Archive for July, 2009:
Jul 24 2009
Recent Trends in Physical Therapy
The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has made several modifications to existing physical therapy trends under its Vision 2020 strategy. For instance, one of the tenets of Vision 2020 is autonomous practice. The APTA Board has declared that autonomous practice is applicable to all physical therapists cutting across practice setting or business arrangement, creating opportunities for a new physical therapy trend to develop.
Autonomous practice allows physical therapists to work independently, using professional judgment and adhering to the patient’s best interest. This is more of an opportunity than a physical therapy trend. The therapist has to take responsibility for the risks involved with such a profession and use proper physical therapy patient management. Physical therapists are also able to work alongside other health care providers to bring more quality care to their clients.All applicable legal and regulatory requirements in this context need to be followed.
APTA has issued guidelines specific to any physical therapy trend related to ‘telehealth’. “Telehealth” refers to the “use of electronic communication to provide and deliver a host of health-related information and health care services, including, but not limited to, “physical therapy-related information and services over large and small distances”. In this definition, electronic communication includes text messaging, e-mailing, faxing, using such devices as cell phones, fax machines, and the Internet, which can all contribute to the development of a new physical therapy trend.
As a result, services offered by telehealth must meet a series of requirements, as put forth by APTA. It is important that this is taken seriously and not simply considered a physical therapy trend. The patient’s safety is of utmost concern and the experience should leave the client feeling as though he or she had visited a physical therapist had been there to advise her in person.
It is now the responsibility of the physical therapist to keep client records to prove their involvement in physical therapy. Failure to do so could result in a disastrous physical therapy trend. The information needs to be kept in a way that is clear and concise. If fraudulent practices were to surface, a well-maintained practice would be safe from any type of physical therapy trend that may develop.
The changes and goals of APTA will have a strong impact on almost every physical therapy trend. With information now requiring more detail, the latest physical therapy trend may prove to become a smooth and efficient practice. A new physical therapy trend to develop in North America is that of multi-service clinics. These clinics may feature a combination of physical therapists, chiropractors, and even dentists.
The point of this type of physical therapy trend is to bring as many different services to the patient as possible. Clients appreciate having to take less time out of their busy schedules. Every practice should reap the rewards of this growing physical therapy trend and establish their office among peers when possible. Often, another health care professional’s client will stop by your office on their way to anther appointment, helping the trend to blossom and flourish.
By: Nitin Chhoda
About the Author:
Autonomous practice allows physical therapists to work independently, using professional judgment and adhering to the patient’s best interest. This is more of an opportunity than a physical therapy trend. The therapist has to take responsibility for the risks involved with such a profession and use proper physical therapy patient management. Physical therapists are also able to work alongside other health care providers to bring more quality care to their clients.All applicable legal and regulatory requirements in this context need to be followed.
APTA has issued guidelines specific to any physical therapy trend related to ‘telehealth’. “Telehealth” refers to the “use of electronic communication to provide and deliver a host of health-related information and health care services, including, but not limited to, “physical therapy-related information and services over large and small distances”. In this definition, electronic communication includes text messaging, e-mailing, faxing, using such devices as cell phones, fax machines, and the Internet, which can all contribute to the development of a new physical therapy trend.
As a result, services offered by telehealth must meet a series of requirements, as put forth by APTA. It is important that this is taken seriously and not simply considered a physical therapy trend. The patient’s safety is of utmost concern and the experience should leave the client feeling as though he or she had visited a physical therapist had been there to advise her in person.
It is now the responsibility of the physical therapist to keep client records to prove their involvement in physical therapy. Failure to do so could result in a disastrous physical therapy trend. The information needs to be kept in a way that is clear and concise. If fraudulent practices were to surface, a well-maintained practice would be safe from any type of physical therapy trend that may develop.
The changes and goals of APTA will have a strong impact on almost every physical therapy trend. With information now requiring more detail, the latest physical therapy trend may prove to become a smooth and efficient practice. A new physical therapy trend to develop in North America is that of multi-service clinics. These clinics may feature a combination of physical therapists, chiropractors, and even dentists.
The point of this type of physical therapy trend is to bring as many different services to the patient as possible. Clients appreciate having to take less time out of their busy schedules. Every practice should reap the rewards of this growing physical therapy trend and establish their office among peers when possible. Often, another health care professional’s client will stop by your office on their way to anther appointment, helping the trend to blossom and flourish.
By: Nitin Chhoda
About the Author:
Nitin Chhoda has a blog on personal trainer marketing . His physical therapy newsletter is available with a money-back guarantee.
Jul 18 2009
Grow Your Physical Therapy Business With Focus and Clarity
In collaboration with PABC, I recently interviewed clinic owners to determine their biggest challenges in growing their private practice. During these interviews, I learned that the four key challenges are: recruiting physical therapytherapists, time to dedicate to business growth, lack of business, and marketing skills. In this article, I’ll help you tackle one of these challenges.
Finding enough time to grow your private practice while balancing patient care is one of your key business challenges.
In order to grow your practice, you have to create space to focus on it and have clarity about what you need to do. Otherwise you will get pulled in multiple directions and never accomplish the important things you need to do.
To help you be more effective, I offer you my three strategies for focus, clarity, and successful grow your practice.
Block out weekly “work on business” times.
When you find that months go by before you have a chance to work on marketing or planning, you clearly need to block dedicated time to focus on growing your business. Consider dedicating at least a half day a week for this. It would be ideal if it were the same day and time each week, but if this isn’t possible, then block this “work on business” time in advance of each week, say the Friday before, so your focus on growing your business isn’t lost.
This strategy is like making an appointment with yourself. Think of this appointment as if it is a meeting with a patient. You wouldn’t miss it would you? If you need to reschedule an appointment with yourself, you must reschedule the date sometime in the same week. The problems start when you let yourself off the hook and just don’t do it.
Determine the most important one or two things you can do to grow your business each week.
This is best referred to as having clarity, clarity about the most important things you can do to grow your practice. You likely already know one thing you ought to do that would make a real difference. Write this down. Now add to this list other things you have thought of doing, or heard you ought to do, and get started. Use the special “work on business” time block you established for working on this list.
3. Have regularly scheduled client days.
As a private practice owner, having your calendar booked fully every week with your patients won’t help your business grow. Having regularly scheduled patient days will allow you to focus your time on those days with your patients and not feel distracted by other priorities.
Put at least two of these time-tested techniques into action this week and watch yourself accomplish some amazing results!
Prosperous Physical Therapy
Copyright @2008 by Erika Trimble All Rights Reserved
By: Erika Trimble
About the Author:
Finding enough time to grow your private practice while balancing patient care is one of your key business challenges.
In order to grow your practice, you have to create space to focus on it and have clarity about what you need to do. Otherwise you will get pulled in multiple directions and never accomplish the important things you need to do.
To help you be more effective, I offer you my three strategies for focus, clarity, and successful grow your practice.
Block out weekly “work on business” times.
When you find that months go by before you have a chance to work on marketing or planning, you clearly need to block dedicated time to focus on growing your business. Consider dedicating at least a half day a week for this. It would be ideal if it were the same day and time each week, but if this isn’t possible, then block this “work on business” time in advance of each week, say the Friday before, so your focus on growing your business isn’t lost.
This strategy is like making an appointment with yourself. Think of this appointment as if it is a meeting with a patient. You wouldn’t miss it would you? If you need to reschedule an appointment with yourself, you must reschedule the date sometime in the same week. The problems start when you let yourself off the hook and just don’t do it.
Determine the most important one or two things you can do to grow your business each week.
This is best referred to as having clarity, clarity about the most important things you can do to grow your practice. You likely already know one thing you ought to do that would make a real difference. Write this down. Now add to this list other things you have thought of doing, or heard you ought to do, and get started. Use the special “work on business” time block you established for working on this list.
3. Have regularly scheduled client days.
As a private practice owner, having your calendar booked fully every week with your patients won’t help your business grow. Having regularly scheduled patient days will allow you to focus your time on those days with your patients and not feel distracted by other priorities.
Put at least two of these time-tested techniques into action this week and watch yourself accomplish some amazing results!
Prosperous Physical Therapy
Copyright @2008 by Erika Trimble All Rights Reserved
By: Erika Trimble
About the Author:
Erika Trimble offers programs, tools and resources to help develop your business skills, and help you succeed in the physical therapy business. You too can become one of the highly successful clinic owners she writes about. You too can create a high performing clinic built with the freedom to have the lifestyle you want. www.prosperousphysicaltherapy.com
