Well, maybe it is on the OTlist. Dang it!! <smile>
----- Original Message ----- From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, March 12, 2007 To: Terrianne Jones <[email protected]> Subj: [OTlist] on the "uselessness of OT " and other things RC> Hello Terrianne: RC> My reply is NOT on the OTlist. RC> I thourghly enjoyed your below message. I would like to add it to the RC> OTnews wide site. This is a portion of OTnow where I've written a few RC> commentaries. RC> Are you acceptable to me doing some minor edits to your message and RC> then posting on the OTnews site????? RC> Thanks, RC> Ron Carson RC> ----- Original Message ----- RC> From: Terrianne Jones <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> RC> Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 RC> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> RC> Subj: [OTlist] on the "uselessness of OT " and other things TJ>> "My other curiosity is why, if people are having such TJ>> negative OT experiences in rehab, they bother to come for TJ>> more OT once discharged?" TJ>> Jeanne, you pose an interesting question, and one that is TJ>> pretty easily answered. For the population covered by Medicare A TJ>> , which is the main payer for physical rehabilitation for the TJ>> largest portion of the population receiving OT services, it is TJ>> ignorance plain and simple. Most of these clients have no idea TJ>> what the MD's order; many a time I go to do a home care OT eval TJ>> and my clients will balk that they didn't know the doctor ordered TJ>> home care let alone OT. So in a sense they are somehat a captive TJ>> audience. And since under the part A benefit they cannot be TJ>> balanced billed, the see no direct out of pocket cost associated TJ>> with OT. So, although they may hate or love their OT, until our TJ>> clients have more connection to the investment versus outcome TJ>> assoicated with OT, we will continue to offer in some TJ>> circumstances a mediocre product with not much accountability, TJ>> because the market will bear it. I am surprised quiet frankly TJ>> that Medicare hasn't demanded more from the TJ>> profession. TJ>> When I teach OT students, my mantra is always "would YOU pay TJ>> out of pocket for your service? Would others see the value in what TJ>> you are doing with their loved one? Would there be enough face TJ>> validity to your interventions that you could feel good about what TJ>> you are doing and what you charge for the skilled service? " If TJ>> you can't answer yes to these questions, then in all likelihood TJ>> you are not offering a skilled intervention and will burn out in TJ>> this field" TJ>> After 15 years in this profession, I have really come to the TJ>> conclusion that many OT's in adult and geriatric rehab are not TJ>> that invested in truly operating as professionals. They want the TJ>> paycheck and some sort of prestige, but they don't hold up their TJ>> end of the equation by continuing their educations, using the best TJ>> evidence and offering their clients a truly unique and skilled TJ>> service. And they can get away with it because the TJ>> patients/clients don't know any better and don't have to yet. TJ>> If there were even a $5co -pay under part A for every therapy TJ>> visit/session, this situation would change in a heartbeat, because TJ>> the clients would demand better from us, and we would have to TJ>> deliver to remain viable as a profession. TJ>> The real question is: do we continue to "feast" on a sinking TJ>> ship or do we abandon sloppy practice and hold ourselves TJ>> accountable before we are forced to do so? In my mind that is what TJ>> makes a real professional. TJ>> Terrianne TJ>> JM <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: < TJ>> they were supposed to do, they would make a big difference in patient's lives".>>>> TJ>> I would also be interested in knowing what the sister believes O T's are TJ>> supposed to be doing.... a lot of people don't even know what OT is. My TJ>> other curiosity is why, if people are having such negative OT TJ>> experiences in rehab, they bother to come for more OT once discharged? TJ>> I would be very uncomfortable working in a SNF where I was not allowed TJ>> to address mobility in regards to ADLs....I have been fortunate to never TJ>> have been pigeon-holed in that manner. Currently in my inpatient acute TJ>> setting, I am constantly working on educating other staff that I am not TJ>> a "PT" because I happen to get people out of bed-----Unfortunetly, I TJ>> follow several OT's that never got people out of bed--fairly useless in TJ>> my opinion TJ>> On another topic, I am arranging activities at my facility for OT TJ>> month--I had to cringe when the COTA was wanting to bring the cones and TJ>> the arc to the demonstration table as OT modalities. I don't use these TJ>> things as a general rule except with very low level neuro for TJ>> tracking/color recognition and some basic grasp etc. I gently declined TJ>> in favor of providing information on how not to pack a backpack and fall TJ>> prevention in the community.....Just having items on a table doesn't TJ>> show purpose even when there is one... TJ>> anyway, always intersting to open my OTLIST digests :> TJ>> Jeanne Marie TJ>> -- TJ>> Options? TJ>> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com TJ>> Archive? TJ>> www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] TJ>> ************************************************************************************** TJ>> Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of TJ>> Science for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel TJ>> your career. TJ>> www.otdegree.com/otn TJ>> ************************************************************************************** TJ>> --------------------------------- TJ>> Be a PS3 game guru. TJ>> Get your game face on with the latest PS3 news and previews at Yahoo! Games. -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] ************************************************************************************** Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. www.otdegree.com/otn **************************************************************************************
