PT & OT Connection: Continuing Education for Therapists

On January 1, 2017 new Common Procedural Codes Terminology or CPT codes were formerly introduced for physical and occupational therapy evaluations. CPT, authored by the American Medical Association, aims to provide uniform language for health care professionals to code medical services. The goal is to streamline reporting, and to increase efficacy. The decision to modify evaluation coding came about after careful deliberation with ...

Discover the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on healthcare in this engaging course designed for physical therapists, occupational therapists, and athletic trainers. Examine how AI is reshaping therapy practices, from personalized patient care to treatment planning, including the use of motion analysis and practice analysis metrics. From understanding existing AI tools to envisioning their future implications, ...

In the US, there are over 150,000 lower extremity amputations each year, adding up to 300-500 amputations per day. Over half of amputations are due to vascular causes, and those who experience this type of amputation are at higher risk for various complications, including higher mortality rates. 

Given these statistics, it is of optimal importance for us as rehabilitation professionals to take on a multifaceted approach from the be...

Patients with dementia can certainly benefit from rehabilitation as much as adults without dementia. Rehabilitation clinicians need to best understand how to implement the treatment strategies and interventions suited to maximize engagement and adherence in those with these challenging conditions. This podcast is an expansion of Dr. Dawson’s podcast; “Evidence-Based Rehabilitation in Dementia Care: Using Strengths to Facilitate Opt...

Accurate OASIS coding is essential for all home health clinicians due to the direct impact quality indicators will have on an agency’s star rating. With the CMS plan to move to a universal outcome measure for all post-acute settings, OASIS will become an important tool beyond home health. Payment through PDGM and PDPM are driven, at least in part, by improvement as measured through OASIS. This course will provide easy-to-use and un...

This podcast dives into the essentials of sensory integration therapy in an approachable manner.   We will examine practical techniques, share insightful tips, and discuss real-life case studies to help you enhance your skills and confidence in working with children. Whether you're a seasoned therapist or just starting, this podcast provides valuable nuggets of wisdom to support you in creating meaningful therapeutic experiences fo...

Similar to when the internet was budding, artificial intelligence (AI) is here to stay, and developing an early understanding of avenues and limitations will help enhance the administration and management of AI in rehabilitation. Both the APTA (Stevens-Lapsley, 2023) and AOTA (Reynolds, 2023) have commented on the need for the inclusion of AI topics in clinical research as this technology is already deeply embedded in healthcare re...

There is a current shortage of healthcare faculty in the United States. This problem was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to be a major issue in physical therapy, occupational therapy, and nursing to name a few. With shortages of healthcare workers skyrocketing, there is added pressure to try to bring forward more qualified graduates to meet this need. Colleges must figure out how to adapt to reach this need a...

When it was released in 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early” developmental milestone checklists omitted crawling as a developmental milestone and has since been debated among pediatric PTs in the United States.  Creeping on all fours has long been a goal used by physical and occupational therapists to increase a child’s locomotion and progress their gross motor skills in route to...

Research on the short- and long-term effects of concussions has evolved significantly in the past decade.  Rehabilitation professionals are often part of the medical professionals who help individuals recover from these injuries.  The recognition of concussions in populations from athletes to geriatrics and specifically how to treat the signs and symptoms of concussions is a key skill set.  This course will talk about concussions a...

Research shows that exercise is the best treatment for osteoporosis, but not all exercise is the same.  Scientists agree that weight-bearing activities are the best types of exercise for osteoporosis. However, there are more specific activities that can enhance bone mineral density growth in a greater pattern.  This podcast will cover the latest in research treatment and exercise techniques for developing well-balanced osteoporosis...

Often, patients and referring providers are asking clinics if they offer dry needling. Providers and patients are looking for non-pharmacological ways to reduce pain and enhance function.  In many cases, therapists want to offer it but need more education before spending hours and money on additional training. This course will give you an overview of dry needling, weigh the potential benefits/mechanisms of effectiveness, and help y...

Therapists working in school-based environments are faced with complex caseloads, multiple areas they are expected to address for each child, and challenges of providing services to children with specialized needs. Therapy services in schools continue to be influenced by several factors, including legislative mandates, state and local policies and procedures, personnel availability, court rulings, and research on the effectiveness ...

Every second of every day, an older adult suffers a fall in the U.S. Three million people are hospitalized each year because of falls and fall-related injuries. 40% of hospital admissions are a result of falls.  Falls are the most common cause of traumatic brain injury and account for 95% of hip fractures. Falls are also the leading cause of death from injury in older adults in the U.S. Based on the statistics above, it is very cle...

The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently imposed stringent guidelines for screen time. New clinical case studies have found that many young children who spend too much time watching screens display symptoms of autism. When parents take away the screens for a few months, the child’s symptoms disappear. Considering this information, what are the changes we see in the developing brain when exposed to electronic screens? How muc...

Shoulder injuries are a common issue in the geriatric patient presenting to rehabilitation. Specific shoulder dysfunctions are more often encountered in the older patient requiring specific knowledge for successful rehab management.  This podcast will present the current evidence on proximal humerus fractures, rotator cuff tears and glenohumeral osteoarthritis.  It will specifically cover pathophysiology, etiology of injuries, and ...

Do you find yourself spending most of your treatment time dealing with maladaptive behaviors in children?  Have you considered why there is such a prevalence of behavioral challenges?  What has changed over the last 30 years to cause this rise in maladaptive behavioral patterns?  In this course clinicians will dig to the root cause of maladaptive behavioral patterns and learn effective treatment strategies to remediate or prevent t...

This podcast will present an overview of the current literature on the different surgical approaches in total knee arthroplasty.  It will also spend time discussing the lateral approach total knee arthroplasty, which is becoming a more widely utilized approach in TKA. Discussion will integrate the information from the first part of the course and how the different approaches may affect the rehab process.   It will also spend time c...

As our aging population continues to grow in the United States, management of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is becoming a public health crisis with burden to the patient, family, and healthcare system rising each decade. Deficits associated with these challenging pathologies can make it difficult to engage these patients in necessary rehabilitation activities for improved function. Patients with dementia can certainly b...