Frequently Asked Questions About
the Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant Clinical Performance Instruments

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What is the CPI?

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How can I purchase the CPI? 

   

The CPI can be purchased through APTA's online catalog or by calling the APTA Service Center at 800/999-APTA (2782), ext 3395, from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm Eastern time, Monday-Friday. Please have your MasterCard or VISA handy. Order No. E-42. You can also e-mail your credit card order via the Internet to: svcctr@apta.org. The cost of the CPI is $100 for members and $170 for nonmembers. This price includes a license to make copies of the document. 

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What is included with the CPI? 

The CPI is packaged in a three-ring notebook for the user's ease and includes: License to Make Copies of the CPI, How to Assemble and Disseminate the CPI, Physical Therapist CPI - 24 performance criteria, Physical Therapist Assistant CPI - 20 performance criteria, Using the CPI, Overheads for Teaching Purposes, Studies Investigating the Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant CPI, and Responses to Frequently Asked Questions Pertaining to the CPI.

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Why would I want to use the CPI? 

The intended use and design of the CPI was to provide a uniform and consistent national instrument to measure physical therapist and physical therapist assistant student performance for all levels of clinical experience. The CPI has been developed and examined for basic properties of the instrument (eg, validity and reliability) through pilot and field studies. Likewise, the instrument was developed to address the needs and interests of the professional community, including academic faculty, clinical educators, researchers, and students. In addition, the CPI was designed to be consistent with critical professional documents for the physical therapist including Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, Part One: A Description of Patient/Client Management; A Normative Model of Physical Therapist Professional Education: Version '97; and the Evaluative Criteria for Accreditation of Education Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapists,  and for the physical therapist assistant documents including Guide to Physical Therapist Practice, Part One: A Description of Patient/Client Management; A Normative Model of Physical Therapist Assistant Education: First revision, January 1998; and the Evaluative Criteria for Accreditation of Education Programs for the Preparation of Physical Therapist Assistants.

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Can the CPI be used with both Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant students? 

Yes, but there are different versions; one is designed for use with physical therapist students, and the other is designed for use with physical therapist assistant students. Both versions are included in the purchase of the CPI.

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Do I have to use the CPI? 

Use of the CPI is voluntary. Accreditation does not prescribe what specific student performance evaluative process should be used. Accreditation does require, however, that a mechanism be in place for faculty to evaluate whether students are competent and safe to progress through the curriculum, including the clinical education component.

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Is the CPI copyright protected? 

Yes, copyright protects the CPI. It cannot be reproduced in any form or used in other information storage and retrieval systems in whole or in part without written permission of the APTA if not purchased. However, purchase of the CPI includes a license that will allow the purchaser to photocopy specific designated components of the instrument required for use by clinical educators and students during clinical education experiences.

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Who can purchase the CPI? 

The CPI is available to anyone who wants to purchase it in the United States, Canada, or elsewhere. This includes academic programs, clinical education sites, clinical educators, faculty, students, researchers, and other interested individuals or disciplines.

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Can I modify the CPI? 

No. Modifications should not be necessary because the performance criteria are applicable to all venues of practice and levels of students. Copyright also protects the instrument from any modifications or other iterations that may be developed. In addition, the purpose of developing, the CPI was to have a uniform assessment system, and modifications would compromise that goal.

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Should I use my current instrument in addition to the CPI for evaluating student clinical performance? 

No. The CPI should enable you to assess any aspect of student clinical performance needed to determine his/her readiness to progress through and complete the curriculum to enter practice. Thus, you can replace your current instrument with the CPI.

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Where can I find out more about studies investigating the CPI? 

An overview of the pilot and field testing conducted on the second and third versions of the developing Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant CPI is included in the manual, which is available for purchase. In addition, an article on the Dvelopment and Testing of APTA Clinical Performance Instruments can be found in Physical Therapy;2002:82(4):329-353.

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How can clinical education sites encourage the use of the CPI? 

The clinical community has been eagerly awaiting a uniform instrument to assess students' clinical performance. Encouraging the academic programs with whom you affiliate to adopt the CPI is your first step. You have the prerogative to adopt the CPI for assessing student clinical performance at your clinical site.

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Can the CPI be used for different levels of students? 

Yes. The CPI is designed to be used for all levels of students in a variety of practice settings. Your performance rating may vary, however, based on the level of the student and the specific practice setting. Please refer to the directions for marking the visual analog scale (performance rating measurement) for more information about this question.

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How do I train persons on the use of the CPIs? 

As part of the manual, information is presented that provides the purchaser with a set of learning objectives and sample teaching materials that enables the trainer to ensure that critical concepts are taught relative to the CPI to ensure its effective use. Also included with the manual are overheads that have been printed and that can be made into transparencies to facilitate instruction. 

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Once I have been using the CPI, who should I contact if I have questions or comments?

For comments or questions, contact the academic institution or individual Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education at a program with whom you affiliate and/or contact APTA's Department of Physical Therapy Education at 800/999-2782, ext 8528 or 3201, or e-mail jodygandy@apta.org.

jgandy 6/27/05