In “Promoting Health and Wellness: Implications for Physical Therapist Practice”1 by Janet R. Bezner, PT, DPT, PhD, the following statement was inaccurate and was incorrectly attributed to APTA staff: “The American Physical Therapy Association asserts that physical therapists need to be competent in their ability to identify and instruct patients and clients in the basic principles of health promotion, including personal hygiene, skin care, dental hygiene, sanitation, tobacco avoidance or cessation, immunizations, avoidance of infectious and contagious diseases, diet, rest, exercise, and weight control.”1(p1436) The list of competencies, beginning with personal hygiene, are examples of basic principles of health promotion and are not mandated competencies for physical therapists.
- © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association