At the OATA Board’s Annual Strategic retreat in June of 2013, the Directors worked collaboratively to devise a new scope of practice statement for the profession in Ontario. There were two objectives in doing so. The principal objective was to devise a scope of practice statement that reflects the modern athletic therapy practice in Ontario. The second objective was to cast the scope of practice statement using the terminology and structure of scope of practice statements for professions regulated under the Regulated Health Professions Act (RHPA).
The Scope of Practice devised by the Board is:
"The practice of Athletic Therapy is within the
sport medicine model of care and is the assessment (in either the field or
clinical setting) of neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disease, dysfunction or
disorders; and the treatment, rehabilitation, management, prevention or
relief of physical dysfunction, injury or pain to develop, maintain,
rehabilitate or augment function and promote mobility."
With the new work underway on the case of an Athletic Therapy Specialty within the College of Kinesiology of Ontario, work will continue to hone the Athletic Therapist scope of practice statement in consultation with academic program leaders and the national association.