Topic: Explain the various roles that a physical therapist serves within the healthcare model.

Below are some roles that Physical therapist serve within the healthcare model today: The information below was copied from the internet, Please do not copy word for word because of plagiarism. I will be checking the completed essay on turnitin.com. Thank you.

Physical therapists are health care professionals who diagnose and provide care for those with medical ailments or health-related issues that limit movement or abilities in everyday activities. As the medical field advances, however, the role of the physical therapist is expanding to include other aspects of health care.

While most associate physical therapists as the treatment providers to patients with issues that prevent or limit mobility, the responsibilities of a physical therapist have become much more than that in recent years. Today, physical therapists must be prepared to perform as a fundamental member of any health care team. Additionally, practitioners must be comfortable with and able to perform as a consultant, educator, administrator or clinical scholar.
Consequently, the traditional entry-level education and previously required preparation for physical therapists has become outdated. Physical therapists now need more training, education and experience to perform at the same level as other key health care professionals.

Physical therapists are now expected to do much more than just provide treatment to patients with issues limiting mobility. Physical therapists are expected to be fundamental health care team members who tackle prevention initiatives, such as decreasing falls for the elderly and the prevention of athletic injuries. Additionally, they are tasked with preventing movement and flexibility issues that can be brought on by chronic diseases or other debilitating health conditions.

In Rehabilitation
•  Physical therapists are leaders in rehabilitative services that allow individuals with injury, disease or chronic health conditions, impairments in body functions and systems, activity limitations, and participation restrictions (disabili- ties) to return to productive lives.
In Prevention and Wellness
•  Front line providers—including physical therapists—should be included in health care reform prevention initiatives.
•  Physical therapists are educated to provide insight and in- terventions to increase physical activity among appropriate patients to reduce excess body mass, improve health status, and reduce associated chronic disease risk. For example, for patients who are obese, physical therapists develop programs that can balance the progression of exercise with the need for joint protection and safety.

Health promotion is a growing part of the physical therapy field today. While, the idea is still not fully integrated into the practice, it is well on its way. From the overview and results we are able to see where not only specific health models, such as the Social Cognitive Theory and the Health Belief Model, but also other basic principles of health promotion can be beneficial to physical therapists.
Another aspect of health promotion not previously discussed that therapists and other health care professionals should focus on is health literacy. Patients may not always fully understand their diagnosis and treatment. As a result, they may not follow through with their home health care programs, medications or preventative care. Health literacy is defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process and understand basic information and services needed to make appropriate decisions regarding their health (Vanderhoff, 2005)
According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), “90 million America’s, nearly half of all adults, have inadequate health literacy” (Vanderhoff, 2005). Much progress has been made to enhance health literacy. The providers’ competency is paramount to successful patient education. As such, The Commission of Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education has made patient education an accreditation requirement for PT education programs (Vanderhoff, 2005). The best way to ensure that health education and health promotion are being utilized in physical therapy is to ensure that it is taught to students and in continuing education courses.
The utilization of the PT has continued to grow over the years specifically in the hospital-based outpatient wound clinic (HOPD), primarily as it relates to implementing healing strategies that impact offloading, positioning, range of motion, and maximizing overall function and quality of life among those living with chronic, nonhealing wounds. The PT can also be a resource for recommending therapies and assistive devices that improve strength, ambulation/mobility, and overall wound healing. Furthermore, impediments to wound therapy may be reduced or even eliminated when the PT is involved in a collaborative approach to care.
The PT provides “application of therapeutic procedures and modalities that are intended to enhance wound perfusion, manage scar, promote an optimal wound environment, remove excess exudate from a wound complex, and eliminate nonviable tissue from a wound bed.