Form and Function of Written Agreements in the Clinical Education of Health Professionals.

The book discusses the current problems of arranging clinical experiences for allied health personnels which will meet student needs as well as the interdependent objectives of educational and clinical institutions. Chapter 1 reviews general trends in the education of health practitioners with particular consideration of the status of physical therapy. Chapter 2 concerns the results of a questionnaire survey and a workshop, two aspects of a study conducted by the Division of Physical Therapy, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Questionnaires were mailed to 51 educational administrators in physical therapy programs and to a sampling of clinical supervisors and clinical faculty members providing physical therapy clinical education for students. The survey showed mutual agreement on four of the five top concerns ranked by educators and clinical faculty. The following two chapters discuss the form and function of interinstitutional agreements from the legal point of view, interdependence of educational and clinical institutions, and basic steps in drafting agreements. Chapter 5 consists of guidelines to assist in negotiating affiliation contracts--both university and clinical center rights, responsibilities, and obligations. A 14-page appendix consists of supplementary workshop information and a reading list. (EA)