Louisiana PT Jurisprudence flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Scope of physical therapy

The evaluation, examination, and treatment of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities through physical or mechanical means, including exercise, manual therapy, modalities, and functional training.

PT evaluation reserved

Only a licensed physical therapist may perform the initial evaluation, diagnose movement dysfunction, establish prognosis, design the plan of care, and discharge the patient.

PTA practice limits

A physical therapist assistant delivers selected interventions and collects data under PT supervision but may not evaluate, diagnose, or independently modify the plan of care.

Title protection

Using the titles physical therapist, PT, physical therapist assistant, or PTA without a valid Louisiana license violates the Practice Act and is subject to discipline.

Initial licensure requirements

Graduation from a board-approved physical therapy or PTA program, a passing National Physical Therapy Examination score, jurisprudence compliance, and required fees and background information.

Licensure by endorsement

A pathway for an out-of-state licensee requiring an active, unencumbered license, verification of that license, jurisprudence compliance, and payment of the required fee.

Continuing education documentation

Licensees must complete board-approved continuing education, retain certificates for the required period, and produce records if the board conducts an audit.

Compact privilege

Under the Physical Therapy Licensure Compact, a qualified licensee may practice in other member states without a separate license, subject to each state's laws and notification rules.

Supervising therapist responsibility

The physical therapist retains responsibility for the plan of care, including re-evaluation, modification of interventions, and discharge, regardless of how care is delegated.

PTA delegation standard

Delegation must be patient-specific and within the PTA's education, training, and documented competence, with the supervising therapist available for consultation.

Unlicensed aide limits

Unlicensed assistive personnel may perform non-skilled tasks such as transport, setup, and housekeeping but may not apply skilled interventions or make clinical decisions.

Supervision documentation

The record must identify the supervising therapist, the date and type of supervisory contact, the patient status reviewed, and any plan-of-care changes made.

Direct access limits

Louisiana permits limited evaluation and treatment without physician referral, subject to statutory conditions; treatment beyond those limits requires a referral or consultation.

Referral duty

A therapist must refer the patient to an appropriate licensed provider when findings suggest a condition requiring medical diagnosis or treatment outside physical therapy scope.

Red-flag screening

Before and during care, the therapist screens for signs of serious pathology and documents the basis for proceeding, including when care is provided without referral.

Payer versus practice rules

Insurers may require a physician referral for coverage even where the Practice Act permits direct access; payer rules do not change the Act's scope of practice.

Disciplinary grounds

Grounds include unlicensed practice, gross negligence, incompetence, licensure fraud, practicing outside scope, substance abuse, unprofessional conduct, and failure to meet continuing education.

Board investigative authority

The board may investigate complaints from any source or on its own motion, subpoena records, administer oaths, and take testimony during an investigation.

Emergency suspension

The board may summarily suspend or restrict a license when continued practice poses an imminent risk to public health or safety, followed by a hearing.

Disciplinary sanctions

Available sanctions include reprimand, probation with conditions, suspension, revocation, civil fines, and required remediation or additional education.

Informed consent elements

Consent requires disclosure of the nature of the intervention, expected benefits, material risks, alternatives, and the patient's right to refuse or withdraw at any time.

Confidentiality exceptions

Patient information may be disclosed only with authorization or under a legal exception such as mandated abuse reporting, a court order, or a public health requirement.

Professional boundaries

Sexual contact with current patients and exploitative dual relationships that impair professional judgment are prohibited and constitute unprofessional conduct.

Mandatory reporting duty

Therapists must report suspected abuse or neglect of children, older adults, and dependent adults, and certain communicable diseases, as required by Louisiana law.

Contemporaneous documentation

Entries must be made promptly, legible, dated, authenticated, and detailed enough for another therapist to understand and continue the plan of care.

Initial evaluation content

The initial evaluation documents examination findings, the clinical impression or diagnosis, goals, and the plan of care including frequency and duration of interventions.

Record correction method

Errors are corrected by a dated addendum or an initialed strike-through that preserves the original entry; obliteration or alteration of the original record is prohibited.

Record retention and release

Records are kept for the period required by board rule and state law and released only with a valid patient authorization or a recognized legal exception.

Standard precautions

Hand hygiene and barrier protection such as gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection are applied to every patient based on anticipated exposure to blood or body fluids.

Sharps and medical waste

Needles and sharps are placed immediately in puncture-resistant containers at the point of use, and regulated medical waste is segregated and disposed of per applicable rules.

Truthful advertising

Advertising must be accurate and not misleading, may not guarantee outcomes or claim superiority, and may not use titles or credentials the licensee does not hold.

Administrative hearing rights

Formal proceedings follow the Louisiana Administrative Procedure Act, providing notice of charges, a hearing, the right to counsel, and the opportunity to present evidence and cross-examine.