“For the Sake of Our Patients, It Is the Right Thing to Do”

Abstract

I love to hear patients tell me about their experiences with physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who have embraced our Vision 2020 and exemplify our core values. Many of these conversations are or could be about physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who are sitting here in this room. One such experience involves a frail 82-year-old woman with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who was receiving home health physical therapy. The patient had not seen her physician in about 3 weeks. She was receiving home health nursing and physical therapy twice a week. The physical therapist who treated her was very familiar with her condition. Before her treatment, the physical therapist always did a general health screening, including checking her vital signs and listening to her lungs. During one visit, the physical therapist assessed that her condition had deteriorated and that she needed immediate medical attention. The physical therapist called the physician, the nurse, and the rescue squad. She stayed with the patient until she was transported to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. The patient's children are eternally grateful, because their mother probably would have died if it were not for the expertise and comprehensive care provided by her physical therapist. I know many of you are not surprised by this story, as I am sure it is not an uncommon occurrence. Thirty years ago, when I first started practicing physical therapy, however, this probably would not have happened. Physical therapists did not always do routine screenings of a patient's medical condition beyond the basics and mostly avoided anything not specifically written on the doctor's prescription. I recently talked to a man who was experiencing severe pain in his back. Although he had been seen by numerous physicians, he was still in excruciating pain. He …