PT 120 - Observation and Measurement Principles for the Physical Therapist Assistant

1. Explain the components of a patient history and an assessment and their importance/purpose in modifying patient treatment programs.
2. Explain the difference between general tests, functional tests and special tests used in patient care.
3. Explain the difference between reliability, objectivity and validity and their implications in test construction and content.
4. Identify the normal and possible abnormal or compensatory responses that may occur during assessment.
5. State the purpose of general guidelines and techniques in gross muscle range of motion and strength screens.
6. Identify the major components of a goniometer, its use and the factors that affect measurements.
7. Identify the steps to follow when measuring joint range of motion including identifying the major landmarks.
8. Define muscle length, state the purpose and technique of muscle length testing.
9. State the general principles and techniques used in evaluating muscle strength.
10. Explain the methods of scoring a manual muscle examination, goniometric and muscle length measurements.
11. Identify the innervation (roots, terminal nerves) of selected muscle and sensory areas and the methods of assessing the sensory modalities.
12. Describe normal posture, how it affects normal motion and function and the methods of evaluating posture.
13. Describe the benefits of using volumetric measurements for determining the amount of edema in specifically identified structures.
14. Describe equilibrium and righting reactions and the body’s response to loss of balance.
15. Demonstrate the ability to review and summarize the literature on selected topics related to observation and measurement techniques and application in conjunction with a written or oral presentation.