PTA's as "Therapists" (Full Version)

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KAK -> PTA's as "Therapists" (December 1, 2007 6:52:01 AM)

We’ve just hired a new Physical Therapist Assistant.  She noted that her name tag reads “Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant”.  She asked our supervisor to change it to the correct title “Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant”.  No problem- I see her point. 
 
However, she made the statement to me “I am a therapist, not a therapy”.  This rubbed me the wrong way, but I didn’t press the issue as I understood it in the context of her wanting her correct legal title on her name tag.  She further stated that she was taught in school that her title distinguishes her from an Aide. 
 
Then, during two other conversations (unrelated to the name tag issue) I heard her refer to PTA’s as “Therapists”.  My opinion is that it is misleading and unethical for an Assistant to refer to his/herself as a “Therapist”.  I’ve always been big on not being haughty about the whole hierarchal thing, however this really got to me. I plan on discussing it with her as I don’t want her introducing herself to patients as a “Therapist”.
 
What are your thoughts as a PT or PTA? 



SJBird55 -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 1, 2007 9:18:42 AM)

If you are going to be working closely with her, I think I'd sit down and have a little discussion with her that focuses on her perspective of her role in the clinic as an assistant.  I think I'd want to know that she clearly does know her role.  Then, I know I'd discuss the "therapy" versus the "therapist" issue and agree that there is a difference in semantics but also point out that technically "therapist" doesn't cut it and instead to reduce confusion for patients, there are physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. 



KAK -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 1, 2007 10:21:06 AM)

I will be working very closely with her and I plan on having a discussion with her; however I want to be sensitive to her perspective so we don’t start our working relationship on a negative note.  Honestly, I’ve never come across this, and I do not understand her perspective of (apart from the correct title) or rationale for calling PTA’s therapists.  She seemed very dogmatic about the issue and I’m unsure how to communicate my point in a way that will be meaningful to her.



SJBird55 -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 1, 2007 10:36:45 AM)

Honestly, I bet her hang up is that there must be some politics within the physical therapist assistant programs and it was, for whatever reason, hammered into their heads that the physical therapist assistants are "therapist" assistants and not "therapy" assistants.  She's probably so focused on that issue, especially since she saw what her name tag looked like, that it brought whatever discussion from her class to the forefront.  Maybe she's gone a little overboard... she just needs to be reined in a bit and assisted in her thoughts and the words she uses to help her understand that those in the profession completely understand what she is saying, but patients and the public will not.  She needs to realize that she needs to be careful with what she conveys to patients and that shortening up her title to "therapist" could potentially have ramifications, which could be legal in nature if a patient believes that she misrepresented herself.  You could pose the whole discussion in such a manner that you are looking out for her best interest and don't want to see her potentially going down a path where a patient thought she was a physical therapist and then found out she was a physical therapist assistant and believed that she misrepresented herself and then the patient chose to report her to the licensing board.  Granted, you could tell her that the likelihood of anything truly happening to her license if that did happen would be unlikely, but it wouldn't be worth the stress and the investigation by the State.



reeniePTA -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 1, 2007 11:11:55 PM)

WOW!!!,  I have to step in on this one! I am a PTA in Florida.  Outside of the PT performing the initial evaluation and writing a treatment plan, I am expected to think critically and outside of the box to deliver the best treatment appropriate for the pt., documention, re-evals and discharge my patients. When co-treating with MY Director (it's a two-way street) I am introduced as a "therapist".  And, by the way, I DO tell my patients that I am a Physical THERAPIST Assistant.  Coincidentally, my diploma and licenses (NYS and FL) say Physical Therapist Assistant.   

If I perform the above duties, does that not qualify me as a therapist? Is the IE that draws the line between a PT and a PTA? 

In your discussions, you state that you are not against the PTA using the term "therapist" in their title.  However, you do not want them to think they are a therapist.  How illlogical. Please explain to us PTA's how this is possible?



PamPT -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 2, 2007 12:31:16 AM)

PT's are therapists. PTA's are therapist assistants.  In the state of Maryland, PTA's do not do re-evaluations or discharges. PT's and PTA's need to be able to think critically in order to best treat the patient, that is why we all go to school.  We both treat patients and make judgements based on treatments delivered.  I find that depending on the setting the PTA/PT relationship differs.  I personally feel uncomfortable with PTA's being introduced or referred to as "therapists".  I think this is misleading to the patient and is untrue.  No offense ReeniePTA, but your license says Physical Therapist Assistant.  There is a difference legally, educationally, and literally. What qualifies PT's as PT's is our degree and license. PTA's can be very valuable, add greatly to the treatment outcomes of patients and often times give PT's great ideas and alternative treatment ideas, but it is what it is. 



reeniePTA -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 2, 2007 12:48:14 AM)

It is obvious that the responsiblity of a PTA differs from state to state.  Some states as well as SOME PT's recognize that PTA's, like the scarecrow from the wizard of OZ, actually do have brains.

PAMPT, you did not answer my question.  Are we all not considered therapists, but just at different levels?  Just like nurses, an associate degreed RN is a nurse just like a bachelors' degree (for that matter an LPN is considered a nurse).  They are just at different levels! IT IS WHAT IT IS.



KAK -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 2, 2007 8:25:16 AM)

Reenie,
Thank you for responding.  I was hoping to generate such discussion to gain better understanding.
 
The dictionary definition of a therapist is “a person skilled in a particular type of therapy”.  I understand that a PTA is skilled in Physical Therapy treatments.  The law in our state defines a PT as someone who practices or provides physical therapy.  A PTA is defined as a person who assists in the provision of physical therapy. 
 
I’m sure you feel strongly about being differentiated from a Physical Therapy Aide.  You have an associate’s degree and a license.  You also took a licensing examination. Obviously you would not refer to an aide as an assistant.  There are skill and legal differences. 
 
In the same, way it is not the ability to perform the initial eval that differentiates a PT from a PTA.  A PT generally has a Master’s or Doctorate level of education, a different license (with a different exam). There are skill and legal differences.  The PT is legally responsible for what you do as a PTA. 
 
The public has a right to understand the qualifications of the individual treating them.  In title semantics the only difference between a physical therapist and a physical therapist assistant is the word assistant.  To leave that word out is misleading to patients and the public as they have no way of differentiating.  Also, our law states it is illegal to use the words “Physical therapist” with out having the license.  Though you leave off the word physical, you are calling your self a physical therapist by calling your self a therapist with out the qualifier of assistant.
 
 
The APTA code of ethics states, “A physical therapist assistant shall not hold him/herself out as a physical therapist”.  Also, “Physical therapist assistant shall not make statements that he or she knows are false deceptive, fraudulent or misleading.”
 

This has nothing to do with brains.  You consider yourself as a therapist on “a different level”.   I’m saying that the difference in level is to be made clear to the patients and public. When introducing your self, adding the qualifier of assistant makes this difference clear. 



KAK -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 2, 2007 9:01:44 AM)

Reenie,
One last thought… Should a Physician Assistant introduce himself as a physician?  He provides some of the same services as a physician under his/her supervision.  They are both providing medical care.



SJBird55 -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 2, 2007 1:05:59 PM)

Reenie... the word that is being forgotten is "assistant."  You are an assistant to a physical therapist.  Physical therapist assistants here have a 2 year degree.  Are you honestly going to attempt to convey to me that a physical therapist that has 6-8 years of education isn't different than an assistant?  A physical therapist assistant is to assist in the provision of the plan of care created by the physical therapist.  An assistant can obtain objective data, but an assistant isn't to be assessing but instead reporting to the physical therapist the changes in objective or subjective data so the physical therapist can alter the plan or make a clinical decision.

I realize that physical therapist assistants are supposed to be benefical team players in the care of patients.  That may be the case, but a study done by Resnick on expert physical therapists does plant the seed that expert physical therapists are quite picky in the delegation of patients.  The expert physical therapists that had outcomes better than average physical therapists did not frequently delegate patients to physical therapist assistants.  Just something to ponder.



PamPT -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 2, 2007 7:02:00 PM)

Reenie, I think KAK did a very good job at explaining the educational and legal differences between PT's and PTA's. Hopefully that answers your question. 



VagusX -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 3, 2007 6:16:40 PM)

My PTA has 8 years of experience and does ALL of my aquatic patients.  I have a hard time telling my patients that she isn't a therapist.  I tell patients she is my assistant and that we work together as a team, but when it comes down to who she is; she is the aquatic therapist. 



plhunter -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 7, 2007 7:34:00 PM)

I am a PTA, and I always introduce myself to a patient as a "physical therapist assistant".  I do however feel that I am a therapist on an entirely diffferent level as a physical therapist.   I am always careful in explaining the difference between my education and a physical therapist's.  I wouldn't like it if my badge named me as a "physical therapy assistant", I think that an aide or technician is a physical therapy assistant because they are going to be assisting either a physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant.

I do think sometimes we all get too hung up in titles and should just concentrate on working as a team and helping the patient.  SJBird, physical therapist assistant can assess, they cannot evaluate.

Peggy



SJBird55 -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 7, 2007 8:06:41 PM)

I view an assessment along the same lines as an evaluation.  Objective data is obtained and then assessed... the objective data has to have some meaning and relevance and the physical therapist is the one that pieces all of the information together to assess/evaluate the current status.  A PTA can collect the data, but the PTA isn't to be interpreting the data.  I view assessment, re-examination, evaluation, re-evaluation all as basically the same and those clinical activities are physical therapist duties.

From the APTA:  http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=23731

And more detailed clinical information from the APTA:  http://www.apta.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Policies_and_Bylaws&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=25672



plhunter -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 7, 2007 8:45:25 PM)

Well, PTA's do fill out the Assessment part of a S.O.A.P note and that is not the same as evaluating the patient.  That's all I am pointing out.

Peggy



proud -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 9, 2007 1:01:41 PM)

It's hard to believe that this is an ongoing discussion really. It is a simple {'s} that should clear things up.

A PTA is a "Physiotherapists'{s} assistant. So a PTA is clearly not a therapist. Much the same as a Physician{s} assistant is not a physician.

So for a PTA to introduce themselves as a therapist is clearly an inaccurate representation of their role. The role is to "assist" the Physiotherapist implement a rehabilitation plan. That's it.

And this comment makes no sense from a PTA:

quote:

I wouldn't like it if my badge named me as a "physical therapy assistant"...


Huh? why?

Also, the notion that a PTA is a therapist "on a different level' is conflating the "Physiotherapist's assistant" and the "Physiotherapist" as if the were on the same continuum. They are not of course. Different education, different examinations and different medical-legal aspects. I do think the PTA's here need to sort that out rather quickly.

I do agree that at the end of the day we are all part of a team working for the client. But the public deserves full disclosure on who is who when it pertains to their healhcare.

Along the same lines, I also do not agree with Physiotherapists who have the DPT referring to themselves as "doctors". No...rather they are Physiotherapists with a clinical doctorate. It's different in the eyes of the public and the public is who we are serving....



plhunter -> RE: PTA's as "Therapists" (December 9, 2007 2:13:32 PM)

I never indicated that I introduce myself as a "therapist", I always make it clear to patients that I am a physical therapist assistant.  Again, I don't like the title of "physical therapy assistant" because that is not what my degree states; would you like it if you're badge read "physical therapy".   I believe, in reading the orginial thread that the PTA in question never introduced herself as a therapist but as a PTA but rather referred to herself as a therapist.  Again, what is wrong with that as long as she has made it clear that she is not a PT?  Honestly, I think we have more important things to discuss, like the new Medicare regulations that are going to affect us all, whether we are PT's or PTA's.



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