It’s time to review some of this year’s most talked about topics. While some topics like pain science and cash-based practices have been around for years, others only emerged in the past few months.
These are 11 hot topics in physical therapy:
1. Become exhausted from overwork
Physical therapists are not the only ones who experience burnout. Recent years have seen numerous reports detailing the effects of burnout on a wide range of medical professionals. Physical therapists are a good example of this. Many practitioners have shared their personal stories of burnout over recent years. Heidi Jannenga, Becker’s Hospital Review’s own therapist, has already written about the subject a few month ago. The APTA is also listening. In June, the House of Delegates discussed the issue of burnout. It is important to recognize the signs of burnout and take steps to treat it instead of ignoring it.
2. Cash-Based Personal Training
Many therapists have begun to adopt a cash-based billing model as reimbursement rates continue their decline. Cash pay is a growing trend within the PT profession. Many physical therapists are now operating their own practices. Some specialize in dancing and cycling, while others work exclusively with cash-based patients.
3. Compliance, billing, and reimbursement
The news is filled with stories about insurance fraud and compliance in physical therapy. While some PT clinics are in serious legal trouble for billing fraud, others spend their time and resources to ensure they follow the law. Let’s talk about the recent changes that have occurred in the book.
The End of the FLR
Ding, dong, the witch has passed away! While that sounds extreme, many physical therapy professionals are celebrating the death of functional limitation report (FLR). FLR was a complex and inefficient program that required PTs and Medicare patients to report on their primary functional limitation as well as their related therapy goals. This information was submitted by PTs using Gcodes. Therapy modifiers were added to the severity modifiers. Reports were required at certain times and encounter types, such as evaluations or reevaluations. If they didn’t, reimbursement would be denied. Fortunately, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), realizing that the extra burden was not affecting care, decided to end FLR at 2018’s close.
– MIPS’s Dawn
Rehab therapists weren’t officially included in the Merit Based Incentive Payment Scheme (MIPS) until 2019. However, there have been enough conversations about it in 2018 that it made it onto our list. MIPS measures the quality, effectiveness, interoperability and cost of therapist’s interventions. MIPS requires that all eligible providers submit the relevant data to CMS each year. MIPS scores range between 0-100. This score will determine whether a provider receives a payment adjustment. (A provider’s 2019 Score will affect their 2021 adjustment. Our webinar on MIPS for PTs and the final rule provides more information.
4. ChoosePT Movement
ChoosePT is a grassroots campaign that aims to educate the general public about the many advantages of first seeing a PT to treat musculoskeletal issues. The site is not an advertising platform. It does not endorse any companies or products. The goal is to encourage physical therapy professionals to share (HIPAA compliant!) their experiences. To inspire the public, we offer inspiring content, success stories, as well as other inspirational content. GetPT1st operates as both an organization and a real community. A “find a physical therapist” section allows users to search for therapists and then upload their data into a database.
5. Non-clinical and alternative careers
It is no surprise that burnout is a big problem in the PT community, partially due to low salaries and high debt loads. Physical therapists are now looking for more than just patient care for job satisfaction. Many PTs find that they can use their education and skills as compliance specialists, clinician or rehab liaisons and healthcare recruiters.
The stigma of leaving patient care behind is slowly being removed with The Non-Clinical PT providing educational content and courses about non-clinical career options. A Facebook group is dedicated to the creation of a non-clinical Special Interest Group (SIG) within the APTA.
6. Pain science is the study of how pain is experienced and managed in the body. It focuses on understanding the mechanisms of pain, and how to best treat and prevent it.
Manual therapy has been the pillar of PT for many years. Manual therapy was taught as a way to heal almost anything. While this practice can produce great results, patients often rely on it for their pain relief. PTs now understand the complicated relationship between pain and movement, and are learning to be educators. Pain science will continue to be a hot topic with more PTs talking about pain science and physical therapists playing prominent roles at events like The San Diego Pain Summit every year.
7. Pelvic Health
Although women’s health is a well-known topic in PT, recent attention has focused on the wider “pelvic” specialty. People are openly discussing the difficulties that men and woman face with pelvic dysfunction. This has led therapists to offer more courses on pelvic health that cover the entire range of issues women, men, and children face.
8. PT Day of Service
PTs serve other people all day long at work. But PT Day of Service adds a new twist to this concept. Every year, physical therapists from all walks of the profession are invited to volunteer their time to benefit their patients or communities. Some therapists volunteer to give pro bono treatment, while others help with activities such as cleaning up parks. PT Day of Service is a great way for people to connect outside of their workplaces. It is also a great way to foster community.
9. Telehealth
Telehealth has been used extensively by medical professionals for many years. Physical therapists, however, are just now starting to adopt it. Telehealth technically encompasses HIPAA compatible HEP tools as well as text-messaging, but physical therapists are now able provide remote care both in store-and forward and live forms. Reflexion Health and other companies offer a full range of teletherapy, inpatient or outpatient. This has resulted in lower rehab costs and award recognition. We are hopeful that Medicare will eventually reimburse PT teletherapy. There are many options for PTs looking to establish cash-based, full-time practices. With the ever-growing PT Compact and easy access to treatment across states (as long your license allows it), it’s even easier than ever! ).
10. Taking trips as a form of treatment
Although not a new topic in physical therapy, it continues to be a hot topic. More and more physical therapy professionals are choosing to travel as a high-paying career path, despite the rising cost of DPTs and sagging salaries. Traveling therapists can make a lot of money, gain experience in different settings, improve their professional networks, and develop skills that will help them get non-traditional jobs.
11. VitalsAreVital Movement
What number of PTs do your patients know that check their blood pressure before, during, and after each therapy session? You’re probably not one of them. The answer is probably “very few.” These important movements have been gaining momentum online through successful stories. The result is that more clinicians are including basic vitals screens to their practice.
These are some of the most popular topics in physical therapy I have seen over the past year. What do YOU think? Was there anything I missed?
