To help clinicians meet the July 1 functional limitation reporting requirements, PTNow is providing appropriate tests and measures for member use. The tests and measures were identified by APTA section teams and EDGE task forces for the highest-volume conditions in their content areas.
Because many of these tests are copyrighted, APTA is securing licenses to offer them via PTNow and will post links to the usable tests as they become available. (New tests are added almost daily.)
The tests are grouped by clinical focus and condition, and tests are listed alphabetically within groups. In the coming weeks the tests will be organized and searchable by functional limitation category (Mobility: Walking & Moving Around, Changing & Maintaining Body Position, Carrying, Moving, & Handling Objects, Self-Care, Other PT/OT Subsequent Functional Limitation).
We need more examples for SNF patients and need to know how to determine the degree of disability. For example, if a patient is unable to walk and you are working on "Changing and maintaing body position" for bed mobility, transfers and sitting balance, are they 100% disabled since they can't stand?
Posted by Debra Otten
on 5/19/2013 6:25 PM
I use many of the outcomes measurement tools listed, but none of the ones I looked at on PT Now offered any advice what so ever as to how to rate a % disability based on the specific tests.
Posted by Stephen Wolters -> ALU^D
on 5/19/2013 10:09 PM
What is missing from this scenerio is a common list of specfic activity factors and scales to help organize the results from functional outcome measures. Since physical therapy is a skilled profession, I would think that levels for many factors need to be more customized and functionally based, e.g. Ambulation agility NONE = Unable to ambulate at all, VERY LOW = Requires assistive device for safety for short distances on level ground, LOW = Ambulates safely for short distances for short distances on level ground without an assistive device, MEDIUM = Ambulates safely at a normal speed on level ground for community ambulation, HIGH = Able to jog or race walk without sudden chances of direction, VERY HIGH = Able to run and cut to change direction on uneven ground for sports performance. This would allow the PT to use the same rating to describe the activity demand as the person's ability.
Posted by Rick Wickstrom
on 5/22/2013 3:40 PM
Kathy: Tests and measures are available via the page linked in the above story. As it mentions on that page, APTA is seeking permission to post tests and new links are added daily.
Posted by News Now Staff
on 5/22/2013 4:01 PM
All: Thank you for your feedback. PTNow is looking to provide as much information as possible in its test summary pages, which will be posted over the next several weeks, based on available evidence and resources. For specific questions on functional limitation reporting, we recommend the active Functional Limitation Discussion forum, which can be found via this page at APTA.org:
http://www.apta.org/Payment/Medicare/CodingBilling/FunctionalLimitation/
Posted by News Now Staff
on 5/22/2013 4:02 PM
If the APTA is getting permission/licenses for these tools, can my facility reprint and use them without getting our own permission/licenses?
Posted by Raina
on 7/10/2013 2:53 PM