Current through Reg. 49, No. 38; September 20, 2024
Licensees may select from a variety of activities to fulfill
the requirements for continuing competence. These activities include the
following:
(1) Continuing education
(CE).
(A) Program content structure must be
approved by the board-approved organization, or be offered by a provider
accredited by that organization. Programs must meet the following criteria:
(i) Program content must be easily
recognizable as pertinent to the physical therapy profession and in the areas
of ethics, professional responsibility, clinical application, clinical
management, behavioral science, science, or risk management.
(ii) The content must be identified by
instructional level, i.e., basic, intermediate, advanced. Program objectives
must be clearly written to identify the knowledge and skills the participants
should acquire and be consistent with the stated instructional level.
(iii) The instructional methods related to
the objectives must be identified and be consistent with the stated
objectives.
(iv) Programs must be
presented by a licensed health care provider, or by a person with appropriate
credentials and/or specialized training in the field.
(v) Program providers are prohibited from
self-promotion of programs, products, and/or services during the presentation
of the program.
(vi) The
participants must evaluate the program. A summary of these evaluations must be
made available to the board-approved organization upon request.
(vii) Records of each licensee who
participates in the program must be maintained for four years by the CE
sponsor/provider and must be made available to the board-approved organization
upon request.
(B) CE
programs subject to this subsection include the following:
(i) Live programs.
(I) One contact hour equals 1 continuing
competence unit (CCU).
(II)
Documentation must include the name and license number of the licensee; the
title, sponsor/provider, date(s), and location of the course; the number of
CCUs awarded, the signature of an authorized signer, and the accredited
provider or program approval number.
(III) If selected for audit, the licensee
must submit the specified documentation.
(ii) Self-study programs - Structured,
self-paced programs or courses offered through electronic media (for example,
via the internet or on DVD) or on paper (for example, a booklet) completed
without direct supervision or attendance in a class.
(I) One contact hour equals 1 CCU.
(II) Documentation must include the name and
license number of the licensee; the title, sponsor/provider, date(s), and
instructional format of the course; the number of CCUs awarded, the signature
of an authorized signer, and the accredited provider or program approval
number.
(III) If selected for
audit, the licensee must submit the specified documentation.
(iii) Regular inservice-type
programs over a one-year period where individual sessions are granted 2 CCUs or
less.
(I) One contact hour equals 1
CCU.
(II) Documentation must
include the name and license number of the licensee; the title,
sponsor/provider, date(s), and location of the inservice; the signature of an
authorized signer, and the accredited provider or program approval number with
the maximum CCUs granted and the CCU value of each session or group of sessions
specified and justified.
(III)
Additionally, proof of attendance to any or all inservice sessions must be
provided so that individual CCUs earned can be calculated by the program
sponsor/provider for submission to the board-approved organization.
(IV) If selected for audit, the licensee must
submit the specified documentation.
(iv) Large conferences with concurrent
programming.
(I) One contact hour equals 1
CCU.
(II) Documentation must
include the licensee's name and license number; title, sponsor/provider,
date(s); and location of the conference; the number of CCUs awarded, the
signature of an authorized signer, and the accredited provider or course
approval number.
(III) If selected
for audit, the licensee must submit the specified documentation and proof of
attendance.
(2) College or university courses.
(A) Courses at regionally accredited US
colleges or universities easily recognizable as pertinent to the physical
therapy profession and in the areas of ethics, professional responsibility,
clinical application, clinical management, behavioral science, science, or risk
management.
(i) The course must be at the
appropriate educational level for the PT or the PTA.
(ii) All courses in this paragraph are
subject to the following:
(I) One
satisfactorily completed credit hour (grade of C or equivalent, or higher)
equals 10 CCUs.
(II) Documentation
required for consideration is the course syllabus for each course and a
transcript indicating successful completion of the course.
(III) If selected for audit, the licensee
must submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.
(B) College or
university sponsored CE programs (no grade, no official transcript) must comply
with paragraph (1)(A) of this section.
(C) College or university courses that are
part of a post-professional physical therapy degree program, or are part of a
CAPTE-accredited program bridging from PTA to PT, are automatically approved
and are assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.
If selected for audit, the licensee must submit a transcript indicating
successful completion of the course.
(3) Scholarship.
(A) Publications. Publication(s) pertinent to
physical therapy and in the areas of ethics, professional responsibility,
clinical practice, clinical management, behavioral science, science, or risk
management written for the professional or lay audience. The author(s) are
prohibited from self-promotion of programs, products, and/or services in the
publication.
(i) The publication must be
published within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
(ii) CCU values for types of original
publications are as follows:
(I) A newspaper
article (excluding editorials and opinion pieces) may be valued up to 3
CCUs.
(II) A regional/national
magazine article (excluding editorials and opinion pieces) may be valued up to
10 CCUs.
(III) A case study in a
peer reviewed publication, monograph, or book chapter(s) is valued at 20
CCUs.
(IV) A research article in a
peer reviewed publication, or an entire book is valued at 30 CCUs.
(iii) Documentation required for
consideration is:
(I) For newspaper articles,
a copy of the article and the newspaper banner, indicating the publication
date;
(II) For magazine articles
and publications in peer reviewed journals, a copy of the article and the Table
of Contents page of the publication showing the author's name and the name and
date of the publication.
(III) For
monographs or single book chapters, a copy of the first page of the monograph
or chapter, and the Table of Contents page of the publication showing the
author's name and the name and date of the publication.
(IV) For an entire book or multiple chapters
in a book, the author must submit the following: title page, copyright page,
entire table of contents, preface or forward if present, and one book chapter
authored by the licensee.
(iv) If selected for audit, the licensee must
submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.
(B) Manuscript review. Reviews of
manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications pertinent to physical therapy and in
the areas of ethics, professional responsibility, clinical practice, clinical
management, behavioral science, science, or risk management. The Board will
maintain and make available a list of peer-reviewed publications that are
automatically approved for manuscript review and assigned a standard approval
number by the board-approved organization.
(i)
The review must be completed within the 24 months prior to the license
expiration date.
(ii) One
manuscript review is valued at 3 CCUs.
(iii) For each renewal:
(I) PTs may submit no more than 3 manuscript
reviews (9 CCUs).
(II) PTAs may
submit no more than 2 manuscript reviews (6 CCUs).
(iv) If selected for audit, the licensee must
submit a copy of the letter or certificate from the publisher confirming
completion of manuscript review.
(v) A peer-reviewed publication not on the
list of recognized publications for manuscript review but pertinent to the
physical therapy profession may be submitted to the board-approved organization
for consideration. Documentation required for consideration includes the
following:
(I) The name of the peer-reviewed
journal;
(II) The name of the
manuscript; and
(III) A description
of the journal's relevance to the physical therapy profession.
(C) Grant proposal
submission. Submission of grant proposals by principal investigators or
co-principal investigators for research that is pertinent to physical therapy
and in the areas of ethics, professional responsibility, clinical practice,
clinical management, behavioral science, science, or risk management.
(i) The grant proposal must be submitted to
the funding entity within the 24 months prior to the license expiration
date.
(ii) One grant proposal is
valued at 10 CCUs.
(iii) Licensees
may submit a maximum of 1 grant proposal (10 CCUs).
(iv) Documentation required for consideration
is a copy of the grant and letter submitted to the grant-provider.
(v) If selected for audit, the licensee must
submit the approval letter from the board-approved organization.
(D) Grant review for research
pertinent to healthcare. The Board will maintain and make available a list of
grant-issuing entities that are automatically approved for grant review and
assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.
(i) The review must be completed within the
24 months prior to the license expiration date.
(ii) One grant review is valued at 3
CCUs.
(iii) Licensees may submit a
maximum of 2 grant reviews (6 CCUs).
(iv) If selected for audit, the licensee must
submit a letter or certificate confirming grant review from the grant
provider.
(v) A grant-issuing
entity not on the list of recognized entities for grant review but pertinent to
the physical therapy profession may be submitted to the board-approved
organization for consideration. Documentation required for consideration
includes the following:
(I) The name of the
grant-issuing entity;
(II) The name
of the grant; and
(III) A
description of the grant's relevance to the physical therapy
profession.
(4) Teaching and Presentation Activities.
(A) First-time development or coordination of
course(s) in a CAPTE-accredited PT or PTA program, or a post-professional
physical therapy degree program, or a CAPTE accredited program bridging from
PTA to PT. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a
standard approval number by the board-approved organization.
(i) The course must be offered for the first
time within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
(ii) One student contact hour equals 4
CCUs.
(iii) Licensees are limited
to the following number of CCUs:
(I) PTs may
submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
(II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 8 CCUs for
this activity.
(iv) If
selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the course syllabus
indicating the licensee as course coordinator or primary instructor.
(B) First-time development or
coordination of course(s) in a regionally accredited U.S. college or university
program for other health professions.
(i) The
course must be offered for the first time within the 24 months prior to the
license expiration date.
(ii) One
student contact hour equals 4 CCUs.
(iii) Licensees are limited to the following
number of CCUs:
(I) PTs may submit a maximum
of 10 CCUs for this activity.
(II)
PTAs may submit a maximum of 8 CCUs for this activity.
(iv) Documentation required for consideration
is a copy of the course syllabus indicating the licensee as course coordinator
or primary instructor.
(v) If
selected for audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the
board-approved organization.
(C) Presentation or instruction as a guest
lecturer in a CAPTE-accredited PT or PTA program, or a post-professional
physical therapy degree program, or a CAPTE-accredited program bridging from
PTA to PT. This activity type is automatically approved and is assigned a
standard approval number by the board-approved organization.
(i) One student contact hour equals 2
CCUs.
(ii) Licensees are limited to
the following number of CCUs:
(I) PTs may
submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
(II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 8 CCUs for
this activity.
(iii) If
selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the course syllabus
indicating the licensee as course presenter or instructor.
(D) Presentation or instruction as a guest
lecturer in a regionally accredited U.S. college or university program for
other health professions.
(i) One student
contact hour equals 2 CCUs.
(ii)
Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs:
(I) PTs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for
this activity.
(II) PTAs may submit
a maximum of 8 CCUs for this activity.
(iii) Documentation required for
consideration is a copy of the course syllabus indicating the licensee as
course coordinator or primary instructor.
(iv) If selected for audit, the licensee must
submit a copy of the course syllabus indicating the licensee as course
presenter or instructor.
(E) First-time development, presentation or
co-presentation at state, national or international workshops, seminars, or
professional conferences, or at a board-approved continuing education course.
(i) The course must be offered for the first
time within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
(ii) One contact hour equals 4
CCUs.
(iii) Licensees are limited
to the following number of CCUs:
(I) PTs may
submit no more than 10 CCUs for this activity.
(II) PTAs may submit no more than 8 CCUs for
this activity.
(iv)
Documentation required for consideration includes one of the following: a copy
of a brochure for the presentation indicating the licensee as a presenter; or,
a copy of the cover from the program and page(s) indicating the licensee as a
presenter.
(v) If selected for
audit, the licensee must submit the approval letter from the board-approved
organization.
(F) Service
as a clinical instructor for full-time, entry-level PT or PTA students enrolled
in accredited education. This activity type is automatically approved and is
assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.
(i) The instructorship must be completed
within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
(ii) Valuation of clinical instruction is as
follows:
(I) Supervision of full-time PT or
PTA students for 5 - 11 weeks is valued at 5 CCUs.
(II) Supervision of full-time PT or PTA
students for 12 weeks or longer is valued at 10 CCUs.
(iii) Licensees are limited to the following
number of CCUs:
(I) PTs may submit a maximum
of 10 CCUs for this activity.
(II)
PTAs may submit a maximum of 8 CCUs for this activity.
(iv) If selected for audit, the licensee must
submit a letter or certificate from the coordinator of clinical education
confirming clinical supervision and the number of weeks supervised from the
education program.
(5) Advanced Training, Certification, and
Recognition.
(A) Specialty Examinations. The
Board will maintain and make available a list of recognized specialty
examinations. Successful completion of a recognized specialty examination
(initial or recertification) is automatically approved and assigned a standard
approval number by the board-approved organization.
(i) The specialty examination must be
successfully completed within the 24 months prior to the license expiration
date.
(ii) Each recognized
specialty examination is valued at 30 CCUs.
(iii) If selected for audit, the licensee
must submit a copy of the letter from the certifying body notifying the
licensee of completion of the specialty from the credentialing body, and a copy
of the certificate of specialization.
(iv) A specialty examination not on the list
of recognized examinations but pertinent to the physical therapy profession may
be submitted to the board approved organization for consideration.
Documentation required for consideration includes the following:
(I) Identification and description of the
sponsoring organization and its authority to grant a specialization to PTs or
PTAs;
(II) A complete description
of the requirements for specialization;
(III) A copy of the letter notifying the
licensee of completion of the specialty from the certifying body, and a copy of
the certificate of specialization.
(B) APTA Certification for Advanced
Proficiency for the PTA. This activity type is automatically approved and is
assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.
(i) The certification must be successfully
completed within the 24 months prior to the license expiration date.
(ii) Completion of specialty certification is
valued at 20 CCUs.
(iii) If
selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of the letter notifying the
licensee of completion of the advanced proficiency, and a copy of the
certificate of proficiency.
(C) Residency or fellowship relevant to
physical therapy. The Board will maintain and make available a list of approved
residencies and fellowships. This activity type is automatically approved and
is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.
(i) The residency or fellowship must be
successfully completed within the 24 months prior to the license expiration
date.
(ii) Completion of the
residency or fellowship is valued at up to 30 CCUs.
(iii) If selected for audit, the licensee
must submit a copy of the certificate of graduation indicating completion of
the fellowship or residency.
(D) Mentorship of a resident or fellow in an
approved residency or fellowship program. This activity type is automatically
approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved
organization.
(i) Mentorship of a resident or
a fellow for a minimum of 150 hours of 1:1 mentoring is valued at 10 CCUs. The
Board will consider partial credit for those mentors who provide mentorship for
only a portion of the residency or fellowship.
(ii) Licensees may submit a maximum of 20
CCUs for this activity.
(iii) If
selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of a letter from the
residency or fellowship program confirming participation as a clinical mentor,
with the dates and number of mentorship hours served as a clinical
mentor.
(6)
Professional Membership and Service. Licensees may submit activities in this
category for up to one half of their CC requirement (PT - 15 CCUs, PTAs - 10
CCUs) at time of renewal. Licensees must demonstrate membership or
participation in service activities for a minimum of one year during the
renewal period to receive credit. Credit is not prorated for portions of years.
(A) Membership in the APTA. This activity
type is automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by
the board-approved organization.
(i) One year
of membership is valued at 1 CCU.
(ii) If selected for audit, the licensee must
submit a copy of the current membership card.
(B) Service on a board, committee, or
taskforce for the Texas Board of Physical Therapy Examiners, the American
Physical Therapy Association (APTA) (or an APTA component), or the Federation
of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). This activity type is
automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the
board-approved organization.
(i) One year of
service is valued at 3 CCUs.
(ii)
Licensees are limited to the following number of CCUs per renewal:
(I) PTs may submit a maximum of 9 CCUs for
this activity.
(II) PTAs may submit
a maximum of 6 CCUs for this activity.
(iii) If selected for audit, the licensee
must submit a copy of a letter on official organization letterhead or
certificate confirming completion of service.
(C) Service as a TPTA Continuing Competence
Approval Program reviewer. This activity type is automatically approved and is
assigned a standard approval number by the board-approved organization.
(i) One year of service is valued at 3
CCUs.
(ii) Licensees are limited to
the following number of CCUs per renewal:
(I)
PTs may submit a maximum of 6 CCUs for this activity.
(II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 6 CCUs for
this activity.
(iii) If
selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of a letter or certificate
confirming completion of service on official organization letterhead.
(D) Service as an item writer for
the national PT or PTA exam or an American Board of Physical Therapy
Specialties (ABPTS) exam. This activity type is automatically approved and is
assigned a standard approval number by the board approved organization.
(i) One year of service is valued at 5
CCUs.
(ii) Licensees are limited to
the following number of CCUs per renewal:
(I)
PTs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for this activity.
(II) PTAs may submit a maximum of 10 CCUs for
this activity.
(iii) If
selected for audit, the licensee must submit a copy of a letter or certificate
confirming completion of service on official organization letterhead.
(7) Voluntary charity
care. Providing physical therapy services for no compensation as a volunteer of
a charitable organization as defined in §
84.003
of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. This activity type is
automatically approved and is assigned a standard approval number by the
board-approved organization.
(A) Voluntary
charity care must be non work-related.
(B) Proof of voluntary charity care can count
toward up to one-half (1/2) of the continuing competence requirement.
(C) Ten (10) hours of voluntary charity care
equals 1 CCU.
(D) If selected for
audit, the licensee must submit a letter indicating the dates and number of
hours of voluntary charity care on official charitable organization(s)
letterhead.