Wisconsin Administrative Code
Physical Therapy Examining Board
Chapter PT 5 - Physical Therapist Assistants, Unlicensed Personnel, And Students
Section PT 5.01 - Practice and supervision of physical therapist assistants

(a) Have primary responsibility for physical therapy care rendered by the physical therapist assistant.

(b) Have direct face-to-face contact with the physical therapist assistant at least every 14 calendar days. Electronic face-to-face communications may be used to fulfill this requirement. Audio-only telephone, email messages, text messages, facsimile transmission, mail or parcel service are not considered acceptable electronic communications.

(c) Remain accessible to telecommunications in the interim between direct contacts while the physical therapist assistant is providing patient care.

(d) Establish a written policy and procedure for written and oral communication. This policy and procedure shall include a specific description of the supervisory activities undertaken for the physical therapist assistant as well as a description of the manner by which the physical therapist shall manage all aspects of patient care. The amount of supervision shall be appropriate to the setting and the services provided.

(e) Provide initial patient examination, evaluation and interpretation of referrals and create the initial patient record for every patient the physical therapist treats.

(f) Develop and revise as appropriate a written patient treatment plan and program.

(g) Delegate appropriate portions of the treatment plan and program to the physical therapist assistant consistent with the physical therapist assistant's education, training and experience.

(h) Provide on-site assessment and reevaluation of each patient at a minimum of one time per calendar month or every tenth treatment day, whichever is sooner, and adjust the treatment plan as appropriate.

(i) Coordinate discharge plan decisions and the final assessment with the physical therapist assistant.

(j) Limit the number of physical therapist assistants practicing under general supervision to a number appropriate to the setting in which physical therapy is administered, to ensure that all patients under the care of the physical therapist receive services that are consistent with accepted standards of care and consistent with all other requirements under this chapter. No physical therapist may at any time supervise more than 2 physical therapist assistants full-time equivalents practicing under general supervision.