DC PT Jurisprudence cheat sheet

Physical therapy is defined as the evaluation, examination, and treatment of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities through physical or mechanical means, including exercise, manual therapy, and modalities.

The DC Board of Physical Therapy licenses two tiers: physical therapists (PTs) and physical therapist assistants (PTAs); PTA licensure is required to perform delegated treatment procedures.

Only a licensed PT may perform evaluation, establish a diagnosis or plan of care, and discharge a patient; these are non-delegable core acts.

Prohibited acts include practicing without a license, using a title implying licensure when unlicensed, and aiding an unlicensed person to practice.

A PT may perform wound debridement, electromyographic testing, and joint mobilization only within documented competence; scope is competence-limited, not title-limited.

Physical therapy practice includes consultation, education, and administration, but does not include surgery, prescribing legend drugs, or diagnosing disease.

Holding out as a PT or PTA without a DC license is a violation even if licensed in another jurisdiction.

Delegation to unlicensed assistive personnel is limited to non-treatment tasks such as transport, clerical work, and equipment setup.

Applicants for PT licensure must graduate from a CAPTE-accredited program and pass the NPTE; PTA applicants must complete an accredited PTA program and pass the NPTE for PTAs.

The DC Board of Physical Therapy consists of appointed members including PTs, a PTA, and a consumer member, and meets to review applications and disciplinary matters.

Licensure by endorsement requires verification of an active, unencumbered license in another jurisdiction and a clean disciplinary history review.

The Board may deny licensure for unprofessional conduct, felony conviction bearing on practice, or fraud in the application process.

Fingerprinting and criminal background checks are required as part of the DC health-occupations application package.

License renewal occurs on a biennial cycle; practice after expiration without renewal is unlicensed practice.

The Board may issue a temporary or provisional permit allowing supervised practice while an application is pending.

Applicants must disclose all prior disciplinary actions and license denials from every jurisdiction on the application.

A PTA practices only under the direction and supervision of a licensed PT and may not evaluate, diagnose, or independently modify a plan of care.

The PT must be available for consultation and must see the patient at a frequency sufficient to ensure competent care; the PT retains responsibility for the plan.

Delegated tasks must be within the PTA's education, training, and demonstrated competence; the supervising PT makes the delegation decision.

The PT performs the initial evaluation and periodic re-evaluation; the PTA may collect data and implement interventions but not interpret evaluation findings independently.

Supervision level required depends on patient acuity and setting; higher-risk patients require greater PT presence and on-site availability.

A PTA may not supervise other PTAs, students, or unlicensed personnel in place of the PT.

Documentation by the PTA must be reviewed and co-signed or countersigned by the supervising PT per facility policy and Board rule.

Delegation to a physical therapy aide is limited to non-skilled, non-treatment tasks and never includes patient interventions.

Informed consent must be obtained before evaluation and treatment; the patient may refuse or withdraw consent at any time.

Patient confidentiality is protected; disclosure requires patient authorization or a legal mandate such as suspected abuse reporting.

Physical therapists must avoid dual relationships and conflicts of interest, including financial arrangements that influence clinical decisions.

Patient rights include privacy, dignity, access to records, participation in care decisions, and freedom from discrimination.

Boundary violations, sexual misconduct, and exploitation of patients are grounds for discipline and may also be criminal offenses.

PTs must practice within their competence and refer when a condition exceeds their scope or skill.

Accurate representation of credentials and services is required; false or misleading advertising is prohibited.

Reporting obligations include suspected abuse, neglect, and impairment of a colleague that endangers patients.

Records must be timely, accurate, legible, and permanent; entries are dated and authenticated by the author.

Documentation includes initial evaluation, plan of care, progress notes, re-evaluation, and discharge summary.

Corrections are made by a single line-through with initials and date; erasures and obliteration are prohibited.

Records must be retained for the period required by DC law and facility policy; retention continues after discharge.

Patients have a right to access their records; release requires authorization except where law mandates disclosure.

Mandatory reporting includes suspected child abuse, elder abuse, and communicable disease reporting where required.

Incident reports document adverse events and are not part of the clinical record; they are submitted through the risk-management channel.

Documentation must justify the medical necessity of services and support billed codes.

Grounds for discipline include unprofessional conduct, incompetence, practicing while impaired, fraud, and license violations.

The Board may impose reprimand, probation, suspension, revocation, civil fines, or required remediation.

Disciplinary process begins with a complaint, followed by investigation, notice to the licensee, and an opportunity for a hearing.

Licensees are entitled to due process, including notice of charges, representation by counsel, and the right to present evidence.

The Board may take emergency action to suspend a license when there is an imminent risk to public safety.

Disciplinary actions are reported to national databases such as NPDB and may trigger action in other jurisdictions.

Failure to cooperate with a Board investigation is itself a ground for discipline.

Settlement agreements may include monitoring, continuing education, and practice restrictions.

Licensees must complete the required continuing education hours each renewal cycle, including mandated categories such as ethics and jurisprudence.

CE providers and courses must be approved or meet Board-recognized standards; self-study credit is subject to limits.

Documentation of CE completion must be retained by the licensee and produced on audit.

Renewal requires submission of the renewal application, fee, and attestation of CE completion.

Late renewal may incur additional fees; practicing on an expired license is a violation.

CE hours cannot be carried over between cycles unless Board rule permits.

Inactive or retired status may be available and carries different CE and practice restrictions.

Standard precautions apply to all patients; hand hygiene is required before and after patient contact and between glove changes.

Personal protective equipment is used when contact with blood, body fluids, or non-intact skin is anticipated.

Sharps must be disposed of in puncture-resistant containers; needlestick exposures are reported and evaluated per protocol.

Reusable equipment must be cleaned and disinfected between patients according to manufacturer instructions.

Facility safety includes fall prevention, equipment inspection, and emergency action plans.

Jurisdictional requirements include compliance with DC health regulations and federal standards such as HIPAA and OSHA.

Communicable disease exposure must be managed and reported as required by DC health authorities.

Environmental cleaning schedules and isolation precautions must be documented and followed.