IntenseDebate - mikewehrhahn

11 years ago @ My Physical Therapy Space - Destination Autonomy · 0 replies · +1 points

Selena, I’m glad you enjoyed the video. Sorry about the slow response. I am definitely one who believes the traditional model of care will water down our profession and our care. I also feel that our unwillingness to innovate and evolve is a major reason why we aren’t getting the respect we deserve from third party payers.

I truly believe that the clinics who will come out of these hard times successfully are the ones who are willing to think outside of the box and deviate away from the way things have always been done. In doing so, I also believe that facts and figures you alluded too will follow.

There was an interesting article in PT in Motion a little while back titled, “Encouraging the Entrepreneur in Every PT” (http://murphylibrary.uwlax.edu/digital/journals/PTinMotion/PTM_20111201_Dec_2011.pdf)--hope this link works! See page 20. It was definitely nice to see the APTA endorsing and encouraging entrepreneurship in the profession because I think true innovators are in many ways entrepreneurial.

I also think that entrepreneurs are true problem solvers; and with all of the discussions revolving around #solvept, Vision 2020 dying, etc. I was wondering what your take on entrepreneurship in PT is? Can it play a role in “solving PT”? It’d be great to hear your thoughts!

11 years ago @ My Physical Therapy Space - Destination Autonomy · 0 replies · +1 points

Selena, I'm so inspired right now! I'm relatively new to the blogging scene, but ever since I've started reading there's been a very noticeable, yet underlying, tone of negativity. It is uplifting to see someone who is truly excited about the direction of the profession.

What you said about being visionary made me think of this great video I always tell people about. There's a good chance you've seen it already, but if not check out Simon Sinek's "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qp0HIF3SfI4&feature=related)--it changed my view of the world! It'd be great to hear what you think about it.

Let's not only dream up the unimagined, but make it reality. If we can break from tradition and bring innovation to PT, I think the future for our profession can be very bright. Thanks for lifting our spirits Selena!

11 years ago @ My Physical Therapy Space - Another Economic Argum... · 1 reply · +1 points

Jason, I finally got a chance to listen to that podcast--great stuff! I 100% agree that public awareness and demand is critical to reaching that "tipping point" where PTs will be looked at as the provider of choice for musculoskeletal impairments as they are in other countries.

One comment I have from the podcast is about getting "buy-in" from consumers by winning them over on their visits. When I listened to you and Allan talking about that it made me think about a business that is trying to scale. A friend of mine is working on developing an innovative mobile app for restaurants that adds great value to its users. However, he can't make his consumers see that value and buy into his product without going to each restaurant and personally meeting with them one-on-one. At this rate, he'll never build a million-dollar company because the business model of pitching to each individual customer can never scale.

I understand that a lot of people go to physical therapy, but I feel that it will be hard for public demand for PT to scale if we have to get patients to buy into our value proposition one at a time. I feel like there has to be a bigger movement in the profession for public demand for PT to shift in the near future. What do you think?

11 years ago @ My Physical Therapy Space - Another Economic Argum... · 1 reply · +1 points

It's uplifting to see studies like this emerging that support physical therapy. The sad part in my eyes is that nobody outside of PT seems to be paying attention. Everything you wrote in the last paragraph of your post is on point: I agree 110%. But I feel like we, as a profession, are never going to see those changes come to light. Am I wrong to feel that way? Reimbursement rates seemingly decrease every day and the physical therapist appears to be almost non-existent in national health care reform policies.

I listened to your podcasts on PT Talker about the potential role of physical therapists in Accountable Care Organizations. I was very encouraged by the vision you expressed, and I truly believe that the unique skill-set of PTs could play a pivotal role in reducing healthcare costs. It's just hard for me to see the healthcare system at large accepting and utilizing a "PT first" approach no matter what data we present--it's hard for me to not feel like the healthcare system is weeding us out.

The data from these studies speaks for itself. What can the physical therapy profession do to speak for itself? And garner the role it deserves in the healthcare system?

Thanks Jason! I really enjoyed reading this post!

11 years ago @ http://www.physicalthe... - The Future of Physical... · 0 replies · +1 points

Tim, that would be cool; and very useful. The Bates article is great as well. Most of the concepts behind his "Ten Commandments" definitely translate to new technology adoption in PT. It's amazing to think about the possibilities technology can bring to clinical practice, and I truly hope that we will see more and more PTs beginning to use technology to make their practices more efficient and effective in the very near future.

Thank you for such a quick and intelligent response! I look forward to following and commenting on your future posts. Thanks Tim!

11 years ago @ My Physical Therapy Space - Models Of Practice, Ph... · 0 replies · +2 points

Not very effective at all. It's sad to see the DPT being something that fuels the identity crisis of PT. The degree seems to be a fabrication more than anything; and, in my eyes, it seems to be creating somewhat of a disconnect between the older and younger generations of PTs. It's become a battle of experience vs. degree, and if the profession itself is not behind the DPT movement, there's no way we can ever expect the doctorate degree to do the things the APTA told you it would in 2000.

I really enjoy reading your posts Allen. I truly appreciate your quick responses and the way you listen to your followers and make them active participants in the conversation. I look forward to following your future posts and making more comments in the future. Thank you!

11 years ago @ http://www.physicalthe... - The Future of Physical... · 0 replies · +1 points

Tim, thank you for the links to the PT in Motion article and your article from Advance: they were both great and very informative. It's amazing to think about the possibilities of technologies and how they will affect PT practice in the near future.

One of the things that I hear a lot though is that in order for PTs to adopt new technologies, they have to fit into the current process--if a new technology requires a behavior change for implementation into clinical practice, PTs won't use it. All of these technologies have tremendous benefits to offer to both PTs and their patients, but they will also require a pretty significant shift/deviation from "the way things have always been done" to implement.

There seems to be a lot of barriers that could potentially slow the adoption of valuable technologies in PT practice. If you have a minute, and if this comment sparks anything, I would love to hear your opinion on the barriers to new technology in PT.

11 years ago @ My Physical Therapy Space - Models Of Practice, Ph... · 1 reply · +1 points

If you don't mind me asking, what is your broader opinion about the DPT and its role in moving the profession forward? I'm especially interested considering I am in the process of getting mine. At times if feels like it lacks meaning to me because experience means so much more to a physical therapist than three letters at the end of your name. But I feel that that mindset is SO destructive to the profession, and one of the reasons why it hasn't really caught on.

I know a lot of people feel it lacks meaning as well, and I have met too many PTs who downplay the DPT on the grounds that their experience is more important. For a therapist to introduce themselves as a "doctor of physical therapy", i believe, is something powerful--something that could change perceptions about the profession if promoted correctly. But I don't see that happening to any extent.

11 years ago @ My Physical Therapy Space - Models Of Practice, Ph... · 3 replies · +2 points

Great post Allen. I am a PT doctorate candidate, and one of the things that has always baffled me about physical therapy is that it always seems to be perceived as a thing, and not a profession, in the eyes of the public. It kills me to hear people say, "Oh yea, I've tried physical therapy," or, "Physical therapy didn't really work for me." People don't visit physical therapy, they get treated by a PHYSICAL THERAPIST.

Those same people would never say, "Oh yea, I've tried doctors," or, "Doctors didn't really work for me." It would be, "I saw a bad doctor, so I am going to find a better one." I think the PT identity crisis you discussed here is a huge barrier to our profession's progression towards the Vision 2020 objectives. Professional autonomy will not be realized until the public image of the profession shifts--I believe that has to start with PTs truly buying into themselves and their unique talents. Any perspectives?

11 years ago @ My Physical Therapy Space - The APTA’s Visio... · 1 reply · +1 points

I completely agree with your grades Allen, but I also agree with Matt. I think the APTA has done a substandard job of promoting the profession and getting these issues out into the public arena--specifically, I don't see the APTA's Move Forward branding campaign doing anything. But one thing I have to say is that the APTA will never be a practitioner of choice; and the APTA will never have professional autonomy. An organization is only as strong as its members, and for Vision 2020 to become a reality, physical therapists have to engage in the pursuit of these goals at a more grassroots level. The job of the APTA is not to solve all of PT's problems. It's to advocate for and educate all of its members to empower them to make the change.

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