Alaska Physical Therapy Continuing Education

Alaska Physical Therapy Full CE Requirement 24-Hour Package

• Adaptive Equipment (AE) and Durable Medical Equipment (DME) (2 hrs)
  Adaptive equipment and durable medical equipment both have their places in the rehabilitative process. Both categories of equipment provide compensatory routes for patients who want to function as well and as independently as possible during their day-to-day lives. The following course material will assist physical therapists (PTs) and occupational therapists (OTs) in addressing the numerous barriers to effectively incorporate adaptive equipment (AE) and durable medical equipment (DME) into their patients’ interventions—and eventually into their lives after discharge from services.
• Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias: Medical Overview and Rehabilitation Management, 2nd ed (4 hrs)
  The purpose of this course is to provide useful, pragmatic information to rehabilitation therapists to facilitate successful rehabilitation for individuals with Alzheimer’s and other dementias. Too often, those with dementia are excluded from rehabilitation opportunities based on the assumption that they will not benefit, or they are given a brief trial of rehabilitation that does not take into consideration the special needs of this population and, as a result, they do not make gains. This course will provide an overview of Alzheimer’s disease and its medical management, practical information on optimal interactions with individuals who have Alzheimer’s disease, research findings related to motor learning in this population, existing evidence on rehabilitation with individuals with dementia, and strategies to facilitate successful outcomes. 
• Chronic Illness and Depression- PT (3 hrs)
  This  basic-level course addresses the knowledge gap by providing rehabilitation  professionals with an overview of the co-occurrence of depression and chronic conditions and identifying challenges in screening and referring adults with chronic conditions and depression. It provides explanations for potential causes of and contributing factors to depression unique to individuals with chronic medical conditions. Although individuals with chronic conditions are at increased risk for depression, this course also explores factors that may enhance such individuals’ well-being and diminish the likelihood of depression.
• Breast Cancer: Contemporary Rehabilitation Strategies (6 hrs)
  The purpose of this intermediate-level course is to provide a critical review of current evidence to inform physical therapy best practice for the breast cancer patient population. Upon fulfilling the course objectives, practitioners will be prepared to develop an evidence-based approach to the evaluation and treatment of individuals with breast cancer throughout the survivorship continuum.
• Conservative and Surgical Management of the Osteoarthritic Hand and Wrist (5 hrs)
  This intermediate-level course provides physical therapists and physical therapist assistants with a detailed overview of the pathophysiology and mechanics of the joints of the hand of those diagnosed with OA. The course offers practitioners in-depth knowledge of several of the most common medical and evidence-based practices and provides instruction for technique application in physical therapy examination and evaluation, as well as intervention.
• Ethical Practices With Older Adults, Updated (4 hrs)

Alaska PTA Full CE Requirement 24-Hour Package

• Ethical Issues and Decision Making 2nd Edition (5 hrs)
  This intermediate level course provides physical therapists and physical therapist assistants with an updated primer on the study of ethics and ethical behaviors as they apply to physical therapy practice. The course is designed to help clinicians effectively and efficiently integrate ethical decision making into their clinical practice.
• Total Knee Arthroplasty: Current Concepts in Physical Therapy Management (3.75 hrs)
  In the United States, total knee arthroplasty is one of the most common elective surgical procedures with more than 700,000 procedures performed each year. Research is ongoing, but most experts contend that for the most successful postoperative outcome, rehabilitation is an essential component of recovery.  Physical therapists must have an in-depth knowledge of current best practice for this population to maximize their return to function and quality of life. Additionally, with the emergence of new reimbursement models for Total Joint Replacement care, it is essential for physical therapy practitioners to utilize the most appropriate outcome measures in data collection and reporting.  The purpose of this intermediate level course is to provide physical therapists and physical therapist assistants with a comprehensive overview of the many considerations surrounding knee replacement surgery, including the relevant anatomy, epidemiology, patient selection criteria, surgical considerations, common postoperative complications, and rehabilitation strategies.  This course discusses the pre and postoperative patient management, rehabilitation goals and treatment in the acute, post-acute, and functional recovery stages.  This course, which is relevant for physical therapists and physical therapy assistants, provides evidence-based research that supports rehabilitation treatment methods and outcomes following total knee arthroplasty while highlighting the areas in need of further study.  
• Rotator Cuff Injuries and Interventions: A Physical Therapy Perspective (4.25 hrs)
  The purpose of this course is to provide physical therapists and physical therapist assistants with a current, comprehensive overview of rotator cuff injuries and the role of physical therapy examination, diagnosis and interventions, as well as review alternative and surgical approaches to the problem. This course will provide an in-depth review of relevant shoulder anatomy and biomechanics, examine potential causes for rotator cuff pathology, describe treatment techniques commonly used in individuals with rotator cuff pathology, and review indications and complications relating to rotator cuff surgery.  The focus of this intermediate level course is to explore the current best evidence to assist in reducing the deficits in knowledge related to the cause of rotator cuff pathology, provide updated evidence related to diagnostic accuracy and effective interventions while highlighting the areas still in need of future research.
• Total Hip Arthroplasty: Current Concepts in Pre- and Postsurgical Physical Therapy (4 hrs)
  This intermediate-level course provides physical therapists and physical therapy assistants with a comprehensive overview of total hip arthroplasty (THA). At the end of this course the learner will be able to identify the anatomy of the hip as it pertains to THA, describe the most recent advances in surgical approaches for THA, and gain an improved understanding of how different types of prosthetic implants, methods of fixation, and surgical techniques influence the ability of patients to participate in rehabilitation and achieve the desired clinical goals for functional independence. Additionally the learner will be able to describe the role of PT both in the preoperative and postoperative phases for the patient undergoing THA and be able to describe an optimal rehabilitation program for these time periods based on current research. Clinical cases presented will facilitate the learner being able to select appropriate rehabilitative strategies following THA.
• Chronic Illness and Depression- PT (3 hrs)
  This  basic-level course addresses the knowledge gap by providing rehabilitation  professionals with an overview of the co-occurrence of depression and chronic conditions and identifying challenges in screening and referring adults with chronic conditions and depression. It provides explanations for potential causes of and contributing factors to depression unique to individuals with chronic medical conditions. Although individuals with chronic conditions are at increased risk for depression, this course also explores factors that may enhance such individuals’ well-being and diminish the likelihood of depression.
• Functional Assessment of the Older Adult, 2e (4 hrs)
  Adults age 65 and older represent the fastest growing population both in the United States and in the world. Physical therapy practitioners and other rehabilitation providers play a pivotal role in maximizing function, participation, and well-being for older adults. This intermediate-level course will enable physical therapy practitioners to understand and assess functional performance in older adults using a multidimensional approach. Client factors (including physical, cognitive, and psychosocial factors) and their impact on performance skills will be reviewed.