Particularizing an Internal Morality of Physical Therapy

Area of Science:

• Philosophy of Medicine
• Bioethics
• Physical Therapy Ethics

Background:

• The American Physical Therapy Association has had a code of ethics since 1935.
• The philosophical foundations of physical therapist practice require further explication.
• Philosophy of medicine offers a framework for studying healthcare professions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt Edmund Pellegrino's philosophy of medicine to physical therapy.
• To construct an internal morality specific to physical therapy.
• To analyze the nature and telos (end) of physical therapy.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a phenomenological and teleological framework.
• Examining three key phenomena: disability, the act of the profession, and the act of physical therapy.
• Focusing on the patient-professional relationship as the basis for internal morality.

Main Results:

• Physical therapy's clinical truth is a process that capacitates patients, not solely a treatment decision.
• The internal morality of physical therapy is founded on the patient-professional relationship.
• Disability, the profession, and the act of therapy are central to physical therapy's telos.

Conclusions:

• A relational approach provides a robust foundation for the philosophy and ethics of physical therapy.
• Physical therapy's unique contribution lies in patient capacitation through a guided process.
• This framework supports a distinct ethical identity for physical therapists.