The revised PT diagnosis language allows PT to perform an evaluation and establish a PT treatment plan.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only with physician approval
• D. Not specified

Answer: (A)

Physical therapists, under the revised practice language, can perform an initial evaluation and establish a PT plan of care based on a PT diagnosis, even in direct‑access settings. This means the PT can take a patient’s history, perform a systems review and tests/measures, determine the impairments and functional limitations, and use that information to form a treatment plan with specific goals and a proposed course of care. The PT diagnosis describes the condition being treated and guides the chosen interventions, not as a medical diagnosis stamped by a physician, but as the basis for PT services. This supports timely care without needing physician referral, while still enabling appropriate screening for red flags and referral when non-PT conditions or safety concerns arise.