This course is designed to enhance the student’s knowledge and critical thinking skills in the process of differential diagnosis and medical screening in the physical therapy profession. Students will develop and enhance their ability to integrate findings from medical screenings, medical tests, and images in the physical therapy patient/client management model. This course is also designed to explore the physical therapist’s role as an independent practitioner working within the collaborative medical model. The responsibilities of the physical therapist associated
with medical screening and referral will be discussed.
Students will be exposed to a variety of case studies to determine which medical screens are appropriate and at which patient visit the medical screens should be administered. The course will include presentation and discussion of circumstances that support consulting with or referring a patient to another healthcare provider as well as medical conditions that warrant urgent or immediate communication with the physician. Effective communication strategies with other healthcare providers will be discussed. Selected disease processes that mimic impairments encountered by a physical therapist will be explored. Students will also explore the impact of socioeconomic, cultural, and psychological factors as they relate to the differential diagnosis process for physical therapists.