Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/101200
Physical Therapy: A Vital Part of health Care reform T echnoLoGIcaL adVances In medicine continue to decrease mortality in our society, changing the demographics and health care needs of the nation. Additionally, as the delivery of health services continues to be changed and refined, physical therapy can play a vital role in keeping the population healthy and mobile. Q Today���s patients are becoming more and more involved in decisions about their medical care. How do you ensure empowered patients receive the best possible care? and informed decisions about their health care. Many patients choose to come to us for treatment after learning about our outcomes and cost effectiveness on the Web. Q What do you see forthcoming in the profession of physical therapy? Q A: Current research continues to show the cost effectiveness of physical therapy treatment for orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries. Recent studies have shown that early physical therapy intervention decreases overall episode costs, sometimes by half. In the area of low back pain treatment, physical therapy has been shown to reduce the need for MRI and opioid medication. This bodes well for the profession, as the entire medical community and health care consumers are looking for ways to decrease overall health care costs. I believe patients will increasingly choose physical therapy, as they become more educated on the benefits and cost savings. Q Cody Barnett, P.T., is President of Bodyworx Physical Therapy, P.A., in Wichita, KS. He specializes in the treatment of orthopedic and musculoskeletal injuries, with a special emphasis in lower body biomechanics, pediatric and adult sports injuries, and neck and back Cody Barnett, P.T pain. He may be reached at www.BodyworxPhysicalTherapy.net or at (316) 558-8808. ��� A: I want my patients educated and involved as much as possible in their care. I feel my role is to educate them well on their conditions and treatment options. Then it is ultimately their decision how we proceed. We also provide patients with information about current research in regard to musculoskeletal injuries, including best practices and evidence-based care. How is patient empowerment by the Internet changing physical therapist practices, and what does it mean for the future? A: We have tried to utilize the Internet as much as possible to provide evidence-based information to our patients and referral sources. This includes a Medical Library on our website and Facebook page with more than 100 articles and videos related to musculoskeletal injuries, their prevention and treatment. We have a YouTube channel and several podcasts on orthopedic topics available for download. Patients, physicians and other health care providers have the option of receiving our monthly research-based e-newsletter on current topics of interest, such as low back pain, osteoarthritis, knee injuries, etc. I try to steer patients to these resources and trustworthy links, so I know the information they are accessing is reputable. In the future, we hope to have a secure electronic Internet portal, so patients can interface with us in a secure, HIPAAcompliant format. Is digital empowerment a good thing, or does it just raise concerns about ���know-it-all��� patients? A: Does it really matter? We are living in a digital age and we need to be accessible digitally. As health care providers, we need to move forward and embrace technology that helps us get patients better, faster. Our role needs to be one of encouragement to our patients, directing them to trustworthy, evidence-based electronic resources and websites, so they can make knowledgeable mdnews.com ��� md news Greater Kansas | 21