Questions to Ask
Your input during your course of treatment is important. Here are some questions that you may wish to ask.- Ask your physiotherapist to explain your condition.
- Ask your physiotherapist to explain your treatment, including the associated risks and benefits.
- Ask your physiotherapist if he or she is competent to care for your condition.
- Ask your physiotherapist to estimate how long it will take to gain improvement and how much improvement you can expect.
- If you need them, ask for written instructions that you can take home with you.
- Make sure you and your physiotherapist are working towards agreed goals of treatment for you. For example, is your goal to be pain free? To be able to run a marathon?
Fees
Ask your physiotherapist to provide you with a copy of the fee schedule, including any additional fees and how you will be invoiced. This should include the fee policy for cancellations.
Before consenting to care, ask your physiotherapist if anyone else will be involved in providing care, for example, a physiotherapist support person. What is the professional status of those persons? Will the physiotherapist be supervising them?
Your Records
Ask your physiotherapist how your health records will be maintained and how you can access them if you need them in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I being cared for by a physiotherapist?
You may ask the professional status of anyone who provides health care. Is the person treating you a physiotherapist, or a physiotherapy support person?
While many health practitioners may say that they provide physiotherapy services or care, they must be registered with the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario to call themselves a physiotherapist, physical therapist or an abbreviation of either. Every physiotherapist is provided with a registration number from the College. If you aren't sure if you're being treated by a physiotherapist, just ask for their College registration number to confirm their registration or click on Find a Physiotherapist to verify that the person providing care is registered with the College.
In order to practise in Ontario, every physiotherapist must:
- complete a university program in physical therapy,
- pass a national competency exam and
- meet ongoing standards of professional care.
Persons offering "physiotherapy" who are not registered physiotherapists are not required to meet these standards.
How does regulated health care protect me?
The College is one of Ontario's 22 health regulatory colleges. These colleges were established to protect the right of Ontarians access to safe, effective and ethical health care.
All 22 belong to the Federation of Health Regulatory Colleges in Ontario (FHRCO).
Legislation and regulations are in place to protect the public interest. Here are some examples:
Consent: Consent is required for all treatment provided by health practitioners, except when treatment is provided in an emergency situation.
Privacy and Your Health Records: Professional misconduct regulations forbid physiotherapists from giving out your information to anyone but you or someone authorized to represent you. You must consent to the release of your information, unless it is required or allowed by law.
Mandatory Reporting: Physiotherapists are obligated to make mandatory reports relating to sexual abuse, employment terminations due to professional misconduct, incompetence or incapacity. Other obligations in this regard may also apply.
