Eaglizer ITHIPAA policies for physical therapy practices
Therapy practices work from referrals, share progress notes with physicians, and increasingly use apps for home exercise programs. Each of those touches HIPAA.
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Where therapy practices differ
- Referrals and progress notes. Sharing notes with the referring physician is treatment and needs no authorization. Sharing with an employer or a patient's family member follows different rules.
- Workers' compensation. Disclosures to workers' compensation programs are permitted as the law allows, and should go through the Privacy Officer.
- Home exercise and scheduling apps. Any vendor that stores patient information needs a signed business associate agreement.
- Open gym treatment areas. Policies should set reasonable safeguards so conversations and screens are not overheard or seen more than necessary.
What the kit writes for a therapy practice
Your privacy notice uses therapy treatment examples, such as sharing progress notes with the physician who referred the patient. Your risk worksheet lists your EHR, portal, and telehealth tools as assets, and the policies cover referrals, authorizations, and vendor agreements.
Questions
Do physical therapists need a Notice of Privacy Practices?
Yes. Every covered health care provider must give patients a Notice of Privacy Practices, post it, and make a good faith effort to get a signed acknowledgment.
Full HIPAA Policy Kit, $129
- Notice of Privacy Practices, updated for the 2026 rules, plus the acknowledgment form
- 22 Privacy policies and procedures
- 19 Security policies mapped to the Security Rule
- Breach Notification policy with a risk assessment form and log
- Business Associate Agreement for your vendors
- Workforce confidentiality agreement, training log, and access checklist
- Security Risk Analysis worksheet, pre filled from your answers
- Patient request forms, plus a California addendum for California practices
More guides
- HIPAA compliance for dental offices: what auditors actually check
- HIPAA compliance checklist for small medical practices in California
- The HIPAA security risk assessment, explained for small practices
- Notice of Privacy Practices template, updated for 2026
- HIPAA policies for chiropractic offices
- HIPAA policies for mental health and behavioral health practices
- HIPAA policies for optometry practices
- HIPAA for med spas and aesthetics practices
- HIPAA policies and procedures for small medical practices
Templates, not legal advice. Eaglizer IT is not a law firm and does not certify HIPAA compliance. Using templates does not by itself make a practice compliant; follow the policies, train your staff, and keep records.