Do you think we as PT's will ever have autonomy? Will we ever be respected as a whole when it comes to our knowledge, skills, and abilities?
Isn't it the APTA's mission to promote us as autonomous practitioners? Why is it not done?
I hate being questioned by MD's or DO's who are so set in their ways it's "my way or the highway" with their referrals, even if they are off base. Most that I work with can not put their egos aside to allow me to do my job efficiently.
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Reality is, you have to promote yourself to be the expert you know you are. To do that, you don't prove yourself, but you slowly build relationships. That being said... there are some physicians you don't want on your team.
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Amen to that. It is all about relationships and how you chose to develop them. Like SJ said, you have the autonomy to choose the best people around you from referral sources to employees. Couple that with imagination and resourcefulness can add up to a hell of autonomy.
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Well life is not fair. It's about time these lazy APTA bums did more work and stop dithering on this self referral business and got it for you. You have been waiting for years and years without the results you know you are fully entitled to. Them pesky optometrists have got it and only treat 2 0z of the body so you should have it when having to look after 200 pounds worth and often more. Don't these decision makers know about your knowledge and skills and unlimited capabilities plus your full armamentaria of your chosen profession. I know the chiropractors got it, mind you some had to go to jail but thats pretty passive stuff. It must feel awful when a Doc tells you what to do when you know you are right. Building relationships in spite of being unable to get the patients direct is better than nothing I suppose, gives you almost a warm glow. It's a bit of catch 22 having to work hard and are unable to spend time actually doing something about self referral like the rest of the world has done except of course for France. Next week ask every PT in private practice to start taking patients directly and treat them, Dam the torpedoes!!! Life after might be fair. Jim McGregor
Well life is not fair. It's about time these lazy APTA bums did more work and stop dithering on this self referral business and got it for you. You have been waiting for years and years without the results you know you are fully entitled to. Them pesky optometrists have got it and only treat 2 0z of the body so you should have it when having to look after 200 pounds worth and often more. Don't these decision makers know about your knowledge and skills and unlimited capabilities plus your full armamentaria of your chosen profession. I know the chiropractors got it, mind you some had to go to jail but thats pretty passive stuff. It must feel awful when a Doc tells you what to do when you know you are right. Building relationships in spite of being unable to get the patients direct is better than nothing I suppose, gives you almost a warm glow. It's a bit of catch 22 having to work hard and are unable to spend time actually doing something about self referral like the rest of the world has done except of course for France. Next week ask every PT in private practice to start taking patients directly and treat them, Dam the torpedoes!!! Life after might be fair. Jim McGregor
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Well Tom, No need for me to have any frustration or anger, we in Canada have self referral and had it for many tears. We didn't get it by hoping our Canadian PT association would get it. We did it Province by Province, lots of PTs making their voice heard. If you notice on this page and on previous sites you are all waiting on someone to do it. Ken, getting self referral has absolutely nothing to do with knowledge and or skills, it's how you change the law. So, how many and how often have you or Tom or SJ met with the people that matter. Are you too busy at work to make that investment. jim McGregor
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Jim... The people that matter are always worried about climbing the political ladder. Physicians fear a loss of business if PT had direct access. The physician groups and their lobbying efforts are always strong. In my opinion, it all comes down to money. There is a definite potential for change... when it is really realized how many people will be dumped into a system already busting at the seams and the inadequate access to care (due to primary care physician shortage), hopefully physical therapists will be able to help and maybe at that time will have direct access. Then, again, we may not want to participate if whatever is rolled out is crappy. What probably helps more than talking to the people that matter is really trying to be a team player and stepping up, making relationships with physicians/surgeons (the ones who see us as a threat) and making appropriate referrals (although they'd never call it that) to them.
Ohio has Direct Access but no one knows about it (patient-wise) and MD's still are the gate-keepers. I have a patient that I have to have waste his time with a treatment because the Doc reamed me a new one because i told him that based on what I saw the treatment was not the most appropriate.
He pulls out the MRI results showing disc bulging at C6-C7. The thinks that MRI results are "evidence" enough to rule in cervical radiculopathy and rule out shoulder impingement when all tests for the neck were cleared and all shoulder tests are positive. His response? "What exercises are you going to do that are going to make him better when he has a bulging disc . I said traction and you will do traction".
So now I have to put this guy through needless cervical traction and a home unit and wait until his shoulder gets worse to "make a point" to the doc. The patient suffers.
Frustrating.
< Message edited by ysumpt2006 -- May 7, 2010 10:31:58 AM >
Ken, that sucks big time, and shows that Ohio does not have direct, INDEPENDENT access. PT needs to be an independent direct access profession, like in most Canadian Provinces. Doctors can NOT dictate how I treat or assess patients here. They can refer, recommend, suggest - but NOT dictate. Patients do not even need a referral to see me, and 75% of extended health insurance plans do not require a referral either (increasing percentage every month).
The hurdles facing PTs in many states are obviously quite different than what we have gone through here.
Yeah, independence isn't the greatest. I have a lot of referring MD's that will allow me to be independent with their patients and actually seek my advice about them. Great, I'm all for that.
No MD referral is needed for PT in Ohio. We just have to notify (with the patient's OK) the MD within 3 days.
Of course I work for a hospital based system which is another story because the powers that be don't want Direct Access.
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