South Carolina Physical Therapy Continuing Education

Diabetes mellitus is a common endocrine pathology associated with abnormally elevated glucose dilution due to limited insulin production, limited target cell responsiveness, or a combination of both. This leads to a constant state of hyperglycemia. Over time, chronic hyperglycemia leads to destruction of different organs; primarily blood vessels, the nervous system, heart, eyes and kidneys.  Of significant concern to physical therapists is the fact that nearly one quarter of all people 65 and older in the U.S. has pre-diabetes. 

This intermediate-level course provides rehabilitation therapists and therapy assistants with an opportunity to review the normal anatomy and physiology of the cardiopulmonary system, the pathophysiology of heart failure, and current medical, surgical, and therapy-based interventions. Appropriate for all therapy-based clinicians who work with persons with heart failure, this intermediate-level course reviews basic examination skills before progressing to the more advanced skills of auscultation and exercise testing interpretation. 

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.

This intermediate level course is designed to assist physical therapists and physical therapy assistants in evaluating, planning, and preparing their older adult clients to age in place. This toolkit will highlight the role physical therapy plays in enhancing the quality of life for older adults and to allow them to participate in meaningful activities while remaining in their homes as they age and make the necessary modifications to do so.

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.

The purpose of this  course is to provide licensed practitioners with information concerning the current state of medical errors, the impact of medical errors on the safety of patients, and the importance of establishing and working in a culture of safety. Contributing causes and types of medical errors are reviewed. Strategies to reduce or prevent medical errors and improve patient outcomes are presented. Methods to identify, analyze, and report medical errors are reviewed, populations at risk for medical errors are identified, and patient safety initiatives including education for the public and healthcare professionals are explored. 
 
This course provides information to licensed nurses and other members of the interprofessional team that can be readily applied to their practice, no matter what the setting, with the ultimate goal of providing safer care to all patients. Healthcare providers will demonstrate knowledge of medical errors and populations at risk, the impact on patient care outcomes, and the resources and initiatives available to promote a culture of safety as an integral part of healthcare delivery.  This course meets the state of Florida licensure renewal requirements for nursing continuing education in the identification and prevention of medical errors and the promotion of patient safety.

This home study course is focused on the community-based rehabilitation of people with lower limb amputation and is intended for physical therapists and physical therapist assistants. The course is of intermediate level difficulty, but provides a brief introduction to basic information about lower limb amputation and prosthetics. Information regarding all systems relevant to amputation rehabilitation with current evidence-based concepts for risk assessment and suggestions for out-patient rehabilitation activities are presented. Knowledge obtained through this course can be used by physical therapy professionals to improve the community-based care and clinical outcomes for people with lower limb amputations.

This intermediate level course for healthcare professionals is an introduction into the complex crime of human trafficking, with a focus on sex and labor trafficking and the common symptoms and conditions that occur in trafficked persons. The course provides insights into the facts surrounding human trafficking and relevant health risks for the trafficked person.  

Home health care is the fastest growing industry in the United States based upon the projection period of 2014 to 2024. The demand and competition for licensed rehabilitation therapists to work in home health care is, and will be, great.Therapists currently working in or planning to work in home health agencies must have an understanding of the significance of process and outcomes measurement. The Outcome and ASsessment Information Set (OASIS) is a specific assessment and outcomes measurement instrument that consists of 111 items or questions and measures patient data at various times during the patient’s stay in home care. Mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, OASIS data must be collected on patients with Medicare and Medicaid at various times during a patient’s stay in home care. Therapists must be aware of the time sensitive and accuracy requirements related to documentation, OASIS updates, and the level of compliance and denials their agency experiences. Feedback related to documentation compliance and any denials will help therapists to refine and improve utilization of the tool for both improved patient outcomes and optimum reimbursement. The purpose of this course is to provide home healthcare physical and occupational therapists  and speech language pathologists  with the information they need to understand the significance and importance of effectively using the OASIS instrument in order to deliver comprehensive, compassionate, patient-focused, and cost-sensitive skilled services in the home environment. The home health therapist will be able to use the OASIS information provided in this course to create a basis for the plan of care, to measure the patient’s progress in meeting the established home healthcare goals, and to meet the regulatory requirements for quality reporting and reimbursement.By completing this course, therapists new to the home health setting will gain knowledge needed to begin working with the OASIS tool

This intermediate course is designed for practicing physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with individuals with acute and chronic concussion. This course will be most beneficial for the clinician who has a basic knowledge of concussion and concussion management, but has not recently reviewed the current literature in concussion care that includes the significant changes in the classification of concussion and the approach to diagnosis that considers the complexity of concussion and the need for individualized patient centered care. Gaps in knowledge that have been identified in physical therapy practice include the role of neuroimaging in concussion, the understanding of current guidelines and definitions of concussion, how to identify and design interventions based on individual examination results, and the prescription of individualized graded return to activity and sport. This course will provide a more comprehensive evidenced based understanding of the complex nature of concussion including the pathophysiology of concussion, physiologic, cervicogenic, and vestibulo-ocular dysfunction that may result, the current suggested classification methods, an understanding of the shift in recommended timelines for rest and return to activity, and the tools necessary for evidenced based examination and treatment. 

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. 

This intermediate level course is designed to educate PTs and PTAs on the implementation of exercise prescriptions in older adults. This course will review the multiple age-related systemic changes that take place in the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine and musculoskeletal systems and describe how exercise may mitigate these changes. This course will also provide recommended exercise prescriptions according to the most recent American College of Sports Medicine guidelines for older adults and discuss common barriers for exercise participation in older adults.

The purpose of this  course is to provide licensed practitioners with information concerning the current state of medical errors, the impact of medical errors on the safety of patients, and the importance of establishing and working in a culture of safety. Contributing causes and types of medical errors are reviewed. Strategies to reduce or prevent medical errors and improve patient outcomes are presented. Methods to identify, analyze, and report medical errors are reviewed, populations at risk for medical errors are identified, and patient safety initiatives including education for the public and healthcare professionals are explored. 
 
This course provides information to licensed nurses and other members of the interprofessional team that can be readily applied to their practice, no matter what the setting, with the ultimate goal of providing safer care to all patients. Healthcare providers will demonstrate knowledge of medical errors and populations at risk, the impact on patient care outcomes, and the resources and initiatives available to promote a culture of safety as an integral part of healthcare delivery.  This course meets the state of Florida licensure renewal requirements for nursing continuing education in the identification and prevention of medical errors and the promotion of patient safety.

The purpose of this intermediate level course is to provide physical therapists and physical therapist assistants with up-to date, evidence-based information pertaining to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of knee OA. Although this course will be most applicable to physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with older individuals in outpatient settings, the increased incidence of OA makes the information in this course relevant to therapists in a variety of settings. Even therapists who specialize and treat patients in areas other than orthopaedic settings will likely encounter individuals whose OA affects their participation, mobility, or function.

The number of older adults (age 65 and older) living in the United States is growing rapidly. Almost 60 million older adults were living in the United States in 2016. This number is projected to rise to over 72 million by 2030, when approximately one in five U.S. residents will be age 65 or older. The rapid growth of the older population results from multiple factors including medical advances, life-prolonging technologies, and the aging of the Baby Boom generation (whose members began turning 65 years old in 2011). 
In coming years, healthcare professionals will face this aging of the population, along with the accompanying health and economic challenges. The purpose of this course is to highlight ethical issues that may confront healthcare and behavioral health professionals working with older adults and their families as these individuals near the end of life. Many of these issues are related to advances in medical technologies that have occurred over the past several decades (and that continue to be developed) and have led to increasingly complex choices. The course will provide background on ethical frameworks and principles used in healthcare settings for guidance in resolving ethical problems. This course will also identify major ethical issues concerning older adults and healthcare decisions and provide a model for addressing ethical dilemmas in healthcare settings. 
This basic-level course is written for healthcare professionals, including nurses, social workers, mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, psychologists, occupational and physical therapy practitioners, and respiratory therapists. Other healthcare professionals who work with older adults and on interdisciplinary teams will also find the information presented useful to their practice.

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.

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.

This intermediate level course developed for physical therapists and physical therapy assistants, describes the most recent findings in functional anatomy of the shoulder, provides an overview of adhesive capsulitis, including its etiology and epidemiology, and offers an up-to-date, evidence-based foundation for the diagnosis and intervention of adhesive capsulitis.  

The purpose of this intermediate-level course is to provide physical therapists and physical therapist assistants with an overview of the etiology and risk factors of isolated ACL injuries; to discuss pertinent clinical examination, classification, and prognosis after ACL injuries and reconstruction; and to review interventions relevant to successful outcomes after injury or surgery.

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.