Free Florida PT Jurisprudence Exam Flashcards

30 days. Under s. 486.021(11)(a), F.S., if treatment is required beyond 30 days for a condition not previously assessed by a practitioner of record, the PT must have a practitioner of record review and sign the plan. Practitioners of record are actively practicing licensees under ch. 458, 459, 460, 461, or 466. Older materials say 21 days; that limit was replaced.

Whenever the patient's condition is found to be outside the scope of physical therapy (s. 486.021(11)(a), F.S.; Rule 64B17-6.001(3)). Rule 64B17-6.001(3)(b) adds that a PT must not implement a plan of care the PT judges contraindicated, and if a referring practitioner requested it, the PT must immediately notify that practitioner and give the reasons for refusing.

A patient who was physically examined by a physician licensed in another state, was diagnosed by that physician with a condition for which physical therapy is required, and is being treated by the PT for that condition (s. 486.021(11)(a), F.S.). The out-of-state physician's examination substitutes for a Florida practitioner of record.

For a patient currently being treated in a facility licensed under ch. 395, F.S., such as a hospital (s. 486.021(11)(d)). Direct-access authority stops at the door of a ch. 395 facility, where care follows the facility's practitioner-directed plan of treatment instead.

Specific chiropractic spinal manipulation and acupuncture (s. 486.021(11)(c), F.S.). The PT must refer a patient needing specific chiropractic spinal manipulation to a ch. 460 practitioner. Practicing beyond the permitted scope, including specific spinal manipulation, is an express ground for discipline under s. 486.125(1)(j).

Be readily and physically available for consultation (Rules 64B17-6.001(4)(b) and (5)(b)). A PTA may not provide services to an inpatient or acute-phase patient unless that physical availability exists. Telephone or video access alone satisfies the outpatient standard, not the acute-care standard.

The PT must be accessible at all times by telecommunication and within the same geographic location as the PTA (Rule 64B17-6.001(5)(c)1.). The PT must also direct the PTA through frequent verbal and written reporting and frequent observation of the care rendered; being reachable by phone alone is not enough.

Under s. 486.021(6), F.S., patient-related activities performed for a board-certified orthopedic physician or physiatrist (ch. 458 or 459) or a chiropractic physician (ch. 460) require only general supervision by a PT. Activities for all other ch. 458 or 459 physicians and for ch. 461 (podiatry) or ch. 466 (dentistry) practitioners must be under the onsite supervision of a PT.

Florida sets no numeric ratio. Rule 64B17-6.001(5) imposes supervision duties without a cap, and Rule 64B17-6.007(8) leaves the number of unlicensed personnel in patient care at any one time to the PT's judgment based on setting and patient needs. Reject fixed answers such as 2:1. The one hard limit is temporary permits: a supervising PT may supervise only one permittee at a time (ss. 486.0715(3), 486.1065(3)).

Direct supervision by a PT or a PTA, meaning the licensed supervisor is immediately physically available (Rules 64B17-6.007(1) and 64B17-6.001(1)(e),(7); s. 486.161(3), F.S.). General supervision is a PTA concept only and never applies to unlicensed personnel.

The initial evaluation and any reevaluation, interpretation of either, establishing or revising physical therapy goals, developing or altering the plan of care, and evaluating patient progress against the plan (Rule 64B17-6.007(6)(a)). Unlicensed personnel also may not write patient progress notes, although they may document the tasks and activities they performed during treatment (Rule 64B17-6.007(6)(c)).

Subsequent reassessments of the patient and assessment of the patient's progress in relation to the plan of care (Rule 64B17-6.007(6)(b)). Separately, Rule 64B17-6.001(5)(d) bars a PT from delegating skilled physical therapy functions to any personnel less trained than a PTA.

A PTA may not initiate or change treatment without the PT's prior assessment and approval, must report all untoward patient responses or changes in medical status to the PT, must refer prognosis inquiries to the PT, must immediately discontinue any procedure that appears harmful and report it, and must keep accurate written records of the course of treatment.

Direct supervision by the supervising PT or PTA (Rule 64B17-6.001(3)(g) and (4)(g)). For telehealth, direct supervision of a student means the supervisor is immediately physically available to visualize, hear, and speak with the patient and the student during the encounter in a synchronous fashion.

Rule 64B17-6.001(3)(h) requires complete, accurate written records justifying the course of treatment, including the initial physical therapy assessment, plan of treatment, treatment notes, progress notes, examination results, test results, and a discharge summary. Inaccurate, falsified, or altered records are express unprofessional conduct under Rule 64B17-6.001(2)(e)1.

No more than $1.00 per page for the first 25 pages and $0.25 per page after that; X-rays and similar records are billed at actual cost of materials, labor, and overhead (Rule 64B17-6.005). Under s. 456.057(6), F.S., furnishing the report or copies may not be conditioned on payment for the treatment itself.

Publish notice in the newspaper of greatest general circulation in each county of practice at least 4 times over at least 4 weeks, post a sign in or on the office facade at least 30 days before the change, and keep records obtainable by patients for a minimum of 2 years after termination or relocation (Rule 64B17-6.0042(2)). After a licensee's death, the representative publishes notice within 1 month and keeps records at least 2 years from the date of death.

Two years of licensed practice, 50 hours of face-to-face dry needling continuing education from an entity accredited under s. 486.109, and 25 dry needling patient sessions performed under supervision or as a licensed PT (s. 486.117(1), F.S.; Rule 64B17-6.008). Dry needling requires patient consent, must be part of the documented plan of care, and may not be delegated to anyone other than a PT authorized to perform it.

Section 486.015, F.S., states the sole purpose is to ensure that every physical therapy practitioner in Florida meets minimum requirements for safe practice, and that practitioners who fall below minimum competency or otherwise present a danger to the public be prohibited from practicing. Chapter 486 exists to protect the public, not to protect PTs from competition.

Only when unregulated practice can harm the public and the potential harm clearly outweighs any anticompetitive impact, the public is not effectively protected by other means, and less restrictive means of regulation are unavailable. Qualified persons are entitled to practice a lawful regulated profession as a matter of right, and neither the department nor a board may create unreasonably restrictive standards.

Section 486.021(11), F.S., covers physical therapy assessments plus treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation through therapeutic exercise, functional movement training, manual therapy, massage, airway clearance, integumentary and wound care, physical agents and modalities, patient-related instruction, and tests of neuromuscular function. Roentgen rays, radium, and electricity used for surgical purposes such as cauterization are excluded (s. 486.021(11)(b)).

Section 486.021(10), F.S., defines it as observational, verbal, or manual determinations of the function of the movement system relative to physical therapy, including range of motion, motor power, motor control, posture, biomechanical function, locomotion, and functional abilities, for the purpose of physical therapy treatment. An assessment is a physical therapy determination, not a medical diagnosis.

Section 486.021(6), F.S., defines a PTA as a person licensed under ch. 486 to perform patient-related activities, including the use of physical agents, whose license is in good standing and whose activities are performed under the direction of a physical therapist as set out in board rules. Being licensed does not make a PTA independent; PT direction is part of the definition.

Section 486.021(7), F.S., defines a physical therapy practitioner as either a physical therapist or a physical therapist assistant who is licensed and practicing under ch. 486. Section 486.021(8) provides that physical therapy and physiotherapy are identical and interchangeable terms, and that physical therapy is a health care profession.

Unlicensed personnel are any individuals working or volunteering in a physical therapy setting who do not hold a current PT or PTA license, including aides, technicians, and athletic trainers. Direction is the physical therapist's authorization and empowerment of a PTA or of unlicensed personnel, as permitted by Rule 64B17-6.007, to carry out actions requiring licensure under ch. 486.

Supervision by a Florida-licensed physical therapist that, except in an emergency, requires the physical presence of that PT for consultation and direction of a PT or PTA practicing under a temporary permit as a candidate for licensure by examination. The supervising PT must have been licensed at least 6 months, may supervise only one permittee, and must cosign all of the permittee's patient records (ss. 486.0715(3), 486.1065(3)).

The rule defines direct supervision as supervision of subordinate personnel performing directed actions while the licensed supervisor is immediately physically available. The statutory definition in s. 486.021(9) is narrower and addresses temporary permit holders. Read the stem carefully: the rule definition is the one that governs aides, technicians, and students.

Supervision of a physical therapist assistant, other than direct supervision, in which the PT is accessible at all times by two-way communication, is available to respond to an inquiry when made, is readily available for consultation during the delivery of care, and is within the same geographic location as the PTA. General supervision applies only to PTAs, never to unlicensed personnel.

A license under s. 486.021(3) is the document of authorization granted by the Board and issued by the Department of Health to engage in the practice of physical therapy. Endorsement under s. 486.021(4) is licensure granted by the Board pursuant to s. 486.081 (physical therapists) or s. 486.107 (physical therapist assistants), which route through the endorsement requirements of s. 456.0145.

Section 456.036, F.S., lets a licensee choose active, inactive, or retired status at renewal. Only an active status license permits practice. Practicing on an inactive, retired, or delinquent license violates s. 456.036 and s. 456.072 and is also a criminal offense under s. 456.065(2)(d)3.

24 contact hours each biennium (s. 486.109(1), F.S.; Rule 64B17-9.001(1)). A contact hour is 50 clock minutes and 10 contact hours equal 1 CEU. At least 12 hours must be live lecture or an approved interactive webinar and no more than 12 may be self-paced. No more than 5 hours of risk management count per biennium, and documentation must be kept at least 4 years.

2 hours on prevention of medical errors every renewal cycle (Rule 64B17-8.002), 1 hour on HIV/AIDS no later than the first biennial renewal (Rule 64B17-8.001; s. 456.033, F.S.), and a 1-hour human trafficking course (Rule 64B17-8.003; s. 456.0341, F.S.). Licensees who become licensed in the second half of a biennium are exempt from the 24-hour requirement at their first renewal except for medical errors and HIV/AIDS.

Section 486.031, F.S., requires the applicant to be at least 18, of good moral character, a graduate of an approved physical therapy program who passed a board-approved national examination (or to hold equivalent foreign credentials, or to qualify by endorsement under s. 486.081), and to have submitted to background screening under s. 456.0135. That screening is a Level 2 fingerprint check, which current licensees complete at their first renewal after July 1, 2025.

Applicants for licensure by examination and foreign applicants by endorsement must take and pass the FSBPT-developed Florida Laws and Rules Examination. FSBPT sets the passing score and scores are not accepted more than 2 years after the applicant passed. The 40 scored questions are weighted Patient Care 35%, Legislative Intent and Definitions 25%, Disciplinary Action and Unlawful Practice 15%, Consumer Advocacy 12.5%, Licensure and Examination 7.5%, Board Powers and Duties 5%.

Licenses renew biennially, with a biennium running from December 1 of an odd year through November 30 of the next odd year; current licenses expire at midnight Eastern on November 30, 2027. Courses are reported to the licensee's CE Broker account, and under s. 456.0361, F.S., the department may not renew a license until the licensee complies with all applicable CE requirements.

Pay the biennial renewal, unlicensed activity, reactivation, and change-of-status fees; document CE for the biennium in which the license was last active; and complete 10 hours of CE for each year inactive including 2 hours of medical errors, with no more than 6 of those hours per year by home study. Two hours must be Florida physical therapy laws and rules taken within the preceding 12 months, or passing the FSBPT Florida laws and rules exam in that window (Rule 64B17-5.001).

Inability to practice with reasonable skill and safety because of illness, substances, or a mental or physical condition; fraud in practice or deceit in obtaining a license; conviction of a crime related to physical therapy practice; treating human ailments by means other than physical therapy; failing to maintain acceptable standards of practice; fee splitting or rebates tied to referrals; discipline in another jurisdiction; violating a board order; filing a knowingly false report; and violating ch. 486 or ch. 456 or their rules.

Practicing or offering to practice beyond the scope permitted by law, and accepting or performing professional responsibilities the licensee knows or has reason to know he or she is not competent to perform, including specific spinal manipulation. Legal scope and personal competence are separate tests: an act inside ch. 486 is still a violation if that individual PT lacks the training to perform it safely.

Refusal to certify an application, suspension or permanent revocation, practice restrictions, an administrative fine of up to $10,000 per count, a reprimand or letter of concern, probation, corrective action, refund of fees collected, and remedial education. A $10,000 per count fine is mandatory when the violation is fraud or a false or fraudulent representation, and the Board must first consider sanctions that protect the public before adding rehabilitative conditions.

Only a licensee may use physical therapist, physiotherapist, physical therapy, physiotherapy, or P.T. (s. 486.135(1)(a)). Only a licensee holding a doctoral degree in physical therapy may use D.P.T. (s. 486.135(1)(b)), and such a PT may not use the title doctor without also clearly informing the public of his or her profession as a physical therapist (s. 486.081(1)). Misusing a title is a prohibited act under s. 486.151 and a first-degree misdemeanor.

Practicing, attempting to practice, or offering to practice without an active, valid license is a third-degree felony carrying a minimum $1,000 fine and a minimum mandatory 1 year of incarceration, and a second-degree felony if it causes serious bodily injury. Practicing on an inactive or delinquent license is a first-degree misdemeanor up to 12 months and a third-degree felony beyond that. The department may also issue a cease and desist notice and a citation of up to $5,000 per incident.

Under s. 456.073(1), F.S., the complaint must be in writing, signed by the complainant, and contain ultimate facts showing a violation of ch. 456, a practice act, or a rule. The department gives the subject a copy of the complaint, and the subject has 20 days to submit a written response for the probable cause panel. The Legislature's benchmark is completion of investigative findings within 6 months of receiving the complaint.

A panel of at least two board members decides by majority vote whether probable cause exists, normally within 30 days after receiving the final investigative report; it may instead issue a letter of guidance, and on finding probable cause it directs the department to file a formal complaint (s. 456.073(4)). For an initial minor violation, the department may issue a notice of noncompliance, and failure to correct within 15 days can trigger regular disciplinary proceedings (s. 456.073(3)).

Section 486.123, F.S., prohibits using the PT-patient relationship to induce or engage the patient in sexual activity outside the scope of practice, and Rule 64B17-6.001(2)(d) makes refraining from it an express duty. Section 456.063 extends the prohibition to a patient's immediate family, guardian, or representative, requires every licensed practitioner to report allegations of sexual misconduct to the department regardless of setting, and bars licensure for applicants disciplined for it elsewhere.

Yes. Under s. 456.072(1)(i), F.S., failing to report to the department any person the licensee knows is in violation of ch. 456, the applicable practice act, or department or board rules is itself a ground for discipline. Filing a report you know to be false carries its own exposure: s. 456.072(1)(g) covers being found liable in a civil proceeding for knowingly filing a false complaint against another licensee.

Section 456.061, F.S., shields a practitioner regulated by the Division of Medical Quality Assurance from civil and criminal liability when an HIV-positive patient identifies a sexual or needle-sharing partner, the practitioner urges the patient to notify that partner and to stop risky activity and the patient refuses, the practitioner tells the patient of the intent to inform, and notification follows Department of Health protocols. The practitioner is equally protected for choosing not to disclose.

Under s. 456.076, F.S., which covers ch. 486 licensees, an impairment complaint with no other allegations is referred to the program consultant and does not become grounds for discipline if the practitioner acknowledges the impairment, signs and completes a participant contract, withdraws from or limits practice as required, releases all relevant records, and authorizes reporting of any termination. Termination for material noncompliance is itself treated as a complaint under s. 456.073.

Section 456.052, F.S., requires a written disclosure form given before the referral that states the investment interest, names and addresses each entity involved, tells the patient of the right to obtain the service from any provider of the patient's choice, and lists at least two alternative sources. A copy must be posted conspicuously in the office; violation is a first-degree misdemeanor plus grounds for board discipline.

Section 456.054, F.S., makes it unlawful to offer, pay, solicit, or receive any kickback, directly or indirectly, in cash or in kind, for referring or soliciting patients, and violations are treated as patient brokering under s. 817.505. Section 456.053, the Patient Self-Referral Act of 1992, separately restricts referrals to entities in which the provider holds an investment interest. Chapter 486 adds its own fee-splitting ground for discipline at s. 486.125(1)(f).

On request of the patient or the patient's legal representative, the practitioner must furnish copies of all reports and records of the examination or treatment, including X-rays and insurance information, in a timely manner without delays for legal review, and may not condition release on payment for the services rendered. Records may not otherwise be furnished to, or the patient's condition discussed with, anyone but the patient, the legal representative, or other treating practitioners.