Use of support personnel for physical therapy treatment

This study determined the extent to which unlicensed aides employed in physical therapy settings administer physical therapy treatments.

A 48-item survey questionnaire was mailed to 300 physical therapists in Indiana. The survey assessed aide utilization and supervision for 21 physical therapy treatments and sought therapists' opinions about the use of aides.

One hundred sixty-one responses were received (53.7% return rate). Sixty-eight percent of the respondents indicated that aides were involved in patient treatments at their facilities. Four treatments were given by aides without supervision in the facilities of at least 20% of the respondents: hot/cold packs, whirlpool, paraffin, and ultrasound. Sixty-seven percent of the therapists indicated that their use of aides had presented them with ethical dilemmas, and 73% desired more specific guidelines on aide utilization.

There was significantly greater unsupervised use of aides when they were not identified as "aides" to consumers than when they were clearly identified. Therapists who approved of the unsupervised use of aides described in a scenario were significantly more likely to use aides in an unsupervised manner. There were no differences in unsupervised use of aides on the basis of setting or hours of aide training.