Issues in Health Care Syllabus for 2013-2014
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Course

PTHA-2317-001 Issues in Health Care

Prerequisites

Course Description

Organizational patterns, administrative principles, legal and ethical issues in physical therapy, and preparation for licensure and employment.

Student Resources Student Resources Website

Department Expectations

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Occupational License Disclaimer

Hours

(3 sem hrs; 3 lec)

Class Type

Hybrid

Syllabus Information

Textbooks

\ There are no textbooks required for this course; however, students will be required to purchase the Scorebuilders Online Exam as per the instructor's directions to successfully complete this course.

Supplies

\  computer with internet access

Student Performance

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE:  This course is designed to prepare the student for development of job placement skills, interpretation of legal and ethical issues, and exploration of organizational patterns and practices in physical therapy and health care.

Goals

 

1. The student will communicate verbally and non-verbally with the patient, the physical therapist, health care delivery personnel, and others in an effective, appropriate, and capable manner (3.3.2.1).
2. The student will recognize individual and cultural differences and respond appropriately in all aspects of physical therapy services (3.3.2.2).
3. The student will exhibit conduct that reflects a commitment to meet the expectations of members of society receiving health care services (3.3.2.3).
4. The student will exhibit conduct that reflects a commitment to meet the expectations of members of the profession of physical therapy (3.3.2.4).
5. The student will exhibit conduct that reflects practice standards that are legal, ethical, and safe (3.3.2.5).
6. The student will demonstrate competence in implementing selected components of interventions identified in the plan of care by the physical therapist including body mechanics, gait and locomotion training, and wheelchair management skills (3.3.2.6).
7. The student will demonstrate competence in performing components of data collection skills including measuring standard vital signs, recognizing and monitoring responses to positional changes and activities, recognizing safety factors while using assistive devices and equipment, recognizing normal and abnormal joint movement, measuring muscle strength by manual muscle testing, measuring functional range of motion, and measuring range of motion using a goniometer (3.3.2.7).
8. The student will be able to recognize when direction to perform an intervention is beyond that which is appropriate for a physical therapist assistant and initiate clarification with the physical therapist (3.3.2.10).
9. The student will complete thorough, accurate, logical, concise, timely, and legible documentation that follows guidelines and specific documentation formats required by state practice acts, the practice setting, and other regulatory agencies (3.3.2.16).
10. The student will read and understand health care literature (3.3.2.18).
11. The student will instruct other members of the health care team using established techniques, programs, and instructional materials, commensurate with the learning characteristics of the audience (3.3.2.19).
12. The student will educate others about the role of the physical therapist assistant (3.3.2.20).
13. The student will interact with other members of the health care team in patient-care and non-patient care activities (3.3.2.21).
14. The student will provide accurate and timely information for billing and reimbursement purposes (3.3.2.22).
15. The student will be able to describe aspects of organizational planning and operation of the physical therapy service (3.3.2.23).
16. The student will participate in performance improvement activities (quality assurance) (3.3.2.24).
17. The student will demonstrate a commitment to meeting the needs of patients and consumers (3.3.2.25).
18. The student will demonstrate an awareness of social responsibility, citizenship, and advocacy, including participation in community and service organizations and activities (3.3.2.26).
19. The student will identify career development and lifelong learning opportunities (3.3.2.27).
20. The student will recognize the role of the physical therapist assistant in the clinical education of physical therapist assistant students (3.3.2.28).
21. The student will complete requirements for graduation, licensure, and employment as a physical therapist assistant.                                  

OBJECTIVES

1.a. The student will identify 10 characteristics of both effective and ineffective verbal communication in the healthcare setting.

b. The student will identify 10 characteristics of both effective and ineffective non-verbal communication in the healthcare setting.

c. The student will be able to identify appropriate strategies for conflict resolution.

d. The student will be able to summarize strategies for conflict avoidance.

e. The student will be able to analyze the effectiveness of communication styles.

f. The student will evaluate his/her ability to communicate in the mock interview and on the resume.

g. The student will be able to discuss the role of communication in teamwork, clinical interactions, and professionalism.

h. The student will evaluate his/her communication skills.

 

2. a. The student will identify individual and cultural differences potentially affecting physical therapy services and will select strategies to address any identified healthcare barriers.

b. The student will evaluate the effect of individual and cultural differences on clinic site relationships, patient advocacy, professional development, teamwork, quality improvement/quality assurance, ethics, legal issues, professionalism, and the APTA.

 

3. a. The student will summarize expectations about conduct of members of society receiving health care services.

b. The student will identify methods to demonstrate conduct that meets expectations of members of society receiving health care services.

 

4. a. The student will summarize expectations about conduct of members of the profession of physical therapy.

b. The student will identify methods to demonstrate conduct that meets expectations of members of the profession of physical therapy.

 

5. a. The student will recognize practice standards that are illegal, unethical, and unsafe.

b. The student will summarize methods to ensure that practice standards are legal, ethical, and safe.

 

6. a. The student will competently perform selected gait and locomotion training interventions and wheelchair management skills using appropriate body mechanics.

 

7.a. The student will competently perform selected data collection skills including measuring standard vital signs, recognizing and monitoring responses to positional changes and activities, recognizing safety factors while using assistive devices and equipment, recognizing normal and abnormal joint movement, measuring muscle strength by manual muscle testing, measuring functional range of motion, and measuring range of motion using a goniometer.

 

8. a. The student will be able to select activities that are beyond the role of the physical therapist assistant.

b. The student will determine appropriate steps to be taken when activities are beyond the role of the physical therapist assistant.

 

9. a. The student will be able to restate the importance of proper documentation for legal and reimbursement purposes.

b. The student will summarize documentation requirements of Medicare, the Texas State Practice Act, and various other third-party payers.

c. The student will construct a list of methods to decrease claim denial.

 

10. a. The student will evaluate the effectiveness of research articles in answering physical therapy treatment questions.

 

11. a. The student will evaluate educational techniques used to provide health-care education to various populations.

 

12. a. The student will discuss the role of the physical therapist assistant.

 

13. a. The student will discuss and critique interactions with members of the healthcare team.

 

14. a. The student will summarize billing and reimbursement requirements for third-party payers including Medicare.

 

15. a. The student will describe various aspects of physical therapy operation and management.

 

16. a.   The student will define quality assurance and quality improvement.

     b. The student will explain various methods of quality assurance/quality improvement.

      c.  The student will discuss quality assurance/quality improvement initiatives he/she have been involved in.

 

17. a.  The student will identify perceived needs of patients and consumers and identify strategies to address those needs.

 

18. a. The student will compare the terms social responsibility, citizenship, and advocacy.

      b.  The student will identify ways to participate in activities that promote social responsibility, citizenship, and advocacy.

 

19. a.  The student will identify career development opportunities for physical therapist assistants.

b.The student will identify lifelong learning opportunities for physical therapist assistants.

 

20. a.  The student will summarize the role of the physical therapist assistant in the clinical education of physical therapist assistant students.

 

21. a.  The student will be able to explain and perform the steps required for graduation from Amarillo College.

b.The student will be able to explain and perform the steps required for the state licensure application.

c.The student will summarize methods of preparing for state licensure.

d.The student will perform a mock job interview .

e.The student will discuss resumes and interview skills.

f.The student will pass a comprehensive program final with a score of 74.5% or higher.

                                       

 

Students Rights and Responsibilities

Student Rights and Responsibilities

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Expected Student Behavior

 

Grading Criteria

GRADING CRITERIA:

            Dropbox Assignments                                                                          15%   

            Posts                                                                                                  15%

            Tests                                                                                                   20%

            Resume                                                                                              5%

            Research Articles                                                                                 10%

            Professionalism Project                                                                         5%

            Skills                                                                                                   5%

            Final                                                                                                    25%

 

 

GRADING SCALE: 

A = 100-92.5

B = 92.4-83.5

C = 83.4-74.5

F=74.4-0 

 

Note: A grade of C or better is required to complete the PTA major.  

 

Attendance

\ ATTENDANCE: “Regular attendance is necessary for satisfactory achievement.”  Therefore, students enrolled in the PTA program are expected to attend all lectures, labs, and clinical experiences, and will be held accountable for obtaining all information presented during these times.  Attendance is required for successful completion of all lectures and labs in the Physical Therapist Assistant Program.  At the beginning of each lecture and lab, students will be expected to sign the roster provided by the course instructor.  Even if a student is present in class and seen by the instructor, failure to sign in will result in the student being marked absent for attendance purposes.  If a student signs in another student, both students will be counted absent.  Each student will be allowed only one absence per lecture course and two absences for lecture/lab courses in the PTA program.  After one/two absence(s), a penalty of five points will be deducted from the student’s final course grade for each subsequent absence.  A student will be considered “tardy” if he/she arrives to class 1-10 minutes late or leaves before the instructor dismisses the class.  Two “tardies” will be considered one absence.  Students arriving to class after 10 minutes will not be permitted to enter the lecture or lab until the next course begins.  Exceptions to this policy will only be made under extenuating circumstances and only if the course instructor receives the appropriate written documentation to support the event within 5 days of the absence.

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\ If a student is absent, it is the student's responsibility to get any missed notes/assignments from other students enrolled in the course and to seek clarification of any information from the instructor.

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\ Make-ups are not allowed for quizzes, homework, or the final exam.  Students should expect to make-up a missed exam on the day they return to class.  If the instructor is unable to administer the exam on this date, an alternative time will be established.  The make-up exam may vary in format and will have 5 points deducted from the grade.

Calendar

Additional Information

 No late work will be accepted; therefore, the student is encouraged to closely monitor all due dates.

Professional Development Project:

Students are required to complete 3 different professional development activities during the semester.  Examples of profession development activities include attending a district meeting sponsored by an APTA chapter or helping with a community service project.  Unless the activity is a district meeting, the student will need to get approval of activities from the coruse instructor.  Students will wirte a short essay after completion of each activity to explain how the activity contribute to professional development.  The typed essays will be turned in to the course instructor on May 11th.

Research Articles:

Throughout the course of the semester the student will be required to submit 4 research article essays.  The topic for each research article will be posted in lessons approximately 1 week before the essay is due,  The format for research article essays will also be posted in lessons.  The student must adhere to all guidelines for essay submission and the article must be cited correctly using APA format or the student will receive a "0" for the assignment. Due dates for each article will be included in the article assignment.

Tests:

Two online tests will be completed during this course.  Although the student will be required to utilize computer resources to successfully complete the tests, the student will NOT be allowed to collaborate with peers/others to complete the tests.  The tests are to be completed independently.  Collaboration with another individual before, during, or after the test will be considered cheating.

Journal Entry Assignments:

The student will be required to complete 14 Journal Entries for this course.  Journal Entry Assignments will generally be opened on the Friday or Saturday before their due date.  Each Drop Box will contain specific instructions for its completion.  In general, journal entry assignments will be due by noon on Saturdays.

Posts:

The student will be required to complete 14 Post/Discussion Board Assignments for this course.  Post Assignments will generally be opened on the Friday or Saturday before their due date which is generally by noon on the following Saturday.  In addition to the 14 original posts, students will be required to provide at least 2 meaningful responses to their colleagues each week.  These responses are due on the same day as the post.  All posts and responses should reflect original thoughts/opinions.  The grading rubric to be utilized for Posts/Responses will be posted in lessons.

Resume:

The student is required to mail a hard copy of the resume to Kelly Jones, P.O. Box 447, Amarillo, TX 79178 by March 8th.  The resume must be received, not postmarked, by March 8th or it will be considered late. Although there is no specific format required for the resume, the student is encouraged to browse online examples of resumes when completing the assignment.  Please do not pay for resume services in order to complete this assignment.

Comprehensive Final:

The comprehensive final will be provided by Scorebuilders.  This computerized final will cost $35 and will be administered in the computer lab.  All students enrolled in the PTA program are required to pass a comprehensive final.  Thus, students failing to pass the comprehensive final will have two more opportunities to pass a different version of the comprehensive final during finals week.  Additional testing will be required in the summer if a student fails to pass the comprehensive final after 3 attempts.