NM PT Juris flashcards

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

Physical Therapy Practice Act

New Mexico statute governing licensure and practice of physical therapy, administered by the Physical Therapy Board within the Regulation and Licensing Department, with binding rules adopted by the Board.

Protected title

Designations such as physical therapist, P.T., physical therapist assistant, and P.T.A. that may be used only by licensees; unlicensed use is a violation subject to Board enforcement.

Physical therapy definition

Examination, evaluation, and treatment of humans by physical or mechanical means to relieve pain, restore function, and prevent disability, including measurement of strength, motion, and neuromotor performance.

Referral

An order from a licensed practitioner authorized to diagnose and treat, which the Act requires before treatment in specified circumstances; payer rules may require it even when state law does not.

Unlicensed practice

Practicing physical therapy or assisting without a valid license, or aiding another to do so; enforceable through cease-and-desist orders, civil penalties, and injunctive relief.

CAPTE accreditation

The education standard for licensure: PT applicants must graduate from an accredited physical therapist program, and PTA applicants from an accredited physical therapist assistant program.

NPTE requirement

Applicants must pass the National Physical Therapy Examination for the appropriate license level; scores are transmitted through the FSBPT reporting service to the Board.

Jurisprudence examination

A New Mexico law and rules examination required of applicants, including endorsement applicants, to demonstrate knowledge of the Practice Act and Board regulations.

Licensure by endorsement

A pathway for licensees in good standing elsewhere whose credentials are substantially equivalent; the Board may still require jurisprudence and criminal background screening.

Temporary permit

A time-limited authorization issued to applicants awaiting examination results or endorsement; it expires on a fixed date and cannot be renewed indefinitely.

Biennial renewal

License renewal on a two-year cycle tied to the licensee's assigned date; renewal requires application, fee, and continuing education attestation, and practice after expiration is unlicensed practice.

Plan of care

The PT-established document recording diagnosis, prognosis, goals with measurable time frames, interventions, and frequency; it must be signed, dated, and updated as required.

PTA supervision

Direction of the assistant by a licensed physical therapist, who remains responsible for the plan of care and must be accessible during treatment at the level required by rule.

Direct supervision

A supervision level in which the supervising physical therapist is physically present on site and immediately available to the assistant during the delivery of care.

General supervision

A supervision level in which the physical therapist is not on site but is available by telecommunications, permitted only where Board rule and setting allow.

Delegation limits

A PT may delegate only tasks within the assistant's competence; tasks requiring independent clinical judgment, such as altering the plan of care, cannot be delegated.

Unlicensed aide tasks

Non-treatment duties such as transport, equipment preparation, and clerical work; aides may not apply modalities or instruct patients in exercise or other skilled interventions.

Contemporaneous documentation

Recording each encounter at the time of service with date, provider identity, services rendered, patient response, and any change in condition, supporting medical necessity.

PTA note co-signature

The requirement that assistant entries identify the supervising therapist and be reviewed or co-signed by the PT as Board rule and payer policy require.

Record retention

The obligation to keep patient records for the period set by Board rule, and at least the longer of state, payer, or minors' statute requirements.

Mandatory reporting

The duty to report suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation of children, older adults, or incapacitated persons to the designated state agency as required by law.

Record alteration rule

Corrections must be made by dated addendum; obliterating, backdating, or destroying original entries is falsification and an independent disciplinary ground.

Unprofessional conduct

A statutory ground for discipline covering dishonesty, boundary violations, practicing outside scope, and other conduct the Board determines violates professional standards.

Board sanctions

Penalties available to the Board, including reprimand, probation with conditions, suspension, revocation, civil penalties, and required remediation or continuing education.

Complaint process

Any person may file a complaint; the Board screens it, may investigate, may dismiss frivolous matters, and provides notice and a hearing under the Uniform Licensing Act.

Summary suspension

An emergency restriction or suspension imposed when continued practice poses an immediate threat to public safety, pending a full administrative hearing.

Continuing education requirement

Hours required each renewal cycle, including jurisprudence or ethics content, from approved providers; certificates must be retained and produced on audit.

License reinstatement

The process for restoring a lapsed or suspended license through application, fees, and evidence of continuing education or re-examination as the Board requires.

Informed consent

Voluntary agreement after disclosure of the intervention, its risks and benefits, reasonable alternatives, and the consequences of refusal, documented in the record.

Confidentiality duty

Patient information may be disclosed only with authorization or as law requires; HIPAA and New Mexico law both apply and the stricter standard controls disclosures.

Patient abandonment

Terminating care without appropriate notice, documentation, and referral, which constitutes unprofessional conduct and a ground for Board discipline.

Direct access

Authority to treat patients without prior referral for a limited period or under conditions set by statute and Board rule, with screening and referral when findings exceed scope.

Telehealth licensure rule

A PT treating a patient located in New Mexico must hold a New Mexico license and meet the same consent, documentation, and supervision standards as in-person care.