Episode 71 - A Deep Dive into Virtual Care - Avoiding Regulatory Concerns
The CPTA's College Conversations
Release Date: 04/01/2025
Episode 74 - Physiotherapists and Interventional Radiology Procedures – What are the Boundaries of Practice?
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger Can a physiotherapist order a bone scan? What about a protein-rich-plasma injection? Is there a difference between ordering interventional radiology and referring a client to a physician to see if an interventional radiology procedure is appropriate? Do you wonder what fits within the category of interventional radiology and how that compares to the types of diagnostic images that physiotherapists can become authorized to order? On this episode of College Conversations, Sean and Leanne discuss some of the questions we...
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Episode 73 - Show Don't Tell - Demonstrating A Practice Focus Before You Advertise It
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger In the private sector, physiotherapists are always trying to find ways to market the services they provide and explain what they can offer to their clients. One approach that the College has observed is the practice of referring to a physiotherapist’s practice focus or area of interest. On this episode, Sean and Leanne discuss performance expectations that apply to the use of these marketing approaches, and the College’s perspective on the use of these strategies. Do you have a practice focus? What about an area of...
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Episode 72 - Getting Workplace Relationships ‘Just Right’
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger In 2025 the College added performance expectations to the Standards of Practice related to how physiotherapists interact with colleagues, students, and others. These expectations are especially relevant to the people a physiotherapist supervises or has authority over. Does it go without saying that physiotherapists treat others with respect and are thoughtful about power and power imbalances? Some may argue that this type of expectation is, or should be, unnecessary, however research and surveys of Alberta physiotherapists suggest otherwise....
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Episode 71 - A Deep Dive into Virtual Care - Avoiding Regulatory Concerns
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger In 2025 a new standard of practice related to virtual care by Alberta physiotherapists came into effect. On this episode, Sean and Leanne discuss the history and evolution of the regulation of virtual care by the CPTA and the expectations physiotherapists need to meet when providing virtual physiotherapy services. They highlight the resources available to help physiotherapists understand what is required when providing virtual care, including the Virtual Care Guide published in 2025. Much has changed in the virtual health care sector...
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Episode 70 - Maintaining Your Registration Information
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger Up to date member profile information matters for physiotherapists because it can: · Help to prevent the physiotherapist’s registration number from being used to fraudulently bill for services the physiotherapist did not provide. · Help to ensure a former most responsible physiotherapist is not held responsible for issues related to physiotherapy services delivered after they have left a practice setting. · Help to connect...
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Episode 69 - Highlighting Updates to the Evidence-Informed Practice Standard
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger Evidence-informed practice is foundational to physiotherapy practice. As a profession, physiotherapists take pride in the fact that physiotherapy is an evidence-informed profession. When the new Evidence-Informed Practice Standard of Practice were implemented on January 1, 2025, new performance expectations came into effect which physiotherapists must be aware of. Do you know what’s expected of you when it comes to monitoring the aggregate outcomes you achieve with the use of different treatment approaches, and how to use that clinician...
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Episode 68 - 2024 Year in Review, 2025 Year in Preview
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger On this episode of College Conversations, Jody and Leanne take stock of the year that was and discuss what’s coming our way in 2025. Looking back at 2024, two major themes immediately come to mind. One is the ongoing work to address sexual abuse and sexual misconduct in physiotherapy practice. The other is the work to implement the 2025 Standards of Practice. Listen in to hear a recap of the College’s work to address sexual abuse and sexual misconduct trends. You will also hear about a new resource that will be available in...
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Episode 67 - What constitutes an appropriate physiotherapy assessment?
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger On January 1, 2025, updated standards of practice for Alberta physiotherapists take effect. The updated Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment Standard of Practice includes the requirement to engage in appropriate assessment, which includes taking a history and completing a physical examination relevant to the client’s presenting symptoms. A physiotherapy assessment is an iterative process. What constitutes an appropriate assessment is determined by the client’s presentation; their concerns, problems, and goals; and the findings of the assessment...
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Episode 66 - Implementing the new Health Equity and Anti-Discrimination and Indigenous Cultural Safety & Humility Standards of Practice
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger On this episode, Jody and Leanne discuss the new Health Equity and Anti-Discrimination and Indigenous Cultural Safety & Humility standards of practice and the recently published Indigenous Cultural Safety, Health Equity, and Anti-Discrimination guide. Over the last four years, the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta has been on a learning journey. We began our work in response to two key events, the publication of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, and the events of the summer of 2020, including the murder of George...
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Episode 65 - Updated Standards of Practice – Not Knowing Could Hurt You
The CPTA's College Conversations
Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger At their September meeting, Council voted to approve the updated Standards of Practice for Alberta Physiotherapists. These updated standards will be in effect as of January 1, 2025. On this episode of College Conversations, Jody and Leanne provide listeners with an update about the Standards of Practice including: · The process the College used to develop standards that were right-touch and risk-based (and what those terms mean to regulators), and · Highlights of the major...
info_outlineSpeakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger
In 2025 a new standard of practice related to virtual care by Alberta physiotherapists came into effect. On this episode, Sean and Leanne discuss the history and evolution of the regulation of virtual care by the CPTA and the expectations physiotherapists need to meet when providing virtual physiotherapy services. They highlight the resources available to help physiotherapists understand what is required when providing virtual care, including the Virtual Care Guide published in 2025.
Much has changed in the virtual health care sector since the College’s original Telerehabilitation Guide was published in 2018, for example in terms of the number of physiotherapists providing virtual care, the profession’s collective level of experience with use of virtual care, and the different models and applications of virtual care used by physiotherapists. Both physiotherapists and physiotherapy regulatory organizations have become more experienced and knowledgeable in how virtual care can be used to deliver physiotherapy services and as a result regulation and our guidance to registrants about virtual care in physiotherapy practice has evolved.
Despite the changing virtual care environment, one thing remains constant: the expectations for physiotherapy service delivery using virtual care technologies, in terms of quality, safety, and effectiveness, are no different than those for in-person services. Listen to this episode to learn more about virtual physiotherapy services and how you can achieve this objective!
Resources:
· Virtual Care Standard of Practice - https://www.cpta.ab.ca/for-physiotherapists/regulatory-expectations/standards-of-practice/virtual-care/
· Virtual Care Guide - https://www.cpta.ab.ca/for-physiotherapists/resources/guides-and-guidelines/virtual-care-guide/
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