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The Pros and Cons of Treating Another PT's Patients

9/29/2014

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When setting up a patient's schedule after doing an evaluation, there is typically a preference from both the therapist and patients for continuity. But in a modern physical therapy clinic, it is difficult and rare to meet this demand. Many patients either want to come in before or after work, leading to a backlog of patient requests for those time slots. With working in a clinic with multiple therapists, patients often end up having several treatment sessions with other therapists. This can be frustrating for several reasons. When evaluating a patient, we set up a plan of care on paper and in our minds for how to manage that patient's condition. Maybe we have particular manual therapy techniques or exercises we want performed in particular sessions. It's possible, and likely, that other therapists may not know what you are looking for with specific exercises or even how to perform certain manual techniques. When treating someone else's patient, we become hesitant to adjust any treatments the patient might receive out of fear of altering the main therapist's plan of care, having the patient lose faith in the main therapist, or at worst possibly regress a patient!

That being said, there are definitely benefits to having multiple therapists treat a patient occasionally. As thorough as we like to think we are with our evaluations, it is not impossible for there to be something that we missed. Whether we just weren't thorough enough with our assessment or we lack the experience and skill to pick up an essential impairment, a second set of eyes can be extremely beneficial. That ties right in to the benefit of various backgrounds for treatment. Perhaps you are aware of a treatment method that would be extremely useful for a patient, but you don't actually know how to do it. With all the continuing education courses available and various schools for physical therapy, it is possible that other clinicians in your setting may have those skills. I am fortunate to work in a clinic with 3 other therapists, all with different backgrounds. I have already been utilizing their unique skill-set in my 2 months of working there.
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So which is better? As in most cases, a little bit of both can be preferable. Personally, I think a consistent relationship between one physical therapist and one patient is the better option and cannot be underestimated. The trust developed between the PT and the patient may alone enhance the patient's experience. It is also far easier to maintain the original plan of care that was set in place. However, when we do notice lack of progress in our patients and run out of answers, it is definitely beneficial having another physical therapist work on and assess the patient. In the end, patient outcomes are what is most important, and we likely will not always have the answer. That second set of eyes may be just what is necessary to reach the remaining goals.

-Chris
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  • Home
  • About Us
  • Insider Access
    • About Insider Access
  • Online Courses
    • Hooper's Knee
    • Physical Therapist Entrepreneur Course
    • Physical Therapist Consultant Course
    • Orthopedic Management of the Cervical Spine
    • Return to Sport Essentials Course
  • Resources
    • Newsletter
    • Business Minded Sports Physio Podcast
    • Day in the Life of a Sports PT
    • Residency Corner
    • Special Tests >
      • Cervical Spine >
        • Alar Ligament Test
        • Bakody's Sign
        • Cervical Distraction Test
        • Cervical Rotation Lateral Flexion Test
        • Craniocervical Flexion Test (CCFT)
        • Deep Neck Flexor Endurance Test
        • Posterior-Anterior Segmental Mobility
        • Segmental Mobility
        • Sharp-Purser Test
        • Spurling's Maneuver
        • Transverse Ligament Test
        • ULNT - Median
        • ULNT - Radial
        • ULNT - Ulnar
        • Vertebral Artery Test
      • Thoracic Spine >
        • Adam's Forward Bend Test
        • Passive Neck Flexion Test
        • Thoracic Compression Test
        • Thoracic Distraction Test
        • Thoracic Foraminal Closure Test
      • Lumbar Spine/Sacroiliac Joint >
        • Active Sit-Up Test
        • Alternate Gillet Test
        • Crossed Straight Leg Raise Test
        • Extensor Endurance Test
        • FABER Test
        • Fortin's Sign
        • Gaenslen Test
        • Gillet Test
        • Gower's Sign
        • Lumbar Quadrant Test
        • POSH Test
        • Posteroanterior Mobility
        • Prone Knee Bend Test
        • Prone Instability Test
        • Resisted Abduction Test
        • Sacral Clearing Test
        • Seated Forward Flexion Test
        • SIJ Compression/Distraction Test
        • Slump Test
        • Sphinx Test
        • Spine Rotators & Multifidus Test
        • Squish Test
        • Standing Forward Flexion Test
        • Straight Leg Raise Test
        • Supine to Long Sit Test
      • Shoulder >
        • Active Compression Test
        • Anterior Apprehension
        • Biceps Load Test II
        • Drop Arm Sign
        • External Rotation Lag Sign
        • Hawkins-Kennedy Impingement Sign
        • Horizontal Adduction Test
        • Internal Rotation Lag Sign
        • Jobe Test
        • Ludington's Test
        • Neer Test
        • Painful Arc Sign
        • Pronated Load Test
        • Resisted Supination External Rotation Test
        • Speed's Test
        • Posterior Apprehension
        • Sulcus Sign
        • Thoracic Outlet Tests >
          • Adson's Test
          • Costoclavicular Brace
          • Hyperabduction Test
          • Roos (EAST)
        • Yergason's Test
      • Elbow >
        • Biceps Squeeze Test
        • Chair Sign
        • Cozen's Test
        • Elbow Extension Test
        • Medial Epicondylalgia Test
        • Mill's Test
        • Moving Valgus Stress Test
        • Push-up Sign
        • Ulnar Nerve Compression Test
        • Valgus Stress Test
        • Varus Stress Test
      • Wrist/Hand >
        • Allen's Test
        • Carpal Compression Test
        • Finkelstein Test
        • Phalen's Test
        • Reverse Phalen's Test
      • Hip >
        • Craig's Test
        • Dial Test
        • FABER Test
        • FAIR Test
        • Fitzgerald's Test
        • Hip Quadrant Test
        • Hop Test
        • Labral Anterior Impingement Test
        • Labral Posterior Impingement Test
        • Long-Axis Femoral Distraction Test
        • Noble Compression Test
        • Percussion Test
        • Sign of the Buttock
        • Trendelenburg Test
      • Knee >
        • Anterior Drawer Test
        • Dial Test (Tibial Rotation Test)
        • Joint Line Tenderness
        • Lachman Test
        • McMurray Test
        • Noble Compression Test
        • Pivot-Shift Test
        • Posterior Drawer Test
        • Posterior Sag Sign
        • Quad Active Test
        • Thessaly Test
        • Valgus Stress Test
        • Varus Stress Test
      • Foot/Ankle >
        • Anterior Drawer
        • Calf Squeeze Test
        • External Rotation Test
        • Fracture Screening Tests
        • Impingement Sign
        • Navicular Drop Test
        • Squeeze Test
        • Talar Tilt
        • Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome Test
        • Test for Interdigital Neuroma
        • Windlass Test