Admit it: It's December, and you're just now getting used to writing "2022" on your checks, right? We know the feeling. It's been one of those years.
In acknowledgment of a year that kept us all busy and more than a little distracted at times, here's a quick look at some of the resources APTA rolled out during 2022 — tools and information that provide clinical insights, explore emerging trends, and map out the landscape of the profession. All are available free to APTA members.
Get a Handle on Digital Health and Physical Therapy
As part of its Digital Health Transparency Campaign, APTA produced "The Digitally Enabled Physical Therapist," a foundational paper aimed at giving the profession an overview of what digital health technologies are, the industry that drives those technologies, current applications in physical therapy, and future opportunities (and challenges). The resource is rooted in APTA's clear position on the relationship between digital technologies and the clinicians using them — namely, that any service labeled "physical therapy" must be performed by a licensed PT or by a PTA under a PT's supervision.
Learn More About Physical Therapy's Role in Treating Long COVID
There's still much that's unknown about long COVID, but individuals struggling with the condition can't afford to wait until all the answers are found. And neither can their health care providers. The APTA long COVID clinical summary is a resource for getting the basics on the condition, with special emphasis on rehabilitative interventions.
Deepen Your Understanding of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion — And Take Action
APTA's DEI toolkit was developed by the association's Student DEI Project Committee as a resource to help you learn, develop, and engage. Get foundational DEI knowledge, move further into the issues through learning opportunities, and find out how you can participate in DEI-related opportunities with APTA.
Power Up Your Ability to Address Utilization Management Concerns
Prior authorization and other utilization management protocols can not only be burdensome, they can get in the way of providing needed care. This suite of payment advocacy tools helps PTs address the overuse of those systems. APTA and the Private Practice Section collaborated to curate the collection, housed on the PPS website, as part of a joint initiative known as the State Payer Advocacy Resource Center.
Stay Up to Date With Practice Advisories
APTA practice advisories are designed to provide relevant, concise information to help you understand emerging or changing areas of care, billing, compliance, and more. This year's additions: guidance on remote therapeutic monitoring codes and a review of protocols to control the spread of mpox in the clinic setting.
Gain Insight Into Your Profession — And What Consumers Think About It
Two new reports — one focused more inwardly on the profession and its workforce, and another that explores public perception — helped to provide a clearer picture of the challenges, gains, and opportunities for physical therapy. The report "Hiring Challenges in Outpatient Physical Therapy Practice," based on data from mid-2022, reveals that the pandemic ramped up an already-existing shortage of personnel in outpatient clinics, but that relocation and pay — rather than concerns about the pandemic — are the main factors driving employees' decisions to leave a clinic. For an encouraging look at how consumers view the profession, check out APTA's most recent report on public awareness of physical therapy. Among other findings, the report shows that consumers' perceptions of physical therapy are moving away from the idea that it's only about injury recovery and toward an understanding that PTs also can help them move more efficiently and reduce pain.
