Professor
Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences
Program: Physical Therapy-Post-professional Programs
Administrative Title(s): Program Director; Vice Chair
Phone: (973) 972-2459
Email: kaplansa@rutgers.edu

Office location:
Stanley S. Bergen Building, Room 718C
65 Bergen Street
Newark, NJ 07107

About

Sandra L Kaplan PT, DPT, Ph.D. received a Bachelors of Science from the University of Connecticut in physical therapy, a Masters of Science from the Ohio State University in Allied Health, a PhD from New York University in Pathokinesiology, and a tDPT from the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

Dr. Kaplan is a Professor and Master Educator Guild member, Vice-Chair of Curriculum and Accreditation, Director of the DPT-Ph.D. program, and Track Coordinator for the Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies. She is a CAPTE on-site evaluator for accreditation of DPT programs. She currently teaches the Advanced Research Study seminars and Outcomes Measurement and Management in the DPT program. Her scholarship centers on pediatric outcomes, evidence based practice and knowledge translation.

She provides training on clinical practice guideline (CPG) development for the APTA, is the CPG coordinator for the Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy (APPT), and is on the Academy of Orthopaedic Physical Therapy CPG Advisory Panel. She’s the sole author of a textbook on outcome measurement and the 1st author on the APTA APPT 2013 and 2018 Congenital Muscular Torticollis Clinical Practice Guidelines. She has published many other articles based on primary research and in collaboration with community pediatric clinicians, and has presented nationally and internationally.

Education

B.S. in PT, University of Connecticut
M.S., The Ohio State University
Ph.D., PT, New York University
DPT, MGH Institute of Health Professions

Professional Achievements

Knowledge Translation Lecture – Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy Award, 2025
Catherine Worthingham Fellow of the APTA, 2020
MASTER EDUCATOR GUILD, 2002-2007, renewed 2007 & 2012
Excellence in Teaching Nominee, 2008 and 2011
NJ Health Foundation, SHRP Excellence in Research Award, 2014
APTA Section on Pediatrics, Anniversary Award, 2014
Toby Long Award (best paper in 2018). APTA Academy of Pediatric Physical Therapy, 2018

Research Interests

Dr. Kaplan’s interests include pediatric rehabilitation, evidence-based practice and knowledge translation, clinical practice guideline (CPG) methodology, and clinical outcome measures. She trains CPG developers for the APTA and helped to develop the DPT Education EBP Curriculum Guidelines; she is particularly interested in the uptake of guidelines into practice.

Current Projects

1. Updating the Physical Therapy Management of Congenital Muscular Torticollis: An Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guideline
2. A scoping review of CPGs related to pediatric practice.
3. Describing the practice of Schroth in NA in collaboration with local practitioners.
4. Describing aspects of Shared Decision Making and use of decision aids to assist with patient outcomes.
5. Critical Appraisal Tool for Experimental Interventions – reliability and use in practice.
6. Patient reported outcome measures congruence with patient goals.

Publications