The therapist must also avoid making any diagnosis that is outside of their professional licensing and specialty. For instance, they should avoid making notes that state that the client is "depressed" or any other similar comments (APTA, 2008). These comments are often unintentional, but they can lead to a serious potential for liability risk.

The physical therapist has many sources of information available to them, including the internet and conversations with other therapists. They often exchange information and pass on techniques that work for them. This is the nature of improvement within the profession. However, use of these techniques represents a legal grey area. They may result in improved patient outcomes and may be safe in many regards. However, when one does not use evidence-based practices, they set themselves up for legal malpractice. In a court of law, the opinions of other professionals do not hold as much weight as...
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