2005 Vermont Code - § 2085. — Legal liability

§ 2085. Legal liability

(a) Physical therapists are professionally and legally responsible for patient care given by assistive personnel under their supervision. A physical therapist may delegate to assistive personnel and supervise selected acts, tasks or procedures which fall within the scope of physical therapy practice, provided such acts, tasks or procedures do not exceed the assistive personnel's education or training.

(b) The director of professional regulation shall identify by rule the physical therapy services that may only be performed by, and are the sole responsibility of, the supervising physical therapist.

(c) Assistive personnel, other than physical therapist assistants, shall perform patient care activities under on-site supervision of a licensed physical therapist. For purposes of this section, "on-site supervision" means the supervising physical therapist must be:

(1) continuously on-site and present in the department or facility where the assistive personnel are performing services;

(2) immediately available to assist the person being supervised in the services being performed; and

(3) maintain continued involvement in appropriate aspects of each treatment session in which a component of treatment is delegated to assistive personnel.

(d) With respect to supervision of a physical therapist assistant, the supervising physical therapist shall make regular visits at reasonable frequency to the place where the service is provided for the purpose of observing the physical therapist assistant treat the patient. (Added 1997, No. 40, § 26.)