Alabama PT Jurisprudence cheat sheet

Physical therapy is defined as the evaluation, treatment, and prevention of physical disability, injury, and pain through physical or mechanical means, including exercise, massage, heat, cold, water, electricity, and light.

The physical therapist is the practitioner who examines, evaluates, diagnoses movement dysfunction, establishes a plan of care, and may perform spinal and extremity joint mobilization/manipulation.

The physical therapist assistant performs selected interventions and data collection under the direction and supervision of a physical therapist but may not perform evaluation, diagnosis, or establish or alter the plan of care.

A physical therapy aide performs non-skilled, non-clinical tasks (transport, clerical, housekeeping) and may not provide skilled physical therapy interventions or patient education.

The Alabama Board of Physical Therapy licenses physical therapists and physical therapist assistants; aides are not licensed by the Board.

Titles and abbreviations 'PT,' 'physical therapist,' 'PTA,' and 'physical therapist assistant' are restricted to licensees; unlicensed persons may not use them or imply licensure.

Scope includes patient-related instruction, provision of consultative services, and the application of physical agents and modalities, all within the plan of care established by the PT.

A license is required to practice; practicing without a current license or aiding unlicensed practice is a violation subject to discipline.

The Alabama Board of Physical Therapy regulates licensure and practice; its members are appointed by the Governor and include physical therapist and physical therapist assistant members plus public members.

Board authority includes issuing and renewing licenses, approving continuing education, adopting rules, investigating complaints, and imposing disciplinary sanctions.

Rulemaking follows state administrative procedure: proposed rules are published for public comment before adoption and are enforceable once effective.

Disciplinary process generally proceeds from complaint intake through investigation, notice of charges, and an opportunity for a hearing with the right to counsel and to present evidence.

Sanctions available to the Board include reprimand, probation, suspension, revocation, civil penalties, and conditions on practice.

Board proceedings must afford due process; final orders are subject to judicial review under the state administrative review statute.

The Board may subpoena records and witnesses, administer oaths, and compel testimony in the course of investigations.

Grounds for discipline include unprofessional conduct, incompetence, impairment, fraud in obtaining a license, and violation of Board rules or the Practice Act.

Licensure requires meeting education, examination, and jurisprudence requirements; PT and PTA applicants must pass the national examination and any required state jurisprudence component.

Licenses are renewed on a fixed cycle set by Board rule, and renewal requires attestation of completed continuing education for the preceding period.

Continuing education must meet Board-specified hour and content requirements, and licensees must retain documentation of completed courses for audit.

Practice on an expired license is prohibited; a lapsed license generally requires reinstatement, which may include late fees, additional CE, or other Board conditions.

Licensees must notify the Board of changes of name or address within the timeframe established by rule.

A license is not transferable; practicing on another person's license or permitting another to use one's license is prohibited.

License status (active, inactive, expired, revoked) determines whether the individual may represent themselves as a PT or PTA and provide services.

Continuing education audits may require submission of certificates; falsifying CE records is a disciplinary offense.

The physical therapist retains responsibility for the patient's care and for all services delegated to a PTA or aide.

The PT must perform the initial evaluation and establish the plan of care; a PTA may not evaluate, diagnose, or independently modify the plan.

Supervision of a PTA requires the PT to be available for consultation and to provide periodic reassessment consistent with the patient's condition and Board rules.

Delegation to a PTA is limited to interventions the PTA is competent to perform and that are within the established plan of care.

Aides may not perform skilled interventions or instruct patients in therapeutic procedures; their duties are limited to non-skilled support tasks.

The supervising PT determines the frequency and type of supervision based on patient acuity, setting, and the PTA's competence.

Documentation of PTA-delivered care and of supervisory visits supports compliance and continuity of care.

A PT may not supervise more individuals than can be safely and adequately overseen consistent with Board requirements.

Documentation must include the initial examination findings, evaluation, diagnosis, plan of care, interventions provided, patient response, and discharge summary.

Entries must be dated, authenticated by the treating provider, and completed in a timely manner consistent with Board rules and setting policy.

Informed consent requires disclosure of the nature of treatment, expected benefits, material risks, and alternatives, documented in the record.

Records must be maintained confidentially and released only with patient authorization or as required by law.

Corrections to records must preserve the original entry (e.g., single line, date, initials) rather than obliterating or altering prior documentation.

Retention of patient records must meet the period required by state law and Board rule, and records must be available for Board inspection.

Billing documentation must accurately reflect services actually rendered by the licensed provider.

Falsifying, altering, or destroying records to conceal errors is unprofessional conduct and grounds for discipline.

Alabama permits limited direct access: a physical therapist may treat a patient without a physician referral for a defined period, after which a referral or physician involvement is required.

The direct-access period is time-limited by statute or Board rule; treatment beyond that window requires a referral or documented physician visit.

Certain conditions (e.g., those requiring physician diagnosis or beyond the PT's scope) require referral before treatment.

The PT must screen for contraindications and red flags and refer the patient to an appropriate provider when findings suggest a condition outside physical therapy scope.

When a referral is required, the PT must obtain and document it and must communicate with the referring provider as necessary.

The PT must document the basis for direct-access treatment and the date the referral requirement is triggered.

Direct access does not expand scope; the PT remains limited to services within the Practice Act.

Failure to obtain a required referral or to refer appropriately may constitute unprofessional conduct.

Grounds for discipline include incompetence, negligence, fraud or misrepresentation in obtaining a license, and practicing beyond scope.

Unprofessional conduct includes impairment from alcohol or drugs, patient abuse or exploitation, and breach of patient confidentiality.

Licensees have a duty to report certain conduct, such as impairment or violations by other licensees, to the Board as required by rule.

Failure to cooperate with a Board investigation or providing false information to the Board is itself a disciplinary offense.

Practicing while impaired, or failing to self-report an impairment or arrest/conviction as required, may result in discipline.

Sexual misconduct, boundary violations, and financial exploitation of patients are serious violations subject to license revocation.

Disciplinary actions may be reported to national databases and affect licensure in other jurisdictions.

A licensee must report adverse actions taken by other states or agencies against their license within the timeframe required by rule.

Advertising must be truthful and not misleading; licensees may not make false claims of competence, credentials, or outcomes.

Use of the titles PT or PTA in advertising is limited to licensed individuals; unlicensed persons may not advertise physical therapy services.

Fee splitting-paying or receiving compensation for patient referrals-is prohibited except as permitted by law.

Solicitation of patients through coercion, intimidation, or misleading offers is prohibited; patient choice of provider must be preserved.

Licensees may not offer or receive kickbacks, rebates, or other inducements for referrals of patients or services.

Business arrangements must not interfere with professional judgment or create conflicts of interest in patient care.

Testimonials and comparative claims must be verifiable and not create unjustified expectations of results.

Violations of advertising and fee-splitting rules are unprofessional conduct subject to Board discipline.