Intro-History

Physical Therapy

A healthcare profession that begins with an examination to determine the nature and status of the condition, leading to diagnosis, prognosis, and plan of care.

APTA

American Physical Therapy Association, which provides standards, regulations, and a structure for communication in the field of physical therapy.

Reconstruction Aides

Women trained to assist in physical therapy during the post-WWI period.

Mary McMillan

Credited as the first physical therapist in the US; elected first president of the American Women’s Physical Therapist Association in 1921.

American Physiotherapy Association

Formerly the American Women’s Physical Therapist Association; name changed in 1922.

Baccalaureate Degree

Minimum requirement for physical therapists set in 1960.

Direct Access

Legal ability for patients to receive physical therapy services without a physician's referral; became legal in 20 states in 1988.

SOAP Notes

A method for documentation in physical therapy comprising Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan sections.

Subjective Data

Information provided by the patient or their representatives, documented in the 'S' section of SOAP notes.

Objective Data

Measurable and reproducible data that can be confirmed by another professional, documented in the 'O' section of SOAP notes.

Assessment

Section of SOAP notes where clinical judgments and functional outcomes are determined based on subjective and objective data.

Plan

Describes the future treatment steps and interventions planned by the PT in the SOAP documentation.