Ron, Another option with that type of referral would be to ask the referring party what kinds of activities or tasks is that patient doing that she wants to do, is expected to do, or needs to do because of such UE tightness. Perhaps that would promote a team approach between OT and PT. PT could focus on the musculoskeletal problem and OT could focus on...occupational performance. That type of response might facilitate discussion. Just an idea. Rachelle
> ---------- > From: Ron Carson > Reply To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, October 2, 2002 9:14 AM > To: Dana Levinson > Subject: Re[2]: Dichotomy of teaching OT > > Hello Dana: > > I don't necessarily disagree with all you say but I do NOT think that as a > professional organization, we market ourselves as being UE experts. AOTA's > web site, state practice acts, etc talk about meaningful activity, function, > ADL's, etc, they don't talk about neurological and musculoskeletal > impairments as the primary focus of our concern. And yet, on the practice > front, we practice as if we are UE experts in physical medicine. > > I am not a social occupational therapist, I am an occupational therapist. I > try to do what it is the professional organization says we do. I don't > exclude biophysical from my practice area, but it's not the reason for my > treatment. I think we can spend many e-mail discussing what it is we do, but > let me ask you a question; "When you receive a client referral, how do you > know if that client is appropriate for OT treatment?" > > With regard to focusing on both ends of the continuum, I don't think > that's a viable option. I believe that as a profession, we must > identify which end from which we want to operate. As far as I can tell, > we will NEVER be seen as orthopedic experts because that market is > already full. However, the market for expertise in occupation is wide > open and all we need do is step through the door. > > Yesterday, I received a hospice referral for a woman with bilateral > upper extremity tightness. The therapy director told me that she > thought of me first but that either an OT or PT could go. I told the > director that if the primary complaint is upper extremity tightness > then she should send a PT. Now, some OT's think I'm crazy, but I think > it's the right choice. I don't want to receive referrals because of UE > problems, I want referrals because of occupational problems. > > Ron > > ============================================ > > On 10/1/2002, [EMAIL PROTECTED] said: > > > DL> Ron, > > DL> You're what I call a "Social Occupational Therapist," the OT version of > DL> a Social Psychologist. The other type of psychologist is the > DL> BioPsychologist. In my opinion, there is a tremendous lack of "Bio > DL> Occupational Therapists." In essense, the difference is studying the > DL> field at a Macro vs. Micro Level. This has been a deep debate in the > DL> Philosophy of Science. Which is better? Which is necessary? The answer > DL> is both. > > DL> Imagine what psychology would be if purists took over. The entire field > DL> would be doing psychoanalysis. What made Psychology such a booming field > DL> is that they expanded their scope of research and practice... So much so > DL> that there is an entire medical specialty (Psychiatry, obviously) based > DL> on Biopsychology. > > DL> Here's what it comes down to... You want to focus on Occupation > DL> (Macrolevel)... But occupation is accomplished through micro-level > DL> processes (e.g., UE strength). IMHO, if OT wants to grow, it will need > DL> to be thoroughly knowledgeable at both micro and macro levels. What will > DL> distinguish us from PT is that we can (and will hopefully) focus our > DL> efforts at both levels while PT focuses on only the micro level.> > > DL> Just my opinion. > > DL> Dana > > > > DL> On Tue, 1 Oct 2002 11:03:52 -0400, Ron Carson wrote: > >>Today, in my human occupation class, I spent a solid hour > >>discussing > >>occupational performance as it relates to role competence. The > >>theory, > >>as written in Christiansen and Baum's, "Enabling Function > >>and > >>Well-being", is that humans engage in occupation in order to > >>be > >>competent at their roles. And that role competence is a > >>fundamental > >>drive of healthy humans. The point of the lecture is to help > >>students > >>begin to gather some understanding of the necessity, complexity > >>and > >>depth of enabling occupation in their future clients. > >> > >>At the completion of class, a student held up a poster that > >>was > >>requesting volunteers or announcing a presentation or something. > >>The > >>research and poster were about UE Muscle Strength. I asked the > >>students > >>if they were confused by this dichotomy that we had just had a > >>class > >>about human occupation and why OT should not be practiced > >>like > >>upper-extremity PT and then to be doing research on UE function. > >> > >>One student responded that it was confusing and the other > >>student > >>seemed confused. And frankly, I'm confused!! It seems like some > >>OT's > >>see UE function as our trademark practice pattern while other OT's > >>see > >>occupation as our trademark. I am confused by this situation, > >>can > >>anyone help?????? > >> > >>Thanks, > >> > >>Ron > >> > >>*********��*********** > >> > >>Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> > >>In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist > >> > >>** List messages are archived at: > >> > >>http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > >> > >>*********��*********** > >> > >> > > > > > DL> Dana Levinson > DL> Rehab Science, Inc. > DL> http://www.rehabscience.com/ > DL> [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > DL> *********��*********** > > DL> Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > DL> In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist > > DL> ** List messages are archived at: > > DL> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > DL> *********��*********** > > *********��*********** > > Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist > > ** List messages are archived at: > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > *********��*********** > > > *********��*********** Unsubscribe? Send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the message's *body*, put the following text: unsubscribe OTlist ** List messages are archived at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] *********��***********
