Physical Therapy
In 1973, the American Physical Therapy Association’s (APTA) House of Delegates regulated guidelines that required the responsibilities of a Physical Therapist and the evaluation of patients to coincide with a practitioner’s referral. In 1978, the House of Delegates revised these guidelines in favor of physical therapy practice without that referral. Afterward the APTA began the direct access initiative to completely replace the physician referral requirement in all areas of the United States. As a result, there was a change in the education standards that gave clinical physical therapists ways to identify situations and cases that fall out of their jurisdiction, such as any medical diseases that they may not be educated in treating. In cases such as these they would be ethically responsible to refer that patient to a physician capable of treating the identified aliment.