Which document must a physical therapist provide to a patient prior to treatment?

A physical therapist must provide an informed consent form to a patient prior to treatment to ensure that the patient is fully aware of the nature of the treatment, its potential risks, benefits, and alternatives. This process is vital for establishing an ethical and legal framework for the therapeutic relationship. Informed consent empowers patients by giving them the necessary information to make educated decisions regarding their health care, fostering trust and accountability between the therapist and the patient.

This document typically outlines what the patient can expect from the treatment process, helps to clarify any questions or doubts they may have, and confirms that the patient agrees to proceed after understanding all relevant information. This practice is mandated by legal and ethical standards in healthcare, making it a critical step before any treatment is initiated.

The other documents, while important in different contexts, do not fulfill the primary requirement of ensuring informed consent for treatment. A patient information brochure may provide general information about available services, insurance verification documents serve a financial function, and treatment agreements can outline specific terms of service but do not address the patient's understanding and agreement to the treatment itself in the same way that informed consent does.