On September 14, 2024, the Council of the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta approved the revised Standards of Practice. The implementation of the revised Standards follows an extensive process to review, revise, and collect input from physiotherapists and other parties about the content of the Standards.
We appreciate the time and effort of everyone who reviewed and commented on the draft Standards. Thank you.
The final version of the revised Standards of Practice are now available. Physiotherapists are advised to read and ensure they understand the revised Standards before they come into force.
This table provides a high-level summary of the key changes to the Standards of Practice.
| 2017 Standard | Change Applied in 2025 Standards | |
|---|---|---|
Advertising |
Renamed: Advertising and Marketing • Clarified requirements when advertising a practice focus or area of interest. • Established the requirement to review and approve all advertising about the services the physiotherapist provides. • Addressed provision of pro bono services. • Added definition of superlative. |
|
Client Assessment, Diagnosis, Interventions |
Renamed: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment • Female Genital Mutilation prohibitions established, as required by the Health Professions Act (effective May 2023). • Clarified that appropriate assessment includes history and physical examination relevant to the client’s presenting symptoms. |
|
Client-Centred Care |
Retired Elements from the 2017 standard are found in 3 new standards: • Duty of Care • Health Equity and Anti-Discrimination • Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility |
|
Collaborative Practice |
Renamed: Concurrent Care • Concepts of collaboration are addressed in the Code of Ethical Conduct. • Performance expectations focus only on delivery of concurrent care. |
|
Communication |
• Established new performance expectations related to use of social media communications. • Moved most performance expectations regarding communication previously found in other Standards to this Standard. |
|
Conflict of Interest |
Revised wording of performance expectations to clarify examples of activities that could compromise professional judgment or constitute a conflict of interest. |
|
Consent |
Renamed: Informed Consent • Highlighted the importance of ongoing, informed consent. • Added detail regarding the information that must be provided to clients as part of the informed consent process. • Clarified consent-related documentation expectations. • Identified expectations for physiotherapist actions in rare instances where a client lacks capacity to consent, and consent cannot be obtained from an appropriate alternate decision-maker. |
|
Continuing Competence |
Unchanged from March 31, 2023. |
|
Documentation and Record Keeping |
Renamed: Documentation • Clarified what constitutes a complete client record. • Added details related to required content of financial records. • Added performance expectations pertaining to use of electronic medical records. • Elaborated on the definition of contemporaneous. |
|
Dual Registration |
Renamed: Dual Practice • Clarified expectations for use of title when providing non-physiotherapy services, and for how non-physiotherapy services are represented. • Established expectations for communication when services proposed or provided do not constitute physiotherapy. |
|
NEW! |
Duty of Care Addressed expectations for • Maintaining the therapeutic relationship • Respecting client autonomy • Conflict resolution • Continuity of care |
|
Evidence-Informed Practice |
• Established expectations for critical review of emerging therapies, including: - Legislation - Regulatory considerations - Training required prior to implementation - Critical appraisal of available evidence • Addressed communication expectations. • Addressed expectations related to incorporation of complementary therapies or emerging treatments. |
|
Fees and Billing |
Renamed: Funding, Fees, and Billing • Clarified expectations related to communication of fees for physiotherapy services and making a reasonable effort to ensure the client understands fees and billing practices. • Established requirements related to fees for access to client records. • Incorporated measures to mitigate risks related to pre-payment of physiotherapy services. |
|
NEW! |
Health Equity and Anti-Discrimination • Developed to address health care related harm experienced by individuals due to their identity, culture, and individual characteristics. • Established performance expectations related to: o Reflective practice and education o Creating safe health care experiences o Providing strengths-based and trauma-informed physiotherapy services |
|
NEW! |
Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility Developed in response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, In Plain sight report, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and other foundational documents. Established performance expectations related to • Reflective practice • Building knowledge through education • Anti-racist practice • Creating safe health-care experiences • Relational care • Providing strengths-based and trauma-informed physiotherapy services |
|
Infection Control |
• Incorporated additional detail related to infection prevention and control techniques and best practice recommendations relevant to physiotherapy practice. • Established requirements related to o Cleanliness of spaces, equipment, and devices o Reprocessing and sterilization of reusable medical equipment |
|
Legislative Responsibilities |
Retired |
|
Performance of Restricted Activities |
Performance expectations unchanged from March 31, 2023. Definitions added for direct and indirect supervision. |
|
Privacy/Confidentiality |
Renamed: Privacy and Record Retention • Elaborated on expectations related to key aspects of privacy legislation relevant to client information, including: o Confidentiality o Collection o Consent o Access and amendment o Use and disclosure o Security, retention, and disposition • Established requirements related to actions to prevent abandonment of client records and requirement to designate an identifiable individual or information manager to retain and dispose of client records according to legislation, if the physiotherapist is not continuing as the custodian. • Established performance expectations if a physiotherapist is employed by an individual who is not a regulated health professional in Alberta nor a designed custodian under the Health Information Act. |
|
Professional Boundaries |
Renamed: Boundary Violations • Clarified expectations for establishing and maintaining therapeutic relationships with clients and individuals who are caregivers for clients. • Established expectations for addressing situations where professional boundaries, judgment, and objectivity cannot be established or maintained. • Established requirements to establish a professional physical environment. • Clarified expectations for relationships with colleagues and students whom the physiotherapist supervises. |
|
Quality Improvement |
Retired |
|
Risk Management |
Renamed: Risk Management and Safety • Content from Safety Standard of Practice (2017) incorporated in this Standard. • Clarified performance expectations related to: o Risk identification and mitigation o Training in safety measures and emergency preparedness o Maintenance, calibration, and safety of physiotherapy equipment and modalities o Responding to patient safety incidents |
|
Safety |
Renamed: Risk Management and Safety and incorporated content from Safety Standard of Practice (2017). |
|
Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct |
Unchanged from March 2019 |
|
Supervision |
• Categorized and clarified performance expectations according to supervisee group (physiotherapist support workers, physiotherapy students, physiotherapist interns). • Clarified oversight expectations related to supervision of physiotherapist interns. • Clarified differences between supervisee groups regarding activities that must not be assigned to supervisees. |
|
Use of Title |
Renamed: Titles, Credentials, and Specialty Designations • Established prohibition from using professional title when engaged in activities outside the practice of physiotherapy. • Established requirement to use only those academic credentials conferred by accredited university programs. • Established prohibition from use of the title “Doctor” or prefix “Dr.” when engaged in health service provision of in connection with promotion of health services to the public. • Clarified expectations for use of the term specialist or other language implying a specialization. |
|
NEW! |
Virtual Care Established expectations for delivery of virtual care including: • Training and competence • Use of reasonable safeguards to protect privacy of client information • Assessing appropriateness of virtual care • Obtaining consent specific to virtual physiotherapy service delivery • Identification and mitigation of risks specific to virtual care • Provision of virtual care across jurisdictional borders |
Each physiotherapist is responsible for their professional practice and accountable to meet the Standards of Practice. If you have questions about the Standards of Practice or how to apply them to your practice, contact the College’s Practice Advisor at professionalpractice@cpta.ab.ca.