Developing and Maintaining an
Adequate Workforce Necessary to Meeting Patients' Needs
ALEXANDRIA, VA, May 6,
2009 -- As the nation's lawmakers debate health care reform, the
American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) is urging that policies
addressing workforce issues be included in reform legislation to ensure
that the growing and diverse needs of health care consumers will be met
by a high-quality health professional workforce.
"Meeting workforce challenges to improve access
for all patient populations will be a critical part of health care
reform," said APTA President R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD. "Ensuring an
adequate supply of physical therapists to meet the rehabilitation needs
of people with disabilities, patients with chronic conditions, and
seniors will require investment by a federal program charged with
maintaining an adequate and qualified health care workforce."
During a recent hearing held by the Senate
Committee on Finance on workforce issues in health care, APTA outlined
the vast health care needs of patients and how the demand for physical
therapist services is outpacing the number of physical therapists in the
workforce. APTA expressed the critical need for reform legislation to
include: funding for clinical education sites for PTs, physical therapy
fellowships, and faculty development; grants to physical therapy
programs to expand capacity; and expanding scholarship/loan repayment
programs to include PTs.
The physical therapy profession is experiencing
several workforce challenges related to a number of occurrences within
the health care environment. First, the nation is experiencing an
increased prevalence of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and
obesity. An estimated 21 million Americans had diabetes in 2005, and the
number of new cases is expected to increase by 54
percent.1 The most recent National Health and Nutrition
Examination reported that 34.3 percent of US adults are obese and 5.9
percent are extremely obese.2 Physical therapists
are trained to provide care that can assist with preventing and managing
diabetes to help patients maintain the highest degree of function
possible. They also develop programs for patients who are obese that can
balance the progression of exercise with the need for joint protection
and safety.
Additionally, as many as 40 to 50 million
Americans report having a disability,3 according to the
Institute of Medicine. This estimate is expected to increase as the baby
boomer generation enters late life when the risk of disability is at its
highest. People with disabilities also benefit from individualized
treatment plans developed by physical therapists that promote their
ability to move, reduce pain, and restore function.
Physical therapist staffing is a concern in
various health care settings, including those that provide services for
patients in the Indian Health Service, the nation's veterans, and aging
adults. Any existent vacancy rate for physical therapists in the Indian
Health Service (IHS) is especially significant as patients who receive
care in the IHS have a high rate of diabetes. It is estimated that two
in five American Indian/Alaska Native children are overweight, compared
with one in five children in the general population.4 And, the more than
31,000 servicemen and women who have returned from the wars in
Afghanistan and Iraq with injuries requiring rehabilitation create not
only a national need for physical therapists in the Department of
Veterans Affairs, but also a need at the community level as veterans
return to their homes, families, and work. Skilled nursing facilities,
which have a vacancy rate for full-time physical therapists of 18.6
percent and the highest turnover rate for physical therapist positions,
are expected to see an increase in demand for physical therapy services
as the population ages.
In addition to the cited demand for physical
therapy services, the distribution of the workforce also presents
challenges. Similar to other health care professions, the distribution
of physical therapists is disproportionate in underserved communities,
both rural and urban, making access to rehabilitation services
especially difficult for potential patients in these
areas.
Physical therapists are highly-educated,
licensed health care professionals who can help patients reduce pain and
improve or restore mobility – in many cases without expensive
surgery or the side effects of prescription medications. APTA represents
more than 72,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and
students of physical therapy nationwide. Its purpose is to improve the
health and quality of life of individuals through the advancement of
physical therapist practice, education, and research. In most states,
patients can make an appointment directly with a physical therapist,
without a physician referral. Learn more about conditions physical
therapists can treat and find a physical therapist in your area
at www.moveforwardpt.com.
References:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Health Statistics, Division of Health Interview Statistics, data from
the national Health Interview Survey 2005. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/estimates05.htm#prev.
Accessed April 22, 2009.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for
Health Statistics, Prevalence of overweight, obesity and extreme obesity
among adults: United States, trends 1976-80 through 2005-2006. Available
at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/hestats/overweight/overweight_adult.pdf.
Accessed April 22, 2009.
3. Institute of Medicine, The Future of
Disability in America, April 24, 2007.
4. US Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health
Services. Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Program: Obesity
Available at http://www.ihs.gov/NonMedicalPrograms/HPDP/index.cfm?module=focus&option=obesity&newquery=1. Accessed April 22, 2009.