Physical Therapy Resources on the Web

General Sites

Some general sites about physical therapy which may be of interest:

• 2006-2007 Occupational Outlook Handbook: Physical Therapist Assistants and Aides
  This is what the federal government has to say about the prospects for careers in physical therapist assistance. It includes information on training, working conditions, earnings and more.
• OSHA Hospital E-Tools: Physical Therapy Module
  OSHA E-tools are graphics-based recreations of work areas in healthcare settings. This tool presents users with a picture of a physical therapy area in a hospital. Clicking on various object and areas lead the user to documentation about potential health issues and hazards in the environment.
• MedlinePlus: Rehabilitation
  MedlinePlus is a clearinghouse of medical information provided by the National Library of Medicine on a wide range of topics. This site about Rehabilitation provides links to many authoritative sites with quality information, many of them relating to physical therapy. These are geared toward healthcare consumers, but there is quite a bit that may be of interest to physical therapy professionals as well.

Physical Therapy Assistant Professional Organizations

Professional organizations are a great resource for information on physical therapist assitants and related careers. Offerings on these web sites vary. Take a look and see what they have to offer.

• American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)
• Texas Physical Therapy Association (TPTA)

Certification & Registration Bodies

• Texas Executive Council of Physical Therapy & Occupational Therapy Examiners (ECPTOTE)
  The board that handles licensure of physical therapist assistants in Texas
• The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)
  This organization oversees the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) which all physical therapist assitant candidates must take us part of the licensure process in Texas.

Ethics

As a physical therapy professional, you will have to make many decisions regarding your patients' health, safety, and privacy. Knowledge of what the profession considers good and proper ethical practice can ensure that you do the right thing.

• Standards of Ethical Conduct for the Physical Therapist Assistant (APTA)
  This is the code of ethics for the physical therapist assistant profession.
• Guide for Conduct of the Physical Therapist Assistant (APTA)
  This document interprets the above code of conduct in greater detail.

Journals

Journal articles are the best source for recent and authoritative information regarding the latest physical therapy research and practice. Always include journal articles when you are working on a research paper, if possible. Here are some places you can get started.

• Full-text subscription databases.
  ACC subscribes to a number of magazine indexes for health science topics, including many with full-text articles available online. Some examples are CINAHL, Academic Search Premier and Health Reference Center - Academic.
  
  
• TDNet
  This is a service that allows you to search by title for journals available through most ACC subscription databases. Type a word or two from the journal titles (e.g., physical therapy or rehabilitation) to get a list. Some of the titles available include:
  
  
  
  • Journal of Rehabilitation
  • Physical Therapy
  • PT: Magzine of Physical Therapy
  
  
• All ACC Holdings in PubMed
  PubMed is the interface for the massive index of health science periodicals maintained by the National Library of Medicine. This search is limited to those items available at ACC or through ACC databases. Add the phrase AND physical therapy or AND therapeutic exercise in the search box to limit to articles having to do with those topics. Try other terms that come to mind as well.
  

Handouts

Searching For Evidence in the PTA Literature

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For comments or questions about these resources, contact Steve Self
Page updated 18 June 2008.