DPT 720: Introduction to Physical Therapy Examination

Class Program
Credits 4
Catalog
This course provides the foundation for the evaluative process in physical therapy. Physical therapy evaluation includes history, systems review, tests/measures, prognosis, physical therapy diagnosis, goals and intervention plans. Students gain knowledge of how to organize and interpret results from a basic examination of non-complex patient problems. They gain understanding and practical skill in patient questioning and history taking, completion of pain and assessment tools, measurement of vital signs, goniometric examination, manual muscle strength testing, limb girth and limb length measurements and sensory examination. This course also introduces documentation in physical therapy practice, and students will learn how to document the results of the history, systems review and physical examination in a format suitable for a patient's medical record. By the end of this course students are expected to be able to document, select, and perform appropriate components of an initial evaluation of a given, non-complex patient problem. Finally, students are expected to generate a problem list and begin to interpret the results (prognosis and diagnosis) of data gathered during the examination. Material in this course will be delivered using a combination of lecture and laboratory sessions.