What are some common ethical issues in practicing in physical therapy and in healthcare in general today?
Answer
In the healthcare profession, we commonly encounter several ethical issues that deserve our careful attention. These encompass both the need for thorough and accurate documentation as well as navigating complex workplace demands:
Documentation Lapses
Ensuring timely and accurate documentation of patient encounters is critical. Lapses in documentation, such as shortcuts, using X's or dots, or cloning/copy-pasting records, can compromise patient care and credibility in legal situations.
Employer Demands and Productivity Quotas
Balancing productivity demands with ethical practice is essential. While efficiency and productivity are important, falsifying billing or misrepresenting services to meet quotas is unethical.
Use and Supervision of Support Personnel
Utilizing support personnel within the boundaries of state practice acts is crucial. Clearly defining roles and responsibilities of support staff to ensure they adhere to legal and ethical guidelines is vital.
Impaired Practitioners
Recognizing and addressing impaired practitioners due to mental health issues or substance abuse is essential for patient safety and maintaining professional ethics. Prompt intervention and support are imperative in such cases
Student Supervision
Adequate supervision and mentorship for students during clinical placements are ethical responsibilities. Neglecting to provide proper guidance and supervision can compromise the learning experience and ethical conduct of students.
Addressing these ethical challenges involves upholding professional standards, prioritizing patient care and safety, and ensuring compliance with legal regulations. It's incumbent upon healthcare professionals to maintain ethical conduct while navigating the demands and responsibilities inherent in their roles.
Continued and its subsidiaries provide professional education authored by qualified Subject Matter Experts for continuing education purposes. These materials are intended for educational purposes and do not constitute medical advice or a substitute for individual clinical judgment. Continued is not a clinical healthcare provider; the licensed professional is solely responsible for ensuring that the application of any techniques or information presented is within their legal scope of practice and jurisdictional requirements.
Kathleen D. Weissberg, OTD, OTR/L, CMDCP, CDP, CFPS, CGCS
In her 30+ years of practice, she has worked in rehabilitation and long-term care as an executive, researcher, and educator. She has established numerous programs in nursing facilities and authored peer-reviewed publications on topics such as low vision, dementia, quality care, and wellness. She has spoken at numerous conferences, both nationally and internationally. She provides continuing education support to over 30,000 therapists, nurses, and administrators nationwide as National Director of Education for Select Rehabilitation. She is a Certified Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Care Trainer, Certified Dementia Care Practitioner, Certified Montessori Dementia Care Practitioner, Certified Fall Prevention Specialist, a Certified Geriatric Care Practitioner, and Trauma Informed Educator. She serves as the Region 1 Director for the American Occupational Therapy Association Political Action Committee and is an adjunct professor at Gannon University in Erie, PA.
Related Courses
1https://www.physicaltherapy.com/pt-ceus/course/supervising-assistants-students-and-aides-4377Supervising Assistants, Students, and Aides: Upholding Your Ethics in a Challenging Health Care EnvironmentThis presentation reviews the definitions of supervision as well as APTA guidance related to supervising assistants, students, and aides in various healthcare environments. Documentation guidelines for Medicare are reviewed as these relate to what an assistant can complete versus a therapist. The use of students and rehab aides in long-term care is reviewed in accordance with Medicare guidelines. Real examples of common supervisory ethical dilemmas from the field, including the appropriate action steps to take in each one, are highlighted. This course is directly related to the practice of physical therapy and is therefore appropriate for the PT/PTAauditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlyPhysicalTherapy.comwww.physicaltherapy.comSupervising Assistants, Students, and Aides: Upholding Your Ethics in a Challenging Health Care EnvironmentThis presentation reviews the definitions of supervision as well as APTA guidance related to supervising assistants, students, and aides in various healthcare environments. Documentation guidelines for Medicare are reviewed as these relate to what an assistant can complete versus a therapist. The use of students and rehab aides in long-term care is reviewed in accordance with Medicare guidelines. Real examples of common supervisory ethical dilemmas from the field, including the appropriate action steps to take in each one, are highlighted. This course is directly related to the practice of physical therapy and is therefore appropriate for the PT/PTA4377OnlinePT120M
This presentation reviews the definitions of supervision as well as APTA guidance related to supervising assistants, students, and aides in various healthcare environments. Documentation guidelines for Medicare are reviewed as these relate to what an assistant can complete versus a therapist. The use of students and rehab aides in long-term care is reviewed in accordance with Medicare guidelines. Real examples of common supervisory ethical dilemmas from the field, including the appropriate action steps to take in each one, are highlighted. This course is directly related to the practice of physical therapy and is therefore appropriate for the PT/PTA
2https://www.physicaltherapy.com/pt-ceus/course/ethics-and-jurisprudence-for-physical-5197Ethics and Jurisprudence for the Physical Therapy Professional Licensed in HawaiiFor each renewal period, licensees must obtain continuing competence units (CCUs), including two units in ethics, laws, and rules (jurisprudence). This course reviews the jurisprudence and ethics components outlined by the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy and applies to PTs and PTAs licensed in Hawaii.textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlyPhysicalTherapy.comwww.physicaltherapy.comEthics and Jurisprudence for the Physical Therapy Professional Licensed in HawaiiFor each renewal period, licensees must obtain continuing competence units (CCUs), including two units in ethics, laws, and rules (jurisprudence). This course reviews the jurisprudence and ethics components outlined by the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy and applies to PTs and PTAs licensed in Hawaii.5197OnlinePT120M
For each renewal period, licensees must obtain continuing competence units (CCUs), including two units in ethics, laws, and rules (jurisprudence). This course reviews the jurisprudence and ethics components outlined by the Hawaii Board of Physical Therapy and applies to PTs and PTAs licensed in Hawaii.
3https://www.physicaltherapy.com/pt-ceus/course/ethics-in-physical-therapy-translating-5456Ethics in Physical Therapy: Translating the Code and Models into Clinical PracticeMove beyond the basics of the updated APTA Code of Ethics by learning to apply structured decision-making frameworks, including the RIPS model, to complex real-world scenarios. Designed for practicing PTs and PTAs, this course focuses on navigating the 'grey areas' of clinical judgment, from productivity pressures to interprofessional conflict. Participants will gain actionable strategies to translate ethical obligations into daily practice with confidence and integrity.auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlyPhysicalTherapy.comwww.physicaltherapy.comEthics in Physical Therapy: Translating the Code and Models into Clinical PracticeMove beyond the basics of the updated APTA Code of Ethics by learning to apply structured decision-making frameworks, including the RIPS model, to complex real-world scenarios. Designed for practicing PTs and PTAs, this course focuses on navigating the 'grey areas' of clinical judgment, from productivity pressures to interprofessional conflict. Participants will gain actionable strategies to translate ethical obligations into daily practice with confidence and integrity.5456OnlinePT180M
Move beyond the basics of the updated APTA Code of Ethics by learning to apply structured decision-making frameworks, including the RIPS model, to complex real-world scenarios. Designed for practicing PTs and PTAs, this course focuses on navigating the 'grey areas' of clinical judgment, from productivity pressures to interprofessional conflict. Participants will gain actionable strategies to translate ethical obligations into daily practice with confidence and integrity.
4https://www.physicaltherapy.com/pt-ceus/course/supporting-lgbtq-senior-in-healthcare-4096Supporting the LGBTQ Senior in HealthcareThis training describes the required elements for responding to the emerging needs of long term care communities to provide sensitive and respectful services to LGBT elders. The training reviews definitions related to sexual orientation and gender identity challenges experienced by LGBT older adults, and strategies for communication and policies that honor residents' rights. This course is directly related to the practice of physical therapy and is therefore appropriate for the PT and PTA.auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlyPhysicalTherapy.comwww.physicaltherapy.comSupporting the LGBTQ Senior in HealthcareThis training describes the required elements for responding to the emerging needs of long term care communities to provide sensitive and respectful services to LGBT elders. The training reviews definitions related to sexual orientation and gender identity challenges experienced by LGBT older adults, and strategies for communication and policies that honor residents' rights. This course is directly related to the practice of physical therapy and is therefore appropriate for the PT and PTA.4096OnlinePT120M
This training describes the required elements for responding to the emerging needs of long term care communities to provide sensitive and respectful services to LGBT elders. The training reviews definitions related to sexual orientation and gender identity challenges experienced by LGBT older adults, and strategies for communication and policies that honor residents' rights. This course is directly related to the practice of physical therapy and is therefore appropriate for the PT and PTA.
5https://www.physicaltherapy.com/pt-ceus/course/health-literacy-in-practice-effective-5378Health Literacy in Practice: Effective Communication and EducationHealth Literacy is the ability to read, compute, understand and act on health information to make informed decisions. Low health literacy is a serious threat to the well-being of persons seeking medical care. With the increasing diversity of clients, we may observe that our communication skills are less effective with people from backgrounds different from our own. In this course, an overview of health literacy is provided. The session will review techniques for clear and effective communication, verbal and written communication with those from other cultures, writing and selecting easy-to-read health materials, and assessment tools to use to ensure that clients understand the therapy services provided and have the skills needed to access, understand, and use health information.auditory, textual, visual129USDSubscriptionUnlimited COURSE Access for $129/yearOnlineOnlyPhysicalTherapy.comwww.physicaltherapy.comHealth Literacy in Practice: Effective Communication and EducationHealth Literacy is the ability to read, compute, understand and act on health information to make informed decisions. Low health literacy is a serious threat to the well-being of persons seeking medical care. With the increasing diversity of clients, we may observe that our communication skills are less effective with people from backgrounds different from our own. In this course, an overview of health literacy is provided. The session will review techniques for clear and effective communication, verbal and written communication with those from other cultures, writing and selecting easy-to-read health materials, and assessment tools to use to ensure that clients understand the therapy services provided and have the skills needed to access, understand, and use health information.5378OnlinePT60M
Health Literacy is the ability to read, compute, understand and act on health information to make informed decisions. Low health literacy is a serious threat to the well-being of persons seeking medical care. With the increasing diversity of clients, we may observe that our communication skills are less effective with people from backgrounds different from our own. In this course, an overview of health literacy is provided. The session will review techniques for clear and effective communication, verbal and written communication with those from other cultures, writing and selecting easy-to-read health materials, and assessment tools to use to ensure that clients understand the therapy services provided and have the skills needed to access, understand, and use health information.
