«Standardized scales, tests, and tools for assessing functioning in the practice of physical therapists and occupational therapists»

Course volume: 16 hours

Course duration: 1 month, 1 time per week / scheduled for April

Form of classes:

Synchronous online course - 16 hours of course with a teacher

Asynchronous online course - a course without a teacher. The duration of the course depends on the independent mastery of the educational content.

Certificate (after successfully passing the final test).

Information support:

• Record of 4 online classes

• Methodological material

You will also receive:

• Chat communication with the teacher

• Certificate (after passing the final test)

Why is it interesting? The course is designed for assistants of physical therapists, physical therapists, assistants of occupational therapists, occupational therapists, students and members of a multidisciplinary team. Standardized scales and tests are the "foundation" of evidence-based rehabilitation. Without them, the work of a physical therapist turns into a set of exercises without a clear vector.

Here are the key reasons why they are critically important:

Objectification of progress (Numbers instead of sensations)

The patient may not notice the improvement because he is used to his condition. Scales (for example, VAS or MMT) allow you to show the dynamics in numbers: “Last week your pain was 8/10, today it is 5/10”. This is the best tool to support the patient’s motivation.

Common language with colleagues (Medical communication).

When you transfer a patient to another specialist or write a report to a doctor, the phrase “the patient is walking better” does not carry information. The indicator “12 points on the Berg scale” or “grade 2 on the Ashworth scale” is understandable to any professional in the world.

Legal and financial justification.

For the NHSU, insurance companies or the institution's administration, standardized tests are proof that the therapy is working. This is the basis for continuing the rehabilitation course or paying for the services provided.

Identification of "red flags" and safety.

Tests help to notice risks in time. For example, a low score on the Tinetti test directly indicates a high risk of falling, which forces the therapist to immediately change tactics to a safer one.

Evidence-based and self-development

The use of scales allows the therapist to analyze his own effectiveness. If the test results do not change within 2 weeks, this is a signal that the chosen method is not working and the treatment plan needs to be adjusted.

Course objective. The course will help to gain knowledge of modern methods of functional diagnostics in physical therapy to solve problems related to establishing the functional state and working capacity of patients before and after diseases of various nosologies.

Formation of skills and abilities. Thanks to the consolidated knowledge and skills, you will be able to correctly perform examination procedures, be able to interpret the results from a clinical point of view, and adhere to safety standards when working with the patient.

Course program

Online class topic	Hours
Topic 1. Classification of the main functional tests. Algorithm for conducting functional tests: orthostatic (active, passive), clinostatic test. Martine-Kushelevsky test, Rufier.	4
Topic 2. Standardized tools for objective assessment of patients with musculoskeletal disorders: Harris W.H. Scale. Lysholm Questionnaire. Constant Shoulder Score. Lachman test. Adams, Schober, Codman, Ott, MMT, ROM goniometry.	4
Topic 3. Standardized tools for objective assessment of severity and dynamics of neurological disorders, stroke (NIHSS Scale, Glasgow Coma Scale, WFNS), traumatic brain injury (Neurobehavioral Symptom Scale - NSI), impaired consciousness (Glasgow Scale), functional status after stroke (Modified Rankin Scale, Barthel Index). Hammersmith Neurological Examination of Infants (HINE). Neurological tests.	4
Topic 4. Collection of anamnesis and examination of patients with diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Goldman scales, CHA2DS2-VASc (for the risk of stroke in atrial fibrillation), SCORE/SCORE2 (estimating the 10-year risk of fatal cardiovascular events), functional status assessment scales, NYHA - heart failure. Scales in pulmonology COPD (CAT, m MRC), asthma (ACT, ACQ) and pneumonia (PSI, CURB-65). Stange test (Stange Test), Genche.	4
Total hours	16

Course lecturer: physical therapist/instructor of therapeutic swimming “International Center for Rehabilitation and Neurophysiology”, senior lecturer of the Department of Physical Therapy of the Higher Educational Institution “International Scientific and Technical University named after Academician Yuri Bugay”. KOTENKO Olga.

Interested? Click here to place an order!