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Will Physical Therapy ever be the same?
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Will Physical Therapy ever be the same? - October 3, 1999 7:22:00 PM
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rmdaypro
Posts: 2
Joined: October 2, 1999
From: Kokomo Indiana
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PT has been around for a long time but will it ever bounce back to the level where it was 5 or 6 yrs ago? Are we truly expendible now and the society nor even the gov't officials thinking that we dont make a difference.
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Re: Will Physical Therapy ever be the same? - October 4, 1999 7:11:00 AM
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Barrett
Posts: 967
Joined: July 28, 1999
From: Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
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There are many who say that the current situation is only a reversable trend. I can see no evidence that this is true.
We simply are not going to be paid what we once were because the insurers (that includes the government) know that they don't have to do that any longer. The need for our expertise has not and will not fade. The care simply won't be available as it once was. This is a simple reply to your question, I know. But I can't honestly think of another.
I've personally headed in the direction of philosophic statements and essays about the meaning of care and how it may alter the therapist who truly falls in love with what they do. This doesn't exactly put food on the table, but it does make me feel better.
[URL=http://www.qin.com/dorko/index.htm]www.qin.com/dorko/index.htm[/URL]
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Re: Will Physical Therapy ever be the same? - October 4, 1999 5:43:00 PM
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Cranial
Posts: 46
Joined: September 4, 1999
From: Plainville, CT USA
Status: offline
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There are two scenarios that are being bandied about regarding the future of "therapy". One has the insurers not caring who treats the patient(MD, DO, DC, ND, PT, OT, ATC, MsT) but they only get three visits at $20.00. The other has "post-surgical rehab specialists" (not PT's, but PTA's, ATC's, or ACSM certified fitness trainers) providing the care after the surgeon has paid for all the surgical expenses and himself first.(Can you say home program)
Neither of these is bad if you are able to function out the system, collecting cash from all those unfortunates who didn't fit the protocols established in the Guide to Clinical Practice.
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Re: Will Physical Therapy ever be the same? - October 5, 1999 1:36:00 AM
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Rose
Posts: 122
Joined: September 19, 1999
From: Ohio
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For the past 30+ years I have lived the "best" of Physical Therapy and am now living the "worst" of it. I have to agree with Doirko that this situation will not reverse, that we are not "on a cycle" as many are quaintly stating. My response is... "when was the last time the government or insurance companies took something away and then gave it back ??" What I have difficulty with are the high school kids who still IM me weekly "doing a report on Physical Therapy" who are hyped on this as a career and are being "fed" this unreal forcast of a secure future as a PT,OT,ST. I feel sad.....not because I have taken wage and benefit suts, but that my expertise as a therapist is no longer valid... but the NURSE at the insurance company's IS !!!!
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Re: Will Physical Therapy ever be the same? - October 7, 1999 5:52:00 PM
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kris
Posts: 130
Joined: June 26, 1999
From: Larksville, PA, USA
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I agree that this is not a reversible situation. There just isn't the pull for PT that there once was. To make matters worse, we are willing to treat patients for less and less money each year....thus they are getting care for a much lower price. This makes it unnecessary for pt's to have a reason to complain to insurance companies and to the govt....why would these companies pay more???
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Re: Will Physical Therapy ever be the same? - October 9, 1999 5:01:00 PM
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Andrew M. Ball, MS, PT
Posts: 500
Joined: October 8, 1999
From: Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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The sad thing is not what is happening to our profession, but our inability to think out of the box anymore. Physical therapy was born from Polio, but it's been quite some time since I've seen anyone with even post-polio syndrome. What happened? As Polio died off, PT's were smart enough to fill a nich in the rehab of injured veterns, through the end of WWII. PT's at that time were smart enough to again identify a new market nich, namely cerebral palsy. Spina Bifida, Muscular Dystrophy, and Low Back Pain (& other ortho stuff) came later, but this was not the creating force of our profession. We are now faced with a similar situation, we are not viewed as effective by the health community, and worse yet, but the general american population. Because the population has lost faith in us, we have lost our way. I however, intead of complaining, have a few ideas . . .
Here's the "tough love folks", a professional physical therapy degree, at any level (DipPT, BS, MS, or DPT) is no longer sufficient if you plan to retain the freedoms that we have enjoyed in the past. A professional (entry-level degree) AT ANY level, is about as useful as a BS or BA in psychology or communications. Can you get a job? Yes. Will it suck? Most likely.
Most current students are under no disillusion of their need to continue their education with an advanced degree. Consider this . . .
My students have considered what the value to a law firm may be of a PT who took 6 months of their time to complete a paralegal certificate. Have you?
My students have considered the value of a PT with a degree in computer science or engineering to the biotechnology firm attempting to build a low-cost prothetic limb which actually recieves implules from the central nervous system of the patient. Have you?
My child-loving students have you considered the value of a PT with a master's in special education to the local school system. Have you?
My students have considered working for an internet service such as MedDoc.com, which provides customized, real-time information on exercise, development, or a whole host of other physical therapy related topics to web-surfers for a nominal fee. Have you?
We must also consider the prospect of non-clinical positions such as insurance claims review, or case working.
Will physical therapy ever be the same? I doubt it, but change is not a bad thing. It is part evolution. Over time it will weed out the filth and muck from our profession, and there will be unfortunate casualties of excellent clinicians along the way. Skilled or unskilled is NOT the issue. Experienced or inexperienced is NOT the issue. Even effiency of seeing obscene numbers of patents per day is NOT the issue. The issue is the abiliy to think out of the box, identity a NEW market niche, and exploit it. Those up for the challange, I welcome you into the exciting millenium of physical therapy 2000. Those with their fists in the the air and head in the sand, future therapists will remember you, but I'd bet not fondly.
MOVE INTO ACTION NOT COMPLACENCY!!!!
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Andrew M. Ball, MS, PT
MBA/PhD Candidate
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Re: Will Physical Therapy ever be the same? - October 9, 1999 5:05:00 PM
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Andrew M. Ball, MS, PT
Posts: 500
Joined: October 8, 1999
From: Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Status: offline
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Good lord, I just reviewed my last posting, I must be near asleep because the grammer and spelling are terrible!!! I wouldn't accept a position paper like this from any of my students! I'm ashamed to call myself a doctoral student! Hope that didn't detract from my point. I'll do better in the future!
Thought I'd slam myself before anyone else . . .
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Re: Will Physical Therapy ever be the same? - October 10, 1999 4:48:00 AM
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Cranial
Posts: 46
Joined: September 4, 1999
From: Plainville, CT USA
Status: offline
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Andrew,
PT was "born" in 1836 with Per Ling, MD beginning to train men and women educators how to care for the structural and respiratory ills of "sedentary" Sweden. Swedish massage, remedial gymnastics, and respiratory rehab all began then. (35 years before Osteopathy and sixty years before Chiropractic. PT officially formed as the Association of Trained Masseuses in London at that time!) We were the leaders but dropped the ball.
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Re: Will Physical Therapy ever be the same? - October 10, 1999 10:22:00 AM
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Andrew M. Ball, MS, PT
Posts: 500
Joined: October 8, 1999
From: Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Status: offline
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Cranial,
You are correct, I was referring to the evolution of physical therapy in the United States only, perhaps I should have made that a little more clear. I agree that we have "dropped the ball" which was really the point of my last posting. I am curious as to how others feel regarding the concept of the entry-level degree as a non-professional degree and the need to further education or couple PT training with other degrees.
Respectfully,
Drewfus
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