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Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald Virtual care continues to evolve, but one thing remains the same: physiotherapists are expected to provide safe, effective, high-quality care regardless of how services are delivered. In this episode, Leanne and Sean revisit the regulatory expectations for virtual care and discuss how physiotherapists can apply professional judgment when deciding whether virtual care is the right option for a client. They discuss key topics including assessing whether virtual care is clinically appropriate, obtaining informed consent, conducting appropriate assessments, and understanding when an in-person visit may still be necessary. The conversation also explores privacy obligations, including safeguards for protecting health information, Privacy Impact Assessments, and Information Management Agreements. The episode highlights the importance of proactive risk management, patient safety incident planning, documentation requirements, fee transparency, and recording considerations. Finally, Leanne and Sean review cross-border practice considerations and the necessity that physiotherapists understand the regulatory requirements that apply in the jurisdiction where the client is located in addition to the requirements in the jurisdiction where they are located. Key take away: Virtual care can be a safe and appropriate way to deliver physiotherapy services, but physiotherapists must ensure they fulfill the requirements of the standards of practice as they would when providing in-person services. Resources: ·       HIA Privacy Resources ·       Patient Safety and Risk Management Guideline

Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald  The designation of physiotherapists as custodians under the Health Information Act is a significant development for registrants of the College of Physiotherapists of Alberta. This bonus episode repurposes the information shared at a recent "ask us anything" webinar, including information about: ·       Roles under the HIA and the concept of the circle of care. ·       Discussion of safeguards, and the duty to identify risks to the privacy and security of health information, before moving on to a discussion of electronic medical records and considerations for EMR use. (~09:30) ·       Common questions related to PIA requirements and implications for physiotherapists. (~17:30) ·       Discussion of HIA considerations if using email to transmit health information. (~22:30) ·       Implications of the transition to being designated a custodian under the HIA for school-based physiotherapists. (~25:30) ·       Discussion of implications of the HIA for solo practitioners. (~36:15) ·       The deadline for compliance with the requirements. (~36:45) ·       The resources available on the CPTA website to enable this transition. (~37:30)   Listen on as Sean and Leanne address the questions submitted by the audience during the live webinar, including questions regarding ·       Different practice scenarios and the roles physiotherapists may have within their practice settings. (~38:00) ·       A physiotherapist's roles and responsibilities if they designate another healthcare professional as their affiliate. (~42:00) ·       Navigating information management in school settings. (43:30) ·       Further discussion of PIA requirements. (~45:30) ·       Can a corporation be a custodian? (~54:00) ·       Can a PT hire help to write their PIA? (~58:00) ·       Further discussion of school-related physiotherapist considerations. (58:30) ·       Discussion of disclosure of health information between custodians. (1:02:00)   We close the episode by answering the overarching question: Why did we move to physiotherapists being custodians under the HIA? (1:04:00)   Resources: ·       HIA Privacy Resources

Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger    The transition to being designated custodians under Alberta's Health Information Act is a significant change for physiotherapists. In this episode, Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald discuss why it is essential for physiotherapists to understand their role in every practice setting where they collect, use, disclose, store, or dispose of health information. Listeners will learn about the roles of custodian, affiliate, and privacy officer, and how those roles shape responsibilities under the Act. The episode also explores common scenarios that can create uncertainty, including work with non-custodians, multi-disciplinary clinics, short-term locum contracts, and sports team or gym-based practice settings. The key message: physiotherapists should review their contracts, job descriptions, and workplace arrangements to confirm whether they are the custodian or designated as an affiliate to another custodian. If there is no clear documentation establishing an affiliate relationship with an eligible custodian under the Act, physiotherapists must default to understanding that they are the custodian of the health information and must take the steps required to comply with the HIA.   Resources: ·      HIA Privacy Resources

Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger    In this episode, Leanne and Sean revisit the rules for use of title and why those rules are important for physiotherapists, patients, and the public. The conversation explains who may use protected titles such as Physiotherapist, Physical Therapist, Physiotherapist Intern, and PT, and highlights why a physiotherapist's registration status matters—whether a registrant is entering practice, on leave, or retiring. They also discuss how physiotherapists should list academic credentials and additional training in a way that is accurate, transparent, and meaningful to patients. The episode reviews common questions about terms such as Clinical Specialist, acupuncturist, osteopath, doctor, clinical Pilates, and advanced practice, highlighting the importance of avoiding language that misleads or implies a credential or specialization the physiotherapist does not hold. Listeners are reminded to use their protected title, place it before other credentials, and explain their additional training clearly and transparently. Most of all physiotherapists are encouraged to be proud of the professional title they worked hard to earn. Resources ·       Titles, Credentials and Specialty Designations ·       Getting Titles Right Infographic

Speakers: Sean FitzGerald and Leanne Loranger  In this episode, Leanne and Sean discuss key changes connected to physiotherapists being designated as custodians under Alberta's Health Information Act, which took effect on June 22, 2026. The conversation focuses on three important concepts physiotherapists need to understand as they transition to HIA compliance: verbal consent for disclosure of health information, the requirement to develop privacy management programs, and the need to designate successor custodians of health information. The episode explains when client consent is required for disclosure of health information, what content must be included in consent, and the documentation and identity verification requirements that apply when verbal consent is accepted. Leanne and Sean also explore privacy management programs, emphasizing that policies and procedures must be supported by training, monitoring, and updates as privacy risks and practice arrangements change. Listeners will hear practical discussion about the implications of being a custodian of health information under the Act and learn about the concept of 'sharing custodians' and requirements related to shared custody of health information. The episode closes with a discussion of successor custodian requirements, including proactive planning for retirement, relocation, illness, or incapacity. Call to action: Physiotherapists need to know their role, understand their responsibilities, and act now to support long-term legislative compliance and protection of health information.   Resources ·       Privacy Resources ·       Privacy Guide for Alberta Physiotherapists ·       HIA Policies and Procedures for Alberta Physiotherapist Custodians ·       Health Information Act and Health Information Regulation ·       Government of Alberta HIA Fact Sheets

Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger   Privacy can feel complicated, but this episode makes it practical. Leanne and Jody break privacy basics into clear, manageable actions that can help physiotherapists strengthen client privacy in any practice setting. If you have ever wondered where to start, this conversation will help you focus on key privacy domains and four priority action areas: ·       Review or build privacy policies and procedures so you and your colleagues know how personal information is to be collected, handled, protected, and ultimately destroyed within your practice setting, in accordance with your professional duties and responsibilities. ·       Make sure your process for access and amendment requests is clear, and understood by everyone in the practice setting. ·       Check that your collection statement is accurate, easy to find, and tells clients what to expect. ·       Complete or review privacy impact assessments for the systems and tools you use, from EMRs to AI scribes and virtual care platforms. Whether you are refreshing your privacy practices or tackling these responsibilities for the first time, this episode offers useful reminders, practical prompts, and a motivating push to take action now. Tune in for a helpful conversation that turns privacy expectations into real-world next steps. Resources ·       Privacy Guide for Alberta Physiotherapists ·       Privacy and Record Retention Standard of Practice

Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger   In this episode we revisit the topic of restricted activities in physiotherapy, bringing together key messages and practical clarifications to address some of the most common questions from registrants. The episode begins with an overview of the legislative framework that governs restricted activities, including how the Health Professions Act, the Health Professions Restricted Activity Regulation, and the Performance of Restricted Activities Standard of Practice together establish regulatory requirements for the performance of these high-risk activities. Jody and Leanne unpack "who can do what," outlining the seven restricted activities authorized to the physiotherapy profession and clearly distinguishing between activities automatically authorized to physiotherapists and those requiring individual authorization. Listeners will also hear detailed discussion about authorization, supervision, and education, including what restricted activities physiotherapist interns may perform, supervision requirements for physiotherapists on the General Register when learning restricted activities, and why supervision must be provided by an authorized physiotherapist. The episode closes with an important focus on competence and competence maintenance, encouraging physiotherapists to reflect on how they develop, maintain, and demonstrate competence over time. If you have questions about restricted activities in physiotherapy practice or are considering learning a restricted activity, this episode is for you! Resources: ·       Performance of Restricted Activities Standard of Practice ·       Health Professions Restricted Activities Regulation ·       Health Professions Act ·       Restricted Activities

Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald In this episode of College Conversations, Leanne and Sean continue their discussion of the most common questions received by the College's Practice Advisor in 2025, focusing on three key themes: Funding, Fees, and Billing; Continuing Competence; and Duty of Care. The conversation begins with Funding, Fees, and Billing, including questions about contracts, billing practices, fee schedules, and recent changes to the Standards that enable bundled and pre‑paid services, when specific conditions are met. Next, the episode explores practice advice questions related to the Continuing Competence Standard, with a focus on questions about the profession's scope of practice and physiotherapist individual competence. Sean and Leanne highlight the questions received regarding emerging practices, developing competence in a new area of practice, and the requirements that must be met for a service to be considered physiotherapy. Finally, the discussion turns to Duty of Care, addressing questions about discontinuing services, continuity of care, and managing abusive client situations. The episode concludes with a reminder that the Practice Advisor is available to support physiotherapists with practice-related questions. Resources: ·      Funding, Fees, and Billing Standard of Practice ·      Episode 4: Is it Physiotherapy? ·      Episode 30: Scope of Practice and Pandemic Redeployment – Is it Physiotherapy? ·      Managing Challenging Situations Guide ·      Good Practice: Challenging Situations ·      Good Practice: Preparing For Challenging Therapeutic Relationships ·      Good Practice: Discharging Patients Links: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify

Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald In this episode of College Conversations, Leanne and Sean kick off a two-part series exploring the most common questions received by the College's Practice Advisor. Drawing on an aggregate review of 2025 inquiries, they explain how tracking and coding questions to the Standards of Practice helps identify trends, inform the development of College resources, and guide future updates to the Standards of Practice. Part 1 focuses on two of the top five recurring themes addressed by the Practice Advisor: privacy and supervision. The discussion on privacy highlights clients' legal right to access their health records, acceptable timelines for responding to requests, and appropriate fees for chart copies under Alberta legislation. Leanne and Sean also address when disclosure of private information without consent may occur - such as mandatory reporting or situations involving imminent risk of serious harm - and outline ongoing responsibilities for secure record storage, access, and destruction. The episode then turns to supervision, particularly the assignment of services to physiotherapist support workers (PTSWs) and supervision of PT Interns. Key responsibilities, accountabilities, and common pitfalls are reviewed, emphasizing the requirement to assess the competence of the PTSW, role clarity, and patient safety.  Sean and Leanne also highlight the many College resources available at cpta.ab.ca and encourage listeners to contact the College when questions arise. Resources: ·      Good Practice: 5 Important Points about Client Access to Chart Records ·      Privacy and Record Retention Standard of Practice ·      Working With Physiotherapist Support Workers eLearning Module ·      Supervision of Physiotherapist Support Workers Guide ·      Supervision Standard of Practice Links: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify

Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger From time to time, conflicts and challenging situations may arise between physiotherapists and their clients, which may lead the physiotherapist to consider declining to continue to provide services to the client. These situations exist on a continuum from the slightly challenging to the potentially dangerous. The 2025 Duty of Care Standard codifies professional expectations that have been in place for a long time. In this bonus episode we revisit an episode we first shared back in 2021, highlighting the physiotherapist's duties if they are opting to decline services for a client who still needs treatment. Jody and Leanne discuss a range of situations that can lead a physiotherapist to discontinue physiotherapy and the expectations that apply to those situations. When is it ok for a physiotherapist to decline services to a client? Listen to this episode to find out. Resources: ·        Duty of Care Standard of Practice Links: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify

Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger In this episode, Leanne and Jody explore the governance role of Council and how it supports the College's legislated mandate to protect the public interest. Jody explains the College's responsibilities under the Health Professions Act, including setting entrance standards, ensuring continuing competence, establishing standards of practice, and addressing unprofessional conduct. Council oversees this work by setting the College's strategic direction, providing financial and risk oversight, and monitoring regulatory processes to ensure alignment with legislated public‑interest obligations. They also clarify the distinction between governance and operations — Council 'steers' the boat that is the College while staff 'row' — and discuss how the College evaluates whether issues fall within its jurisdiction. The episode highlights the shift from elections to competency‑based Council appointments, aimed at strengthening public representation and reducing representational governance. Towards the end of the episode, Jody outlines the annual recruitment process for physiotherapist Council members, including the Council competency matrix, identification of skill gaps, application reviews, and interviews. The episode closes with a call for physiotherapists interested in governance and public protection to consider submitting an expression of interest to serve as a Council member. Resources: ·       Council Appointment Information Links: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify

In this, the 80th episode of the CPTA's College conversations, Leanne and Jody reflect on the College's major activities in 2025 and share a preview of what we are anticipating in 2026.  2025 Highlights: Implementation of updated Standards of Practice in January 2025 and the related jurisprudence module which registrants completed at registration or renewal. Updated Sexual Abuse and Sexual Misconduct (SASM) module required for all registrants. Ongoing focus on professional conduct, with higher-than-hoped complaint numbers and related budget impact.  2026 Preview: Launch of the new Canadian Physiotherapy Examination, featuring written and oral components on the same day—ending the two-stage format, and the implications of this change for initial registration with the College and transition into practice. The growing influence of artificial intelligence in physiotherapy, including concerns about deskilling and the importance of maintaining critical thinking. Pending legislative changes: auto insurance (Care First Model), freedom of speech protections for regulated professionals, and possible privacy legislation updates.  Tune in to this episode to hear the details and stay tuned for more in the months ahead. It should be another eventful year! Links: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify

Speakers: Leanne Loranger and Sean FitzGerald In this episode, Sean and Leanne dive into how artificial intelligence is popping up in physiotherapy—from chatbots for booking and billing tasks and scribe tools for clinical documentation to robotics - and the regulatory considerations to keep in mind. With the explosion of AI tools, physiotherapists may look at options that help them in their work. Before implementing an AI tool there are a few things to know about doing so in a way that's consistent with the Standards of Practice and regulatory requirements.   We unpack the privacy laws you need to know (think the Personal Information Protection Act, Health Information Act and Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act), the current status of proposed AI regulation, and why it's crucial to keep up with changing legislation. Sean reminds us: even if your workplace picks the AI tool, you're responsible for your compliance with the standards and relevant legislation, which means that you need to do your due diligence to be sure you are using an AI tool appropriately.  Transparency is key — clients should always know if AI is involved in their care, and that they can say "no thanks" at any time.  Watch out for bias in the AI tools you use, keep your clinical skills sharp, and don't let reliance on AI tools lead to a loss of skills. We discuss cybersecurity and even the environmental impact of AI data centers.  Bottom line? Stay informed about new developments in AI and always put your clients first. Remember, AI is meant to support your expertise, not replace it. Resources: •          Artificial Intelligence Guide for Alberta Physiotherapists     Links: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify

Speakers: Jody Prohar and Leanne Loranger "Vestibular physiotherapist', 'sports physiotherapist', 'advanced practice physiotherapist', 'performance physiotherapist…' On this episode, we ask what's wrong with being 'just' a physiotherapist? In this conversation, we review the requirements of the Titles, Credentials and Specialty Designations Standard of Practice, highlighting the importance of clarity and transparency when communicating with clients, potential clients and members of the public. We also discuss the technological disruptions that are currently effecting physiotherapy practice and the risks that unscrupulous unregulated individuals pose to clients, when they use AI or Virtual Care platforms to masquerade as registered physiotherapists. We end with clear calls to action for all physiotherapists to · use their protected title in their interactions with clients and the public at large, and · inform the public about what it means to be a regulated health professional and how to check the registration status of anyone providing the client with health services. Want to hear more? Check out this episode! Resources: · Titles, Credentials and Specialty Designations Standard of Practice              · Virtual Care Guide for Alberta Physiotherapists Links: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify

Hosts: Leanne Loranger & Sean FitzGerald Date: October 1, 2025   Description: In this episode, Leanne and Sean dive deep into the realities of conflict of interest (COI) in physiotherapy practice. They explore how COI isn't just about what you do—it's about how your actions are perceived by others. Drawing on real-world scenarios from private practice, public sector, and clinical education, they unpack the concept of fiduciary duty, different types of conflicts (actual, potential, perceived), and why recognizing even perceived conflicts is crucial for ethical practice.   Key Topics: What is a conflict of interest, and why does it matter? Fiduciary duty: What it means for physiotherapists. Common conflict of interest scenarios: Fee discrepancies, incentive contracts, self-referrals, and providing physiotherapy services for friends or family.   Call to Action: Reflect on your practice: Where might your judgment be influenced by personal interests or competing duties?     Listen in for practical advice, honest discussion, and actionable steps to navigate COI in your day-to-day work as a physiotherapist.   Resources: ·       2022 College-Selected Activity: Professionalism ·       Code of Ethical Conduct ·       Core Professional Values   Links:  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Spotify