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The Physical Therapist's Business Practice and Legal Guide

Author(s): Sheila K. Nicholson, JD, MBA, PT
Details:
  • ISBN-13: 9780763740696
  • ISBN-10:0763740691
  • Hardcover    399 pages      © 2008
Price: International Sales $115.95 US List
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Physical therapists are opening more private practices and quickly becoming primary care providers. As a result, they must be better prepared for liability risks. Many lawsuits seek compensation for risks or injuries that are a natural result of the healthcare provider's service - not due to the practitioner's negligence. Physical therapists must anticipate this in their practice and learn ways to mitigate risk exposure in the daily routine. This text discusses the changes occurring in the physical therapy field and how these changes impact legal exposure within the profession. By incorporating key concepts as well as case studies that demonstrate how other health professionals have handled lawsuits, this book provides the educational tools you need to integrate risk management into daily patient care. This book is a valuable resource no practicing physical therapist or student should be without.

 

An essential new resource for all physical therapists, this guide examines:

  • Tort reform
  • The laws governing physical therapy
  • Medical malpractice
  • Legal aspects of documentation
  • Liability issues in various practice settings
  • Surviving a lawsuit
  • Managing risks
  • Legal aspects of starting a private practice
  • The basics of employment law
  • Ethical dilemmas
  • Legal opportunities for the physical therapist

 

View the Frontmatter

View Chapter 1

View Chapter 2

Applicable Courses

Professional Issues

Physical Therapy Practice and Ethics

Practice Management

Health Care Law

Critical Issues in Physical Therapy

Trends on Physical Therapy

Physical Therapy and Patient Care

Concepts in Physical Therapy Practice

Foreword

Preface

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1: The Evolution of Physical Therapy

Chapter 2: The Legal System

Chapter 3: Understanding Tort Reform

Chapter 4: The Laws Governing Physical Therapy

Chapter 5: Negligence of Medical Malpractice Claims

Chapter 6: Employment Law

Chapter 7: Other Types of Lawsuits

Chapter 8: Understanding the Role of Documentation

Chapter 9: Liability with Various Practice Settings

Chapter 10: Private Malpractice Insurance

Chapter 11: Trends in Current Case Law

Chapter 12: Surviving a Lawsuit

Chapter 13: Managing Risk

Chapter 14: Different Types of Business Entities

Chapter 15: Legal Issues Specific to Practice Ownership

Chapter 16: Ethical Dilemmas

Chapter 17: Legal Opportunities for Physical Therapists

Index of Cases

Glossary of Terms

Index

 


Sheila K. Nicholson, JD, MBA, PT

Sheila K. Nicholson has been involved in the long-term care/health-care industry for over 22 years.  Beginning as a physical therapist, she returned to law school in 2000 and now works in the industry in defense counsel.  She has lectured extensively on legal documentation and medical malpractice to Florida’s Associations for Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy.  She has presented ways to mitigate liability in Medical Malpractice claims nationally to the American Physical Therapy Association. She has also presented Risks Associated with Rehabilitation to the Florida, Mississippi and New Mexico Health Care Associations.  In December 2006 she published an article in PT Magazine entitled, “Liability Awareness: Guidance in the Courtroom”; and in January 2005, she was a contributing author to Legal Documentation for Athletic Trainers published by Slack.