Task Force to Develop a Systems Approach to Social Determinants of Health in Physical Therapy Curriculum

Purpose 

• Define what a systems approach should be used to define social determinants of health (SDOH) for physical therapy (e.g., involving communities; strengthening capacity and capability; scaling practice; sustaining outcomes; values and principles).
• Define SDOH content for entry-level practice that is threaded throughout the curriculum.
• Determine pedagogical strategies for implementing SDOH into the curriculum with two.

Objectives

To achieve its purpose, the Task Force will:

• Identify current practices by peer professions to determine options for applying to physical therapy.
• Reference material published by others in healthcare.
• Discuss options for learning assessment that support SDOH objectives.
• Collect examples of screening tools in current clinical use.
• Survey ACAPT member institutions and clinical affiliates to determine:
  • what percentage of programs explicitly include this information in the curriculum.
  • where it is located.
  • how it is taught i.e., poverty simulation, lecture, project, etc.
  • whether it is successful or not.
• The task force is committed to ensuring that its work will be rooted in principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion. By integrating DEI considerations into our work, we aim to address systemic disparities, remove barriers, and foster an environment where all individuals, regardless of their background, have equal access to opportunities and representation within the field of physical therapy.

Outcomes

By following the above objectives, and any others identified, this Task Force will create resources for use by all institutions, which shall include:

• Prepare a motion for the framework for instructional material.
• Develop a teaching pack for application by programs.
• Create competencies for SDOH for entry-level practice.
• Develop a screening packet for engaging with a patient.

Composition

The Task Force shall not exceed 10 people. The Task Force will seek to have individuals with a blend of experiences that include:

• Public health background.
• Teaching, service, and/or scholarly activity on SDOH Published articles on SDOH.
• Telehealth experience.
• Experience in teaching SDOH or developing policies for the institution.
• Equal representation of academicians and clinicians.
• Representation from diverse geographic and practice settings.
• One or more members of other health professions with experience in successful delivery of a systems approach for SDOH in curriculum.
• Non-ACAPT members or non-PTs are encouraged to apply.
• The composition of this task force shall be not less than ½ ACAPT membership.

The Chair’s primary responsibility will be to ensure the Task Force is meeting its charge as outlined above and within the timeline defined.  The Chair will meet quarterly with the Institute Chair and Vice Chair, providing written progress reports on the work of the Task Force.

The Vice Chair will serve as the secretary of the Task Force whose responsibilities include polling for meetings, developing the agenda with the Chair, circulating minutes to Task Force members, staff and the Institute Chair and Vice Chair, and delivering all documents and work products to ACAPT for archiving.

• To ensure diverse engagement and equitable opportunities, no person serving on the Task Force may be serving on another of ACAPT’s volunteer leadership groups unless permission is sought and granted in advance by the Board of Directors.
• The Task Forces are accountable to their Institute Chair and Vice Chair, who are accountable to the ACAPT Board of Directors.
• All who are appointed to the Task Force will receive a letter acknowledging their appointment that may support promotion and/or tenure.

Timeline 

• Task force members will meet or communicate at least monthly via conference calls and emails to review tasks completed and next steps to meet project milestones. 
• Task force members may meet at CSM in person or virtually.  The budget will determine if/what resources are available to support such a meeting.
• The Institute Chair and Vice Chair will conduct a virtual meeting quarterly with all task force chairs and vice chairs within that Institute to evaluate progress on their charge and to address any barriers or potential changes needed to their charge in response to changes in the profession.
• The Task Force will submit information to the Institute Chair and Vice Chair that may reflect their activity during the year and reported in ACAPT’s annual report, which is created in August and disseminated to members electronically in September.
• Task forces should be prepared to discuss their activity with ACAPT members at the Physical Therapy Education Leadership Conference (ELC) during a networking event created for the Institute.
• Task forces are expected to conclude their work by December of the calendar year in which they were created. 
• If a task force needs more time than the calendar year for which they were created, the Chair of the task force will notify the Institute Chair.  Together, they will evaluate what is causing the delay, evaluate if there are new circumstances informing the work not previously identified, and if there are additional resources needed.  If the need for additional time is determined necessary by the Institute Chair, they will submit a request to the Board for an extension, to include how that may impact resources.  The Board will make an assessment based on the charge, needed outcomes, and resources available and either extend the work for a limited time, expand the size of the task force to increase productivity to meet the charge and timeline, or disband the task force.
• The final work product(s) will reside on ACAPT’s website and shall be an ACAPT product.

Members

Chair: Janet Konecne

Vice Chair: Emily Hawkins

• Dr. Carrie Barrett, PT, DPT, PhD, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy - Western Michigan University
• Emily J. Hawkins, PT, PhD - Old Dominion University
• Gary Johnson, PT - Duke University
• Janet Konecne, PT, DPT, PhD, OCS, CSCS - Western University of Health Sciences
• Vanessa Lee, PT - Messiah University
• Didi Matthews, PT, DPT - University of Southern California
• Rebecca Operacz, PT, DPT, EdD(c), NCS - Thomas Jefferson University
• Jeff South, PT, DPT, OCS - Samuel Merritt University
• Allyson Sutkowi-Hemstreet, PT, DPT - University of Minnesota
• Bonnie Virag, PT, DPT, ATC, MA - University of Pittsburgh Department of Physical Therapy
• Allie Wilson, PT, DPT, ATC - SSM Health Physical Therapy