Physiospot - Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy in the Spotlight

FREE Online Professional Ethics Course – 16th July-31st August 2013

Rachael Lowe — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:16:02 +0000

This course is part of the PHT402 (Professional Ethics in Physiotherapy) module at the University of Western Cape, It is a 10 credit, yearlong module offered as part of the 3rd and 4th year undergraduate programme. This year it is running online in Physiopedia and anyone is welcome to join the course. Over a 6 week period you will commit to at least 3 hours work per week where you will complete the learning activities as directed, contribute to an online learning portfolio and engage in the module conversation online. At the end of the course you will assessed on a submitted assignment based on your learning portfolio and on your contribution to the module conversation. On successful completion of the course you will be awarded a completion certificate and the Course Badge.

Tutor: Michael Rowe

Date: 16th July – 31st August 2013

Duration: 6 weeks (3 hours per week)

Cost: FREE

Venue: Online

Location: Open to anyone anywhere

Contact Name: Rachael Lowe

Contact Email: rachael@physio-pedia.com

Web Link to Course: http://www.physio-pedia.com/Professional_Ethics_Course

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Prescribing Rights in Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy

Rachael Lowe — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:37:06 +0000

Recent developments in the extended scope of the physiotherapist and physical therapist are moving towards prescribing rights for our profession. Following a lengthy campaigning by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) in July 2012 in a ground-breaking change to their role Physiotherapists in the UK were given new responsibilities to independently prescribe medicines to their patients. The Australian Physiotherapy Association is now working to develop a similar model prescribing pathway. In preparation for this evolved role in Australia an article has been published that summarises the current evidence base for Australian physiotherapists seeking to obtain prescribing rights. Many lessons can be learnt from the literature, including the importance of planned, uniform National action (rather than piecemeal state-by-state initiatives). Essential elements include appropriate training and skills-based recognition within the discipline and the broader health team, and the need to overtly demonstrate effectiveness and safety. Regularly-evaluated service-delivery models which support non-medical prescribing by physiotherapists are further required, to demonstrate efficiency, timeliness, patient centredness and equity.

Of interest in relation to the professions extended scope into prescribing four studies were published last month. Is it time to become more involved in pharmacology?

Read more about prescribing in the UK on Physiopedia

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Physiotherapy Podcasts

Rachael Lowe — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:28:13 +0000

Podcasts are audio files that are published on the internet on a regular basis so that users can subscribe to them. They are digital files that can be downloaded and listened to using portable devices or on your desktop. Free software makes it easy to subscribe to podcasts using RSS feeds for playback on portable media players and personal computers. It is the subscription feature that makes a podcast so powerful as a form of social media. People have long been able to upload audio content to the web, but the subscription feature means that people can build regular audiences and communities around their shows. It effectively puts private individuals or brands on a level playing field with traditional media organisations when it comes to competing for people’s attention with audiovisual content online. Podcasts are part of a shift in media consumption patterns, which increasingly sees people watching or listening to content when and where it suits them.

Did you know about Physical Therapy Journal’s regular podcasts? At PTJ Podcast Central you can listen to audio versions of abstracts the have been recently published in their journal. The Bottom Line features clinical summaries that translate study findings for application to practice. In an article published in the March 2013 issue of PTJ, Ankle Joint Mobilization Affects Postoperative Pain Through Peripheral and Central Adenosine A1 Receptors, Daniel Martins and colleagues found that ankle joint mobilization decreased postoperative mechanical hyperalgesia in mice and that this effect was prevented by treatment of the mice with caffeine. In this podcast, 3 of the authors of the study–Daniel Martins, Leidiane Mazzardo-Martins, and Adair Santos–join moderator Kathleen Sluka and Joel Bialosky to discuss the study findings as well as the benefits and pitfalls of using animal models of pain. The group also discusses how the outcomes of studies of animal models can be translated into human studies.

Find out more about Podcasting on Physiopedia

Explore these Physiotherapy and Physical Therapy podcasts

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CBA and Physical Therapy Management in Pain – 21/22 June – Huddersfield, UK

Rachael Lowe — Fri, 17 May 2013 07:18:38 +0000

PPA and PTE are pleased to present The Cognitive Behavioural Approach to Physical Tehrapy in the Management of Pain 21-22 Juneat University of Huddersfield

The course objectives are that the delegate should develop an understanding of:

the application of the Biopsychosocial Model to pain.
the Cognitive Behavioural Model as it relates to pain.
risk factors for poor outcome in musculoskeletal pain.
the use of the Cognitive-Behavioural approach to physical therapy.
the assessment of the patient suffering pain and what should be included.
the use of communication skills in the therapeutic interaction.
the development of the treatment programme and how this is undertaken.
the limits of physical therapy scope of practice in the management of distress.

Tutor: Pete Gladwell and Emma Knaggs

Date: 21-22 June 2013

Duration: 2 Days

Cost: £180 for PPA members and £200 for non members

Venue: University of Huddersfield

Location: North Yorkshire, UK

Contact Name: Sarah Wilson

Contact Email: sarah.wilson@rnhrd.nhs.uk

Web Link to Course: http://ppa.csp.org.uk/network-events/ppa-pte-cognitive-behavioural-approach-physical-therapy-management-pain-universi?utm_medium=email

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How to Design a Winning Physiotherapy Business Model for the Canadian Market

Brooke McVeigh — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:04:27 +0000

A business model is the story that explains how an enterprise works and defines how a practice delivers value to its customers at an appropriate cost. Two key components of a business model are the operating environment and the strategic choices that owners make. Strategic choices such as the level of participation in insurance networks, purchase of utilitarian vs. spa-like facilities or utilization of extenders such as assistants and aides generate very different business models even within similar operating environments. Successful business models are aligned with the practice’s goals, can withstand environmental threats and are self-reinforcing. The most successful business models generate ‘virtuous cycles’ that reinforce the business model. Strategic planning is a key process in proactively creating a business model that is better suited to responding to external forces and creating sustained competitive advantage.

Join us Tuesday, May 14 from 7pm – 8:30 EST for this webinar with expert faculty David Browder, PT, DPT, OCS.

Cost: $100 USD

Click here to register. Open to Canadian physiotherapists.

Webinar Summary: “How to Design a Winning Private Practice Physiotherapy Business Model”

www.EvidenceInMotion.com

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Population approaches to improve diet, physical activity, and smoking habits: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association

Rachael Lowe — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:36:23 +0000

Poor lifestyle behaviors are leading causes of preventable diseases globally. We have previously written about Physiotherapists Must Address the Global Burden of Musculoskeletal and Other Non-Communicable Disease and highlighted recent writings in the Lancet with More on Non-Communicable Diseases. EDUCATA have recently made available a free research paper, Population approaches to improve diet, physical activity, and smoking habits: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association, that identified and graded the evidence for a range of population-based strategies to promote lifestyle change. This scientific statement from the American Heart Association systematically reviewed the current evidence for effective population approaches to improve eating habits, increase physical activity and reduce smoking. A range of population-based strategies promoting changes to lifestyle were identified and graded. The findings provide a framework for policy makers and other stakeholders to implement effective interventions. Do you work with patients who could improve their lifestyle behaviours? Then you can download this free paper now!

You might also be interested in the EDUCATA course on assessment of exercise tolerance taught by Dr. Ellen Hillegass. Dr. Hillegass is an educator and clinician in cardiovascular and pulmonary care. She is a board certified cardiovascular and pulmonary clinical specialist, a Fellow of the American Association of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation (AACVPR), and she was named a Catherine Worthingham Fellow by the APTA in 2012.

Read the study

Join the Assessment of Exercise Tolerance course

Read more about Non-Communicable Diseases in Physiopedia

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Collect Professional Development Badges at Physiopedia

Rachael Lowe — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:09:44 +0000

Physiopedia’s new Badges project is offering the opportunity to collect badges that evidence your involvement, learning and development with Physiopedia.

Never has it been more important for physiotherapy and physical therapy practitioners to be able to demonstrate their continuing education and and professional development. The internet has presented many new opportunities for learning and development outside of our local regions. We are now able to take online courses, read for credit, volunteer, get involved in professional issues, communicate and network without leaving the ‘office’. Physiopedia is a project that offers all of these opportunities and also invites people to get involved as a volunteer.

But how can we prove our contributions and evidence our online learning at Physiopedia? This Badges project offers a new and innovative approach to recognising achievement and personal development for physiotherapists and physical therapists. Badges are awarded for personal accomplishments in meeting each badges’ specific requirements. By earning badges you can prove your skills to employers and display them on your CV, portfolio or website.

Check out all the badges you could earn at Physiopedia!

At this stage you can gain badges for volunteering, contributing, sponsoring and learning, and we are creating new badges all the time. But what do you do with your badge? Badges awarded by Physiopedia make you stand out from the crowd so why not tell everyone about it! There are several ways that you can use your badges:

Add to your Physiopedia profile
Display on your own website or blog
Share on your social media network
Reference in your CV or portfolio

We are currently awarding badges so if you think that you have already achieved the requirements to be awarded a badge please do let us know. We’re very excited to announce this new opportunity to use Physiopedia for your learning and development. Badges is just the start, we’re working hard behind the scenes to bring you more innovative continuing education and professional development opportunities, stay tuned…!

Staying Competitive in the Therapy Industry

Heidi Jannenga — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:39:31 +0000

No matter what industry you’re in, the success of your business is largely dependent on how well you stack up against your competitors. But instead of wasting valuable time and resources coming up with ways to one-up the competition, why not take a more positive approach to attracting the attention of potential clients? If our ultimate goal is to elevate the rehab therapy profession as a whole, then we are better off touting the positive attributes of our own clinics rather than attacking our fellow professionals. Here are six tips for setting yourself apart from the masses:

1. Figure out what makes you different. Anybody can come out and say they’re number-one—so instead of making vague, clichéd claims about how great you are, try to develop a substantive story about what, specifically, separates you from everyone else. What inspired you to enter the rehab therapy business? How does your approach differ from those of other professionals in the industry? How do your patients benefit from that approach?

2. Identify your goals. You’re probably familiar with the SMART method of goal-setting: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. Rehab therapists often use this method to track patient progress from one visit to the next, but it also applies to your clinic’s marketing objectives. Establish goals that are specific to you—things you not only can achieve, but want to achieve. Resist the urge to compare yourself to your competitors; focus on what you want to attain, and it will make marketing much more fun and rewarding.

3. Be a trendsetter. You want to be the original, not the imitator. Take patient feedback seriously. It might spark an idea that leads to innovation, and as an innovator, you set the standard.

4. Enlist brand evangelists. If you’re good at what you do, you’re going to have loyal customers who sing your praises every chance they get. With the advent of social media, these raving fans are more important than ever. Encourage patients, friends, and colleagues to share their high opinion of you with others—both in person and online.

Online comments and reviews reach a much larger audience than traditional word-of-mouth, and you can augment the impact of your online presence even more by staying engaged with your audience. So, join the conversation. Connect with people in your community. Keep yourself, and your practice, in the minds of current and potential clients—and watch your business grow.

5. Be a team player. Remember, we’re all in this together. Respect your fellow rehab professionals and realize that attacking each other will only weaken the entire rehab therapy community. As PR professional Tom Woolf reminds us in his article on trash talking competitors: “When you sling mud, some of that mud will land on you.”

6. Honesty is the best policy. It might sound cliché, but it’s true: the truth really does set you free. Everyone makes mistakes. If you mess up, take responsibility for your actions, offer a sincere apology, correct the situation, and move on. Whether you’ve tweeted something that didn’t go over so well, received a bad review online, or elicited a wave of backlash from an ad campaign gone awry, do your best to respond quickly, succinctly, and above all, honestly. Your ability to maintain your composure in a time of crisis will end up giving you even more credibility with your loyal customer base.

So remember, competition is inevitable in any industry, and rehab therapy is no exception. A little pressure from your competitors isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if you really want to achieve greatness, you’ve got to set your own path.

About the Author

Heidi Jannenga, PT, MPT, ATC/L

Heidi was a scholarship athlete at the University of California, Davis. Following a knee injury and subsequent successful rehabilitation, Heidi developed a passion for physical therapy. She started her 16-year physical therapy career after graduating with her Masters from the Institute of Physical Therapy in St. Augustine, Florida.

In 2008, Heidi and her husband Brad launched WebPT, the leading web-based Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and comprehensive practice management service for physical therapists. As the company’s COO, Heidi is responsible for product development/management, billing services, and customer support. She now resides in Phoenix with Brad and their daughter Ava.

Effect of Therapeutic Exercise on Pain and Disability in the Management of Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Trials

Rachael Lowe — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:13:06 +0000

Given the prevalence of chronic non-specific neck pain (CNSNP) internationally, attention has increasingly been paid in recent years to evaluate the efficacy of therapeutic exercise (TE) with this condition. The purpose of this study was to conduct a current review of RCTs concerning the effect of TE on pain and disability among people with CNSNP, perform a meta-analysis, and summarise current understanding. Seven studies met inclusion criteria. TE proved to have medium significant short and intermediate term effects on pain (g=-0,53, 95% CI -0,86 to -0,20, and g=-0,45, 95% CI -0,82 to -0,07 respectively) and medium but not significant short and intermediate term effects on disability (g=-0,39, 95%CI -0,86 to 0,07, and g=-0,46, 95% CI -1,00 to -0,08). Only one study investigated the effect of TE on pain and disability at follow-up longer than 6 months after intervention.

Consistent with other reviews, the results support the use of therapeutic exercise in the management of chronic non-specific neck pain. In particular, a significant overall effect size was found supporting therapeutic exercise for its effect on pain in both the short and intermediate terms.

Read the Study

Take a look at the Manual Therapy and Exercise for Neck Pain: Clinical Treatment Tool-kit clinical decision making tool in Physiopedia.

Find out about the treatment-based classification of neck pain in Physiopedia

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Missing in Action: Evidence

Rachael Lowe — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:48:26 +0000

There is a systematic flaw in evidence based practice – there is a bias in research towards positive results which is misleading. Physiotherapists should be aware of this systematic flaw in evidence based practice which has been highlighted in a systematic review of studies concerning publication bias. This review found that: publication bias effects every field of medicine, half of all trials go missing in action and positive findings are twice as likely to be published.

At TEDMED 2012, Ben Goldacre highlighted this startling reality, that doctors are not able to read all the studies conducted on a pharmaceutical before prescribing it to their patients. This is because of a bias in medical research toward positive results – while one study confirming a drug’s effectiveness may be published, the results of other studies may simply be unavailable. Goldacre warns that about half of all drug trial result are buried – and this is across all medical fields – and thus doctors are left hugely uninformed even as they reach for their prescription pads.

When a new drug gets tested, the results of the trials should be published for the rest of the medical world — except much of the time, negative or inconclusive findings go unreported, leaving doctors and researchers in the dark. In this impassioned talk, Ben Goldacre explains why these unreported instances of negative data are especially misleading and dangerous.

This week’s TED Weekends on the Huffington Post explores Ben Goldacre’s talk on the truth about medical research. Below, find a selection of essays to pique your interest:

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