pulses and their significance in patient health.
4. Recognize abnormal and normal variations in vital signs and common causations.
5. Discuss the importance of measuring vital signs and using data to assess patients’ response to treatment.
6. Recognize when vital signs may be related to an emergency and describe the appropriate PTA response.

Outcome 5: At the completion of this course the student will be able to discuss techniques used to improve patient mobility including positioning, mobility and transfers.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Describe methods used to position patients for comfort and protection of skin and joints.
2. Describe methods used to transfer patients including assisted- and dependent-stand pivot, pneumatic lift, sliding board, and mechanical sit-to-stand lift
3. Compare and contrast methods of patient transfer and bed mobility and relating technique attributes to selected patients.
4. Identify common hazards in patient mobility and methods to reduce risk of injury to therapist and patient.
5. List and define descriptions of functional ability related to transfers and use descriptions to document functional ability.

Outcome 6: Upon completion of this course the student will be able to discuss theories of pain and pain management in physical therapy.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Identify nervous system structures and pathways related to pain perception.
2. Describe theories related to pain perception and modulation and the role of physical therapy in managing pain.
3. Compare and contrast acute, chronic, and referred pain.
4. Describe the pain/spasm cycle and the role of physical agents in its interruption.
5. Describe methods used to collect data related to pain.
6. Describe the role of psychosocial factors in pain perception and pain management.

Outcome 7: Upon completion of this course the student will be able to describe the use of physical agents in physical therapy.

Objectives: The student will:

1. List thermal and athermal agents.
2. Discuss the physiological effects of heat and cold.
3. Discuss the potential patient response to treatment with thermal agents.
4. Compare and contrast the physiological effects of heat and cold.
5. Describe physical mechanisms of heat exchange.
6. Discuss the role of the PTA in clinical decision making related to thermal agents.
7. Discuss the modification of treatment with physical agents in relationship to the physiological response of the patient.

Outcome 8: Upon the completion of this course the student will be able to describe the use of superficial heat and cryotherapy modalities in physical therapy.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Describe the attributes of select heating and cryotherapy modalities including hot pack, paraffin, ice massage, and cold packs and relate these to common conditions.
2. Discuss the indications and contraindications for the use of superficial heat and cold
3. Describe the use of superficial heat and cold in combination with other therapeutic interventions.

Outcome 9: Upon completion of this course the student will be able to describe the use of therapeutic ultrasound in physical therapy.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Discuss the physical principles of ultrasound.
2. Discuss the theory and rationale for the application of ultrasound in the management of selected conditions.
3. Discuss thermal vs. non‐thermal ultrasound.
4. Describe the clinical applications of ultrasound and parameters of treatment related to clinical decision making.
5. Discuss safety precautions for the use of ultrasound including indications and contraindications.

Outcome 10: Upon completion of this course the student will be able to describe the role of physical therapy and the PTA in integumentary management and wound care.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Describe the staging of pressure ulcers.
2. Recognize the characteristics of viable and non-viable skin tissue.
3. Discuss common etiologies and the appearance of non‐healing wounds including arterial, venous, diabetic, and pressure wounds.
4. Relate principles of deconditioning, mobility, and patient care to wound prevention and management.
5. Identify common wound care products.
6. Describe methods of wound management including debridement, pulsatile lavage, vacuum-assisted closure, and the selection of wound care products.
7. Describe the role of the PTA in application, removal, and disposal of dressings.
8. Describe the team approach to wound management and the role of PT and the PTA.

Outcome 11: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to describe edema management and the use of external compression in physical therapy.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Describe common causes of local edema and of lymph system failure.
2. Describe the components of complete decongestive physical therapy.
3. Describe the indications and contraindications for use of external compression.
4. Discuss the safety considerations for the use of external compression.
5. Describe the equipment used for external compression.
6. Describe the monitoring of edema by girth and volumetric measurements.

Outcome 12: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to describe the use of therapeutic massage in physical therapy.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Define therapeutic vs. recreational massage.
2. Describe the physiological effects of massage.
3. Describe type of massage and massage strokes commonly used in PT.
4. Discuss the rationale for selection of massage strokes.
5. Discuss special considerations for the use of massage including draping, therapeutic environment, and lubricants.
6. Identify indications and contraindications to the use of massage.

Outcome 13: Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to describe the principle of gait and gait training in physical therapy.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Name and describe the phases of normal gait.
2. List and define common weight bearing status indicators.
3. Describe the role of assistive devices in a gait training program.
4. Describe common pre‐gait activities used in physical therapy.
5. Describe various assistive devices and compare their attributes.
6. Identify information necessary to select an appropriate assistive device.
7. Describe safety precautions necessary for gait training.
8. Define terminology used to describe patient ability in gait and functional mobility.
9. Describe the role of PTA in gait training.

Outcome 14: Upon completion of this course the student will be able to describe the use of and precautions for selected lines, tubes, and medical devices.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Describe oxygen delivery systems and their impact on patient mobility.
2. Describe nutrition delivery systems and their impact on patient mobility.
3. Describe intravenous systems and their impact on patient mobility.
4. Describe various urinary catheters and their impact on patient mobility.
5. Describe the use of patient controlled anesthesia device and its impact on patient mobility.

Outcome 15: At the completion of this course the student will be able to define and describe health care disparities and bias.

Objectives: The student will:

1. Define health-care disparity and implicit bias.
2. Briefly discuss the impact of disparities and bias on patient outcomes.
3. Describe the role of the PTA is patient advocacy.

• Communication: The graduate can communicate effectively for the intended purpose and audience.
• Critical Thinking: The graduate can make informed decisions after analyzing information or evidence related to the issue.
• Global Literacy: The graduate can analyze human behavior or experiences through cultural, social, political, or economic perspectives.
• Information Literacy: The graduate can responsibly use information gathered from a variety of formats in order to complete a task.
• Quantitative Reasoning: The graduate can apply quantitative methods or evidence to solve problems or make judgments.
• Scientific Literacy: The graduate can produce or interpret scientific information presented in a variety of formats.

1. Patient Management Model
   1. PTA Scope of Practice
2. Safety in the clinical setting
   1. Patient safety
   2. Clinical safety
   3. Equipment management
3. Body Mechanics for patient and clinician
4. Vital signs
   1. Vital signs as a measure of performance
   2. Reportable findings
   3. Visual assessment
5. Patient mobility
   1. Bed mobility
   2. Transfers
   3. Short- and long-term factors in positioning for skin and joint protection
6. Pain management
   1. Assessing pain
   2. Pain cycle
   3. Response to treatment
7. Physical agents
   1. Desired physiological effect of physical agents
   2. Adverse response to physical agents
   3. Methods of heat transfer
   4. Decision making for the use of physical agents
8. Use of therapeutic ultrasound
   1. Physiology of sound and heat
   2. Thermal vs athermal application
   3. Ultrasound parameters as tools of clinical decision making
9. Integumentary and wound care
   1. Wound classification
   2. Wound management
   3. Skin protection
   4. Risk factors
   5. Wound care products
   6. Role of the PTA
10. Edema management
    1. Etiology of edema in acute and chronic conditions
    2. External compression
    3. Complete decongestive physical therapy
11. Therapeutic massage
    1. Effects
    2. Strokes
    3. Adverse response
12. Gait training
    1. Gait cycle
    2. Attributes of safe and effective gait
    3. Weight bearing status and descriptions of functional mobility
    4. Pre-gait activities and the role of the PTA
13. The use of and precautions for selected lines, tubes, and medical devices.
    1. Oxygen delivery
    2. Intravenous delivery of fluids and medication
    3. Urinary flow management
    4. Impact on patient mobility