PTA/COTA Protocol & Tips for Success

RESTAFFING PROTOCOL: If you would like to restaff your patient to an assistant, see below. If you would like to restaff your patient to another PT/OT or ST, please contact the ATS Task Force first for assistance.

COLORADO Supervision Regulations:

COTA Supervision Requirements

PTA Supervision Requirements

Process:

  1. SOLI - You will be assigned patients in the following way: (PT/OT teams below)

    • PTA/COTA will express interest in SOLI on a patient. ATS Task Force will include the PTA/COTA name and interest level for the evaluating therapist to consider once eval or SOC has been completed.

    • Evaluating therapist informally texts/calls the assistant, to see if the PTA/COTA are still willing to accept a new pt. For Restaffing, the evaluating therapist will informally text/call a therapist to see if they are willing to accept a patient for restaffing purposes.

    • If yes, the Therapist sends formal email to office (cc PT/PTA/OT/COTA) for request to assign PT/PTA/OT/COTA to pt in SOLI.

    • As an assistant, if you are concerned about your caseload, please first discuss with your PT and OT team members per the attachment ‘PT/OT assistant teams,’ as well as the ATS Task Force.

  2. SOLI - Once patient is assigned, the patient will show in Pending Evaluations, Pending Approval or Active in SOLI. Once evaluated, the supervising therapist will contact you in regards to the POC.

    • Please review all written evaluation/POC documentation prior to seeing the patient.

  3. SOLI - WAIT for the therapist to tell you that a VO (verbal order) has been received before calling the patient to schedule.

  4. Frequency - REVIEW the frequency tool, as the frequency in SOLI includes the Therapist Evaluation, the Re-eval and DC (all of which have to be completed by the supervising therapist.

Tips:

  • Communicate with your supervisor often

  • Document your daily communication with the supervising therapist

  • Make sure you pay attention to frequency set

  • Make sure the re-evals (once every 30 days at least) and DCs are plotted correctly

  • Refer to the Frequency Tool if you have questions

  • Use ATS Kinnser to view the patient calendar for plotted visits. This will give you a visual cue on what weeks you need to see the patient.

  • If patient is not ready for DC, please communicate with the therapist before the therapist re-evaluates.