Maryland PT Jurisprudence flashcards

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

Maryland Physical Therapy Act

The statute in the Health-General Article, Title 13, that establishes the Board of Physical Therapy Examiners and governs licensure, scope, and discipline of physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in Maryland.

Board of Physical Therapy Examiners

The Maryland board that licenses physical therapists and physical therapist assistants, adopts regulations, investigates complaints, and imposes discipline for violations of the Act and regulations.

COMAR Title 10 Subtitle 44

The Maryland administrative regulations governing physical therapy practice, including licensure procedures, supervision requirements, continuing education, and standards of conduct and documentation.

Grounds for discipline

Enumerated causes allowing Board action, including fraud in licensure, practicing beyond scope, gross negligence, incompetence, unprofessional conduct, impairment, and practicing without a current license.

Continuing education requirement

Licensees must complete Board-specified continuing education units each renewal cycle, which may include jurisprudence and ethics content, and must retain documentation of completion.

NPTE requirement

Applicants for physical therapist or physical therapist assistant licensure must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination for the corresponding credential as a condition of Maryland licensure.

Jurisprudence examination

Maryland requires applicants to pass an examination on Maryland physical therapy law and regulations, in addition to the national examination, before a license is issued.

License by endorsement

A process allowing a licensee from another jurisdiction to obtain a Maryland license without repeating all requirements, based on substantially equivalent education and licensure.

Inactive license status

A status in which the licensee may not practice physical therapy; reactivation requires meeting Board requirements, including fees and continuing education, before practice resumes.

License nontransferability

A Maryland physical therapy license is issued to an individual, may not be transferred or shared, and must be available for inspection at the practice location on request.

Lapsed license practice

Practicing after a license expires without renewal is unlicensed practice and subjects the individual to disciplinary action and civil penalties under Maryland law.

Address change notification

Licensees must notify the Board of a change of address, and of disciplinary action taken by another jurisdiction, within the time required by regulation.

PT initial evaluation

Only a physical therapist performs the initial examination and evaluation, establishes the physical therapy diagnosis and prognosis, and develops the plan of care for the patient.

PTA scope of practice

A physical therapist assistant implements the plan of care established by the supervising physical therapist and may not perform initial evaluations or alter the plan of care.

Supervision levels

The degree of oversight a physical therapist provides to assistants and aides varies by setting and regulation, but the supervising therapist remains responsible for patient care.

Delegation to aides

A physical therapist may delegate only tasks that do not require the skill of a licensed therapist or assistant, and retains responsibility for the delegated task.

Direct access limits

Maryland permits limited physical therapy treatment without physician referral for a defined period, with referral required when the condition is outside the therapist's scope.

Scope exclusions

Physical therapy does not include surgery, prescribing legend drugs, or practicing medicine; procedures performed must fall within the defined physical therapy scope.

Informed consent

Before evaluation and intervention the patient must consent after being informed of the nature, risks, and alternatives of care, and may refuse or withdraw consent.

Patient confidentiality

Patient information may be disclosed only with authorization or as required by law; unauthorized disclosure violates Maryland law and professional conduct standards.

Patient rights

Patients have rights to privacy, dignity, access to their records, participation in care decisions, and freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

Sexual misconduct prohibition

Sexual contact with a patient and exploitation of the therapist-patient relationship are prohibited and constitute grounds for discipline by the Maryland Board.

Mandatory abuse reporting

Licensees must report suspected child abuse and neglect and abuse of vulnerable adults to the appropriate Maryland authority; failure to report is a violation.

Impaired practice

Practicing while impaired by alcohol, drugs, or a physical or mental condition that affects competence is prohibited and may be referred to a Board-approved monitoring program.

Fee splitting and kickbacks

Accepting or paying compensation for patient referrals, or splitting fees improperly, is prohibited; billing must reflect services actually rendered and documented.

Plan of care elements

The documented plan of care states goals, interventions, expected frequency and duration, and is established and updated by the physical therapist responsible for the patient.

Timely documentation

Entries must be made promptly, accurately, and legibly, identifying the patient, date, service provided, and provider, and must support billed services.

Record correction method

Errors are corrected by dated addendum or strike-through with initials so the original entry remains readable; obliterating or backdating entries is prohibited.

Record retention

Physical therapy records must be retained for the period required by Maryland law and Board regulation, applying to both paper and electronic records.

Billing fraud

Submitting claims for services not rendered, not documented, or not medically necessary is fraud and subjects the licensee to discipline and civil or criminal liability.

Board investigation cooperation

Licensees must respond to Board inquiries, produce records when requested, and cooperate with investigations; failure to cooperate may itself be a disciplinary violation.

Re-evaluation requirement

The physical therapist must periodically re-evaluate the patient and revise the plan of care based on documented response to intervention and changes in condition.