I have to say more on this subject. Sorry if I'm boring some of you! Unless things have changed dramatically in OT schools since I graduated, OTs do not come out of school with knowledge of seating and positioning or function-based wheelchair assessment. I have spoken with many students on their internships in the past 7-8 years, and they report that they still get the 1/2 to 1 day education on what a wheelchair is but nothing more in depth than that.
Do I think OTs are the best profession ultimately to be doing this type of assessment? Absolutely! BUT, I don't think being an OT automatically makes you qualified to be recommending complex rehab equipment and advanced seating. RESNA respects and requires hours of direct experience in the field before you are even qualified to take the exam. Currently AOTA does not have a way to acknowledge or recognize OTs that are specialists in this field. How can AOTA expect CMS to turn to them for definitions and qualifications of who should be performing this type of evaluation? I'm not just trying to be stubborn and disagreeable, but this is an area that I feel passionate about. Recommending equipment that is inappropriate for a client can cause harm. Recommending equipment that will not accommodate a client's needs for the next 4-5 years can cause the patient to be "stuck" because funding will not cover another mobility device. Mary Alice On Oct 30, 2007, at 2:01 PM, Chuck Willmarth wrote: > > I'd like to address part of this discussion. There was no request > from > CMS to provide our qualifications to evaluate chairs prior to the LCD > draft issuance. We LONG advocated for OTs to be specifically > recognized > as qualified to do this, starting with when CMS began the process of > disseminating the National Coverage Decision, but CMS' response to us > repeatedly (in writing and on calls) was that they were going to leave > the decision of who would be qualified to another process. They > didn't > identify the DMERC Medical Directors as the group tasked with > determining who would be qualified until very late in the game, a few > months before the draft LCD was issued. > > We commented on the draft LCD and subsequently requested > reconsideration > of comments. We had a conference call with the DMERC Medical > Directors > last week to make our case. We should know something by mid-November. > > Here are some articles that discuss the issue in more detail. > > http://www.aota.org/Archive/NewsA/FedReimbA/39756.aspx > > http://www.aota.org/News/AdvocacyNews/fedreim/39739.aspx > > http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Reimb/News/Letters/40713.aspx > > http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/Reimb/News/Announcements/40727.aspx > > > Chuck Willmarth > Director, State Affairs and Reimbursement & Regulatory Affairs > AOTA > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Mary Alice Cafiero > Sent: Sunday, October 28, 2007 11:35 AM > To: OTlist@OTnow.com > Subject: Re: [OTlist] ATP > > > > Medicare first looked to AOTA and APTA to ask what the standardized > education and monitoring was for therapists who performed high end > wheelchair evaluations. Neither organization had an answer, so > Medicare > expanded it's search to RESNA (Rehab Engineering Society of North > America), some of the top manufacturers (Sunrise-who makes Quickie > chairs, Invacare, Permobil, and Pride) to ask the same questions. The > only credential available to show that a therapist has specific > knowledge of assistive technology is the ATP exam through RESNA. There > is also an ATS exam/credential for suppliers. RESNA requires that you > have a certain number of hours in the AT field before you can take the > exam and also requires continuing education applicable to the area in > which you practice to keep your credential current. > > Medicare isn't going to require an ATP for every power eval. It is > only > for Group 2 chairs with a power function such as tilt or recline > and any > Group 3 chair. Group 3 is for more complex rehab and, in my opinion, > should always require a therapist's evaluation. It is a good > checks and > balances system as well as a good way for clinicians and suppliers to > collaborate. I personally think the therapist should be involved in > the > delivery of higher end equipment every time. > > So, after all that, my answer to your question is that, yes, it is a > good idea to require the ATP. > > Mary Alice Cafiero, MSOTR, ATP > > > On Oct 27, 2007, at 7:19 PM, Ron Carson wrote: > >> Hello All: >> >> Mary, your recent message and your credentials prompted to write this >> message. >> >> Starting in 2008, Medicare will require the ATP credential for >> certain > >> types of wheelchair evals. >> >> How do list members feel about this? Is an ATP credential necessary >> to satisfactorily evaluate a patient for power mobility? >> >> Thanks, >> >> Ron >> >> >> -- >> 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 >> ********************************************************************* >> * >> **************** > > > -- > 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 > ********************************************************************** > ** > ************** > > -- > 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 > ********************************************************************** > **************** -- 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. 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