The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has released its 2014 Strategic Plan, which is now available to view online. A news release from APTA notes that the 2014 plan features updated objectives for each of four goals that have been carried over from 2013: effectiveness of care, patient- and client-centered care across the lifespan, professional growth and development, and value and accountability. The plan was approved by the APTA Board of Directors during its December 2013 meeting.

According to the APTA news release, the 2014 plan is a bridge to the new vision that APTA adopted at the June House of Delegates: “Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience.” Similar to 2013, the 2014 plan places highest priority on objectives related to the development of the physical therapy outcomes registry (PTOR) and advancement of a more appropriate payment system, which is proposed as the physical therapy classification and payment system (PTCPS), as indicated on the APTA news release.

Additional priorities contained in the new Strategic Plan include efforts to reduce unwarranted variation in care and encourage the development and use of clinical practice guidelines by physical therapists. Another priority in the 2014 plan is to continue to expand direct access and investigate the effects of physician self-referral arrangements.

To view the 2014 Strategic Plan, visit www.apta.org/StrategicPlan/Plan.

Source: APTA