House Bill No. [insert number] proposes amendments to the supervision requirements for physical therapist assistants in Louisiana. The bill allows a physical therapist to supervise up to eight physical therapist assistants and five unlicensed supportive personnel, increasing the previous limit. It also changes the requirement for a supervising physical therapist to be accessible by telecommunication rather than by beeper or telephone. Additionally, the bill repeals the requirement for documented conferences between physical therapists and assistants regarding patient care, which previously mandated a minimum frequency of every sixth treatment day or every 30 days.

Furthermore, the bill modifies the reassessment and treatment requirements for supervising physical therapists. Instead of requiring treatment and reassessment at least every sixth treatment day or every 30 days, the new law stipulates that these must occur at least every 30 days and during the final treatment session when feasible. The requirement for physical therapists to write a discharge summary at the end of treatment has also been removed. Overall, the bill aims to streamline the supervision process and reduce administrative burdens on physical therapists while maintaining patient care standards.

Statutes affected:
HB159 Original: 37:2418(F)(1)