ABSTRACT
Physical Therapists (PTs) help individuals maintain, restore, and improve movement, activity, and functioning, thereby enabling optimal performance and enhancing health, well-being, and quality of life. The professional organization for PT practice is American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The association is responsible for establishing standards of practice, code of ethics, and guidelines for the delivery of PT services. The goal of primary care is to direct client care through health care system and return the individual to their prior level of function in the most efficient and cost-effective way. The PT works as a member of the health care team in this endeavor. Outcome measures generate scores that are intended to quantify a client's performance or health status based on standardized evaluation protocols or closed-ended questions. One of the most commonly used outcome measures in rehabilitation is the Functional Improvement Measure (FIM). The FIM is used to assess the burden of care needed for the client to perform eighteen functional tasks.
