Words are powerful. Language is everything. And if you are going to map out a vision statement, it better use the right words and the right language. Otherwise, the meaning and intent can change rapidly and may in fact be counter to your original goals.
Which brings me to Vision 2020 and the seemingly incessant debate over the importance of entry-level degree relative to the development of the profession and its brand - and all of the variants on that theme.
I am convinced more than ever that the professional brand is, without doubt, far more important than the degree that you have attained to be a part of that professional brand. But what became readily apparent to me today during one of these debates is that the mechanisms underlying it lie not in skill or experience or degree. The problem begins with Vision 2020 itself.
The vision has gone awry. We're all starting to feel the effects of 10 words that truly make a difference - in intent, and in action.
The phrase "cash-based practice" has become a hot topic and trendy phrase lately. Many physical therapists have headed in this direction. My clinical practice has been cash-based since 2004.
There is a strange perception in health care that third party payment (via insurance) and cash-based practices are inherently different. Perhaps it is because of the perceived "skin in the game" that the patient has when they hand you cash (or a credit card) directly upon receipt of services rendered.
What is forgotten is that no matter how you cut it, both are cash-based. Worse yet, both are built upon a foundation of misguided incentives.
Stop for a moment and reflect on this thought: who is the most important person in health care?
Or another thought, if you are a provider: why are any of us in health care?
It is a simple answer - the patient.
When we speak to the patient about their problem, who is the only one to have the history at their fingertips? The patient.
And when we look at the quality of care, who ultimately has to live with the outcome? The patient.
Once and for all, people, this is all about the patient.
It is with great sadness today that I note the passing of world-renowned physiotherapist Robin McKenzie at the age of 82.
I, like many of my colleagues, have struggled throughout the day. I have found myself challenged to find words to adequately describe what I am feeling right now. There have been tears. And there have been wonderful memories.
I could recount McKenzie's tremendous impact on physiotherapy, musculoskeletal care, and health care as a whole, or his development of the McKenzie Method of Mechanical Diagnosis And Therapy. I am sure that my efforts would be an understatement to his legacy.
But the profound sadness that I feel today is due to the loss of a great man that had a huge impact on who I am as a person.
In the ongoing quest for affordable care, our health care system is in dire need of solutions. If we don't find a way to save some money soon, the system as a whole will implode. Health care will become cost-prohibitive for many - if it isn't already.
We've got to start somewhere. So let's begin with a basic foundational premise: reimbursement based on scientific plausibility.
Did you hear the pin drop in the room? That's because there would be a lot of practitioners that would angrily resist the concept.
Why so? It would demand clinician accountability.
Mal-alignment: the scourge of modern day health care practitioners. According to many, it is the root of all clinical evil in the orthopedic world. It has been used to rationalize countless clinical scenarios and treatment interventions.
Rumor has it that resolution of this malady is also the solution to world hunger and peace in the Middle East. But I digress.
Oh, mal-alignment. How you tantalize us with the hypothetical world in which you contribute so much to so many. But understanding you would require a deeper understanding of "normal" first, now wouldn't it?
Which brings us to - the inconvenient truth about normal.
On Tuesday, April 30, the House Public Health Committee finally voted on HB 1039, a bill that would improve patient access to physical therapy in the state of Texas. The committee voted 6 - 3 to pass the bill favorably out of committee.
Now it is on its way to the Calendars Committee who are responsible for putting it on the House calendar for second and third reading. This must occur before it gets a vote on the House floor.
As exciting as this sounds - and it is - time is running out. This is where you, the consumer, can help decide the future of health care in the state of Texas.
Up to 60% of runners will sustain an injury within any given year. Poor running mechanics, in conjunction with poor, ineffective and outdated training methods, can pose a significant injury risk. "RunSmart" was written to address these issues in the running community.
"Running Injuries: Etiology And Recovery- Based Treatment" (co-author Bridget Clark, PT) appears in the third edition and fourth editions of "Clinical Orthopaedic Rehabilitation: A Team Approach" by Charles Giangarra, MD and Robert C. Manske, PT.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.
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