Interestingly, in the three years I've been in private practice, there have only been a few cases (mostly involving LE bracing) that I wish I had feeback/input from a PT. SLP, I had one patient with a swallowing deficit and referred him to a SLP.
I think I will market my compliment of treatments but also the ability to refer the patient to other services. Ron --- "In the United States, occupational therapy is ideally suited to meet the health needs of people of all ages." [Fred Somers, AJOT, April, 2005] "The part of convalescence that I found most profoundly humiliating and depressing was [OT]... I was reduced to playing with brightly colored plastic letters ... like a three-year-old..." [AJOT, April, 2005, p. 231] ----- Original Message ----- From: Joanne Seng <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 To: OTlist@OTnow.com <OTlist@OTnow.com> Subj: [OTlist] Marketing OT Rehab to MD's???? JS> Actually, this makes sense to me, as most conditions/diagnoses call for a JS> full complement of services (OT, PT, Speech, and so on...). JS> Also, it may be easier (& more convenient) for the MD's to make referrals to JS> one provider with several therapies, than to each "stand alone" therapy JS> provider. JS> Best wishes, JS> Joanne Seng, MS, OTR/L JS> Director of Occupational Therapy JS> J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center JS> 300 Enola Road JS> Morganton, NC 28655 JS> Office Number: 828-438-6505 JS> Fax Number: 828-438-6599 JS> [EMAIL PROTECTED] JS> JS> -----Original Message----- JS> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf JS> Of Ron Carson JS> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 1:46 PM JS> To: Joanne Seng JS> Subject: Re: [OTlist] Marketing OT Rehab to MD's???? JS> Here's a list of things on my brochure that I provide: JS> Power w/c evals JS> Functional mobility training JS> Self-care training JS> Lymphedema management JS> Wound care JS> Cognitive retraining JS> Home safety evals JS> Physical rehab JS> Falls reductions JS> I also have a list of common diagnoses. JS> I just has a phone call with someone who suggested that OT should not JS> stand alone as rehab service. What do you think? JS> Ron JS> ----- Original Message ----- JS> From: Joanne Seng <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> JS> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 JS> To: OTlist@OTnow.com <OTlist@OTnow.com> JS> Subj: [OTlist] Marketing OT Rehab to MD's???? JS>> Ron- how about making a referral form, listing w/checkboxes, the JS>> things you do want to tx? JS>> Joanne JS>> -----Original Message----- JS>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On JS>> Behalf Of Ron Carson JS>> Sent: Friday, August 03, 2007 12:49 PM JS>> To: Ron Carson JS>> Subject: Re: [OTlist] Marketing OT Rehab to MD's???? JS>> I guess the OTlist really is DEAD or dying. To bad! JS>> In years past, this type of message would elicit tons of dialogue. JS>> Why even bother, right! JS>> ----- Original Message ----- JS>> From: Ron Carson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> JS>> Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 JS>> To: OTlist@OTnow.com <OTlist@OTnow.com> JS>> Subj: [OTlist] Marketing OT Rehab to MD's???? RC>>> Hello EVERYONE!! RC>>> The list has been D E A D!!!!, so let's see if we can't stir up RC>>> some conversation. Unfortunately for our international members, RC>>> much of this discussion involves the US health care system. <sorry> RC>>> For the past three years, I've been in private practice providing RC>>> ADULT in-home rehab services. I accept Medicare. I have always had RC>>> a difficult time marketing adult OT services to physicians. In RC>>> fact, in three years the only direct MD referrals that I've RC>>> received have been for lymphedema treatment, which is NOT related to JS> being an OT. RC>>> I have not done a lot of marketing because (1) I can't figure out RC>>> how to best market my services and (2) the marketing I've done has RC>>> not been successful (other than for lymphedema treatment). Here's RC>>> the JS>> first question: RC>>> 1. How is it possible to successfully market ADULT OT RC>>> services to primary care physicians? ((Please bear in mind that I RC>>> do NOT specialize in hand/UE treatment. I certainly can treat an RC>>> UE injury/illness, but that is not how I want to market myself.)) RC>>> I believe that the profession of PT and outpatient facilities. RC>>> I am confident that in-home services are a "one up" over RC>>> traditional outpatient but I can not find a way to market RC>>> either against or complimentary to the PT profession. FYI, the RC>>> reason I feel that PT is my competitor is because of nature of RC>>> providing general rehab. Here's the second question: RC>>> 2. How can I market OT services as "better" or complimentary RC>>> to PT services? RC>>> Now, the caveat to all of this is that when doctor's do not RC>>> speak the same "language" as OT. So, if I go to a doctor's RC>>> office and talk with them about occupational deficits, they RC>>> generally won't understand what I'm saying or if they do, they RC>>> won't see "functional" deficits as the the problem. Instead, RC>>> MD's work with medical diagnoses and these are what they see as RC>>> the problem the JS>> needs fixing. Now, the one "functional" RC>>> area that a doctor may recognize is difficulty walking or JS> falling. RC>>> Functional mobility is within OT's scope of practice but I am again RC>>> back to the PT thing. So, here's the third question: RC>>> 3. How do I build a bridge between a medical doctor and a general RC>>> rehab occupational therapist? RC>>> Thanks for reading this long message. And, I REALLY appreciate YOUR RC>>> help and input!!!! RC>>> Thanks, RC>>> Ron RC>>> -- RC>>> Ron Carson MHS, OTR/L RC>>> Hope Therapy Services, LLC RC>>> www.HopeTherapyServices.com RC>>> <disclaimer> I hurriedly typed this message [but with a lot of RC>>> thought] so please forgive typos, grammo's, etc.... JS>> -- JS>> Options? JS>> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com JS>> Archive? JS>> www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com JS>> ******************************************************************** JS>> ******** JS>> ********** JS>> Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science JS>> for OTs Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. JS>> www.otdegree.com/otn JS>> ******************************************************************** JS>> ******** JS>> ********** JS> -- JS> Options? JS> www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com JS> Archive? JS> www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com JS> **************************************************************************** JS> ********** JS> Enroll in Boston University's post-professional Master of Science for OTs JS> Online. Gain the skills and credentials to propel your career. JS> www.otdegree.com/otn JS> **************************************************************************** JS> ********** -- Options? www.otnow.com/mailman/options/otlist_otnow.com Archive? www.mail-archive.com/otlist@otnow.com ************************************************************************************** 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 **************************************************************************************
