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Association Purpose
The American Physical Therapy Association (association) exists to improve the health and quality of life of individuals in society by advancing physical therapist practice.
Effectiveness of Care
Goal 1: APTA will better enable physical therapists to consistently use best practice to improve the quality of life of their patients and clients.
Objectives:
a. Increase the number of peer-reviewed clinical practice guidelines (CPGs).
b. Increase practitioner use of and adherence to best practice guidelines to reduce unwarranted variation in care and enhance patient and client outcomes.
c. Develop and integrate available patient data registries, including quality measures.
d. Promote the use of valid measures.
Patient- and Client- Centered Care Across the Lifespan
Goal 2: APTA will be the recognized leader in supporting physical therapists in the delivery of patient- and client-centered care across the lifespan.
Objectives:
a. Increase the prevalence of physical therapists providing prevention (primary, secondary, tertiary) and wellness services.
b. Promote implementation of new or participation in existing innovative models of practice that target patient- and client-centered care.
c. Develop mechanisms to identify, prioritize, and address existing and emerging population-based health needs that will impact physical therapy.
d. Identify and address physical therapy supply and demand work force needs.
Professional Excellence
Goal 3: APTA will empower physical therapists to demonstrate and promote high standards of professional and intellectual excellence.
Objectives:
a. Promote modeling and demonstration of key values and behaviors that embrace professionalism.
b. Employ innovative active learning opportunities to enhance lifelong learning and collective abilities to provide optimal, collaborative patient- and client-centered care.
c. Promote excellence in entry-level education and lifelong learning for the PTA.
d. Demonstrate and promote interprofessional and intraprofessional collaboration.
Value and Accountability
Goal 4: APTA will be the recognized leader in setting standards for physical therapist service delivery and establishing and promoting the value of physical therapist practice to all stakeholders.
Objectives:
a. Advocate for appropriate administrative, legislative, and regulatory policies that demonstrate value, ensure safe and effective delivery, enhance access, and protect the integrity of the health care system.
b. Improve compliance with regulations, laws, and professional standards.
c. Advance payment systems that recognize the severity of patient condition and the intensity of interventions required; reflect the clinical reasoning, judgment, and decision-making of the physical therapist; and appropriately pay for the value of the services.
d. Define, advocate, and promote the role of the physical therapist in innovative and collaborative delivery models.
The Bachelors Degree became the standard for entry-level therapists.
The first Masters Degree program also began.
The first two programs were 9-months of course work with a background in either nursing or physical education.
In America women did not have the right to vote until 1920. The profession of Physical Therapy was essentially founded one year later by a group of 274 women.
It is now common to find Physical Therapists that have law degrees, public administration degrees, and many others leading community and government initiatives.
For instance in 2015 within the 15 member Board of Directors there are :
8 DPTs, 4 PhDs, 6 Masters of Science or Art, 2 MPAs, 2 MBAs, 1 JD, 1 ATC, and 3 Clinical Specialists.
Our professional development had many phases:
Acute
Rehabilitation
Outpatient
Wellness/maintenance
"By 2020, physical therapy will be provided by physical therapists who are doctors of physical therapy, recognized by consumers and other health care professionals as the practitioners of choice to whom consumers have direct access for the diagnosis of, interventions for, and prevention of impairments, functional limitations, and disabilities related to movement, function, and health."
The first DPT Degree program began in 1993 at Creighton University.
In 1999, the APTA passed a resolution that required all entry-level programs move to the post-Baccalaureate level.
PASS was a first of its kind "Think Tank" for the profession of Physical Therapy. It brought together 90 physical therapists and 30 non-physical therapists representing government, health policy, academia, engineering, bioscience, and information technology. Their task was to decide what the future of physical therapy should look like.
APTA as it exists today:
Professionalism: the skill, good judgment, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained to do a job well.
The Future
1921
- Does having a strong Association increase
professionalism?
- Who makes up the APTA?
- Does APTA help clinicians?
- How does the APTA communicate?
- If you want to influence the APTA how can you make
your voice heard?
The Future
1921
-Population: 12,012,589 Rwandans
versus 318,900,000 Americans (3.77%)
-Size: 24,668 square km for Rwanda versus 9,161,966 square km (.27%)
-Professionals: 150 Physios in Rwanda (WCPT) versus 198,600 PTs in the US (.07%)
-Salary and Debt
The first PhD program began in 1973 at New York University.
The AMA was responsible for accreditation of Physical Therapy programs from 1928 - 1976.
Post-professional PhD programs and Dual Degree programs began to spread: DPT/PhD, DPT/MPH, and DPT/MBA programs are the most common.
Emory University graduated the first DPT/MBA and DPT/MPH students in 2008.
Additionally, there are Residencies and Fellowships in many areas.
Transforming society by optimizing movement
to improve the human experience.
During World War II, Physical Therapists were granted military status allowing them to serve overseas and continue to be on the front line of treating acute injury alongside physicians and nurses.
For many decades further progress was achieved through changes in education and clinical standards.
The Future
1921
By the late 1940s, a House of Delegates structure was adopted to allow representation and debate about Physical Therapy issues and “Sections” were formed for School and Private Practice interest groups.
Physical Therapy in America has its origins in War and Disease.
Around World War I there were women working as “reconstruction aides” with a generally physio-oriented skill set but no universal standards.
Within twenty years, the Association changed its name to the American Physiotherapy Association, admitted men, established the first “Code of Ethics” for the profession, and grew to just under 1,000 members.
In 1976, the Association approved the concept of specialization. The precursor to advanced, specialty training was endorsed. (In fifty-five years, the profession grow from birth to splintering into specialties.)
By the end of the 1980s, over 50% of active physical therapists were working outside hospital settings.
At the same time, disadvantages of Physician Owned Physical Therapy Services were being researched.
Clinical Practice Guidelines (109 of them) and Clinical Summaries are now available through the APTA website.
Guidelines for Documentation have been created.
The APTA maintains a "Consumer Portal" for potential clients looking for answers to their PT questions.
APTA also provides $2,000 worth of continuing education courses for free to members.
The effects of Polio found Physical Therapists working alongside physicians and researchers on the front lines of the disease.
During the 1940s two special interest groups formed within the Association: School and Private Practice
The Future
1921
The Future
1921
A 36 year battle to prevent limiting payment for PT services began in 1979.
The American Physical Therapy Association has the largest non-physician political action committee in the country.
The first Specialization exam was given in Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy in 1985.
In 1921 the first organization was formed: the American Women's Physical Therapeutic Association. It started with 274 members.
In 1974 an Orthopedic Section was created for therapists focusing on Manual Therapy and Orthopedics.
World War II and a nationwide Polio outbreak in America in the 1940s and 1950s put Physical Therapy in higher demand and the Association grew to 8,000 members with 39 education programs recognized.
APTA published the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice in 1995
Also by the mid 1990s, there were 18 Sections or nationwide special interest groups within the organization.