CONCLUSION
As physical therapy providers assume an increasingly autonomous role in the delivery of rehabilitative services, it is of vital importance that they adhere strictly to existing laws and ethical principles. Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants are responsible for maintaining the highest standards of professional conduct. These standards arise from ethical principles, fundamental concepts by which people gauge the rightness or wrongness of behavior, and laws, which flow from ethical principles and are limited to specific situations, codified by detailed language and formulated by an authority with power to enforce them.
Ethical standards of behavior for physical therapy professionals have been identified by the American Physical Therapy Association and codified into law in California’s Physical Therapy Practice Act. Continuing competence in both ethics and jurisprudence is vital for all practicing physical therapy professionals, regardless of experience level or practice setting.
RESOURCES
California Physical Therapy Practice Act
Code of Ethics for the Physical Therapist (APTA)
Core Values for the Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant (APTA)
Physical Therapy Board of California
Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant (APTA)
REFERENCES
NOTE: Complete URLs for references retrieved from online sources are provided in the PDF of this course.
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