Section 43-34-192. Definitions

   As used in this article, the term:

   (1) "Assistant" means a person who assists an orthotist, prosthetist, or prosthetist orthotist with patient care services and fabrication of orthoses or prostheses under the supervision of a licensed orthotist or prosthetist.

   (2) "Board" means the Georgia Composite Medical Board.

   (3) "Custom fabricated and fitted device" means that an orthosis or prosthesis is fabricated to original measurements or a mold, or both, for use by a patient in accordance with a prescription and which requires substantial clinical and technical judgment in its design and fitting.

   (4) "Custom fitted device" means a prefabricated orthosis or prosthesis sized or modified, or both, for use by a patient in accordance with a prescription and which requires substantial clinical judgment and substantive alteration for appropriate use.

   (5) "Facility" means the business location where orthotic or prosthetic care is provided and which has the appropriate clinical and laboratory space and equipment to provide comprehensive orthotic or prosthetic care. Licensed orthotists and prosthetists must be available to either provide care or supervise the provision of care by nonlicensed staff.

   (6) "Level of competence" means a hierarchical position that an individual occupies within a field or profession relative to other practitioners in the profession.

   (7) "Licensed orthotist" means a person licensed under this article to practice orthotics and who represents himself or herself to the public by title and description of services that includes the term "orthotic," "orthotist," "brace," or a similar title or description of services.

   (8) "Licensed physician" means a person licensed to practice medicine under Article 2 of this chapter.

   (9) "Licensed podiatrist" means a person licensed to practice podiatry under Chapter 35 of this title, the "Georgia Podiatry Practice Act."

   (10) "Licensed prosthetist" means a person licensed under this article to practice prosthetics and who represents himself or herself to the public by title and description of services that includes the term "prosthetic," "prosthetist," "artificial limb," or a similar title or description of services.

   (11) "Off-the-shelf device" means a prefabricated prosthesis or orthosis sized or modified, or both, for use by a patient in accordance with a prescription and which does not require substantial clinical judgment and substantive alteration for appropriate use.

   (12) "Orthosis" means a custom designed, fabricated, fitted, modified, or fitted and modified device to correct, support, or compensate for a neuromusculoskeletal disorder or acquired condition. Orthosis does not include fabric or elastic supports, corsets, arch supports, low-temperature plastic splints, trusses, elastic hoses, canes, crutches, soft cervical collars, dental appliances, or other similar devices that are carried in stock and sold as over-the-counter items by a drug store, department store, corset shop, or surgical supply facility.

   (13) "Orthotic and prosthetic education program" means a course of instruction accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs consisting of:

      (A) A basic curriculum of college level instruction in math, physics, biology, chemistry, and psychology; and

      (B) A specific curriculum in orthotic or prosthetic courses, including:

         (i) Lectures covering pertinent anatomy, biomechanics, pathomechanics, prosthetic or orthotic components and materials, training and functional capabilities, prosthetic or orthotic performance evaluation, prescription considerations, etiology of amputations and disease processes necessitating prosthetic or orthotic use, and medical management;

         (ii) Subject matter related to pediatric and geriatric problems;

         (iii) Instruction in acute care techniques, such as immediate and early postsurgical prosthetics and fracture bracing techniques; and

         (iv) Lectures, demonstrations, and laboratory experiences related to the entire process of measuring, casting, fitting, fabricating, aligning, and completing prostheses or orthoses.

   (14) "Orthotic and prosthetic scope of practice" means a list that includes the role played by an occupant of a particular level of competence, what he or she can be expected to do and not to do, and his or her relation to others in the field. These should be based on nationally accepted standards of orthotic and prosthetic certifying agencies with accreditation by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies.

   (15) "Orthotics" means the science and practice of evaluating, measuring, designing, fabricating, assembling, fitting, adjusting, or servicing an orthosis under an order from a licensed physician or podiatrist for the correction or alleviation of neuromuscular or musculoskeletal dysfunction, disease, injury, or deformity.

   (16) "Orthotist" means an allied health professional who is specifically trained and educated to provide or manage the provision of a custom designed, fabricated, or modified and fitted external orthosis to an orthotic patient based on a clinical assessment and a physician's or podiatrist's prescription to restore physiological function or cosmesis or both and who represents himself or herself to the public by such title as providing orthotic services.

   (17) "Over-the-counter device" means a prefabricated, mass produced device that is prepackaged and requires no professional advice or judgment in either size selection or use and includes fabric or elastic supports, corsets, generic arch supports, and elastic hoses.

   (18) "Person" means a natural person.

   (19) "Prosthesis" means a custom designed, fabricated, fitted, modified, or fitted and modified device to replace an absent external limb for purposes of restoring physiological function or cosmesis or both. Prosthesis does not include artificial eyes, ears, fingers, or toes; dental appliances; cosmetic devices such as artificial breasts, eyelashes, or wigs; or other devices that do not have a significant impact on the musculoskeletal functions of the body.

   (20) "Prosthetics" means the science and practice of evaluating, measuring, designing, fabricating, assembling, fitting, adjusting, or servicing a prosthesis under an order from a licensed physician or podiatrist.

   (21) "Prosthetist" means an allied health professional who is specifically trained and educated to provide or manage the provision of a custom designed, fabricated, modified, and fitted external limb prosthesis to a prosthetic patient based on a clinical assessment and a physician's or podiatrist's prescription to restore physiological function or cosmesis or both and who represents himself or herself to the public by such title as providing prosthetic services.

   (22) "Prosthetist orthotist" means a person who practices both disciplines of prosthetics and orthotics and who represents himself or herself to the public by such title as providing prosthetic and orthotic services.

   (23) "Resident" means a person who has completed an education program in either orthotics or prosthetics and is continuing his or her clinical education in a residency accredited by the National Commission on Orthotic and Prosthetic Education.

   (24) "Technician" means a person who assists an orthotist, prosthetist, or prosthetist orthotist with fabrication of orthoses or prostheses but does not provide direct patient care.

Code 1981, § 43-34-192, enacted by Ga. L. 2002, p. 1273, § 1; Ga. L. 2009, p. 859, § 1/HB 509.