Introduction to Continuing Competence & aPTitude

What is the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT)?

Non-profit membership organization

o Members

are the 53 U.S. jurisdiction PT licensure boards

Owns, develops, administers and validates the National Physical Therapy Exam (NPTE) Promotes public protection through effective, consistent and evidence based regulation Serves as a regulatory issues resource:
o Entry

level and continuing competence o Discipline, remediation, impaired professional o Professional standards, standards of practice

What is Continuing Competence?

FSBPT defines it as: The lifelong process of maintaining and documenting competence through ongoing self-assessment, development and implementation of a personal learning plan, and subsequent reassessment.

Why All the Attention to Competence?

FSBPT Mission: To protect the public by providing service and leadership that promote safe and competent physical therapy practice PT regulatory boards/agencies enforce laws for the purpose of assuring the public of the ongoing competence of PTs and PTAs

Why Is This Important to Me?

The law in the state(s) in which you will be licensed will likely require you complete either continuing education (CE) or continuing competence (CC) activities each licensure period These laws also require you to maintain records of what you complete and demonstrate proof of compliance

How Are the States Addressing Competence?

As of June 2013 all but 4 states have CE or CC requirements for PTs and PTAs, but this number is shrinking There is great variation among the states on the requirements
Different units Different completion deadlines Different eligible activities

Many states are expanding the list of eligible activities (e.g. residencies, Clinical Instructor service, committee service . . .)

CC/CE Compliance & Discipline

Failure to complete continuing education/ competence requirements was the third most frequently reported violation for PT and second for PTAs.
Study conducted by Debbie Ingram, PT, EdD, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; Tom Mohr, PT, PhD, University of North Dakota; Renee Mabey, PT, PhD, University of North Dakota; and J. Randy Walker, PT, PhD, DPT, COMT, CMP, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga of disciplinary reports submitted to the FSBPT Disciplinary Database from 2000-2009.

FSBPT has developed a system to help you track process with meeting all your CC and CE requirements

www.fsbpt.org/aPTitude

aPTitude - What is it?

An online system for 3 user types to share CE/CC information
o Licensees o Vendors (providers of CE and CC activities) o The states (licensing board or agency)

Other online CE/CC recording programs exist

o aPTitudes purpose is to assist licensees to select, track and report their activities to meet their requirements

aPTitude Licensee Features

Find and verify current state requirements and related information

Maintain information on completed CC/CE activities for the duration of your career
Securely store documentation for those activities Receive reminders when license renewal and CC/CE reporting deadlines are near

aPTitude Licensee Features

Assess multiple activity offerings to facilitate informed selection Provides single place to monitor licensure records when licenses are held in multiple states Rate and comment on activities

aPTitude Activity Providers (Vendors)

View CC/CE requirements for all jurisdictions
Share information about activities including type, title, fees, learning objectives, location, presenter(s) and schedule Receive and review feedback on activities from licensees Access information about the marketplace and design and schedule activities accordingly

aPTitude State Features

Communicate CC and CE requirements to licensees in a simple and straightforward manner Automatically notify registered licensees when requirements change Verify licensees' completion of activities*

Run and analyze compliance status reports*

*for licensees who elect to release that information

And best of all . . . aPTitude is FREE to use! FSBPT will invite you to register with your first license upon passing the National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE) www.fsbpt.org/aPTitude