(a) No person shall utilize occupational therapy techniques involving physical agent modalities unless such person: (1) Is licensed according to this article; and(2) Has successfully completed a minimum of 90 hours of instruction or training approved by the board which covers the following subjects: (A) Principles of physics related to specific properties of light, water, temperature, sound, or electricity, as indicated by selected modality;(B) Physiological, neurophysiological, and electrophysiological, as indicated, changes which occur as a result of the application of the selected modality;(C) The response of normal and abnormal tissue to the application of the modality;(D) Indications and contraindications related to the selection and application of the modality;(E) Guidelines for treatment or administration of the modality within the philosophical framework of occupational therapy;(F) Appropriate selection and practical application of physical agent modalities, including determining treatment parameters based on existing pathology, impairments, functional limitations, and expected outcomes;(G) Guidelines for educating the patient, including instructing the patient as to the ning treatment parameters based on existing pathology, impairments, functional limitations, and expected outcomes;(G) Guidelines for educating the patient, including instructing the patient as to the process and possible outcomes of treatment, including risks and benefits;(H) Safety rules and precautions related to the selected modality;(I) Methods for documenting the effectiveness of immediate and long-term effects of treatment; and(J) Characteristics of the equipment, including safe operation, adjustment, and care of the equipment.(b) The board shall promulgate rules and regulations specifically pertaining to the use of physical agent modalities by a person licensed under this article.Amended by 2019 Ga. Laws 246,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2019.
Georgia Legal Code