APTA's Section on Research has pledged to donate $30,000 over the next 3 years to support research in physical therapy.
"The Foundation [for Physical Therapy] put research on the map, and by helping to develop physical therapist investigators, the Foundation was instrumental in building a culture of research," said Section President Christopher Powers, PT, PhD. "Now that we have that culture, it is a matter of sustaining it and bringing it to the next level."
In addition to the 3-year pledge, the section also donated $5,000 to the Jayne L. Snyder Endowment Fund, in memory of Snyder, who passed away in October.
Read more in this press release.
Due to the comprehensive nature of the payroll tax holiday and federal unemployment benefits legislation passed December 23, 2011, it was difficult for congressional members to agree on long-term solutions on Medicare provisions, such as the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) and the therapy cap exceptions process. The 2-month extension of the cap exceptions process and SGR allows Medicare patients to continue to receive care above the current therapy cap amount of $1,880 and ensures that PTs will not see a 27.4% reduction in payment under the physician fee schedule until February 29.
Find out what APTA is doing this month to advocate for a long-term solution to the therapy cap exceptions process and a reformed payment system in this new Heard on the Hill prerecorded podcast and transcript.
Authors of a systematic review that examined the efficacy of hippotherapy or therapeutic horseback riding (THR) on motor outcomes in children with cerebral palsy (CP) report in Physical & Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics that it appears the interventions have positive effects on gross motor function. However, they add, the current literature on hippotherapy and THR is limited. Large randomized controlled trials using specified protocols are needed to more conclusively determine the effects on children with CP.
The researchers searched databases for clinical trials of hippotherapy or THR for children with CP. Nine articles were included in the review. Although the current level of evidence is weak, the authors synthesis found that children with spastic CP, Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels I-III, aged 4 years and above are likely to have significant improvements on gross motor function as a result of hippotherapy and THR. Evidence indicates that 45-minute sessions, once weekly for 8-10 weeks, result in significant effects.
Two new APTA videos and accompanying handouts illustrate how early physical therapy in intensive care units (ICUs) and using evidence can help reduce health care costs and improve patient care. APTA members Christiane Perme, PT, CCS, and Gerard P. Brennan, PT, PhD, outline the opportunities available to physical therapists (PTs) who are ready to take on new challenges, particularly those related to Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) and integrated health care systems, in today's health care environment. Other videos highlight a prospective surveillance cancer model and improving health through fitness.
Looking for more information on ACOs? Check out FAQs on the Medicare Shared Savings Program and Pioneer Models, a new ACO definitions handout, and a dispelling ACO myths chart. In addition, ACO assessment checklists are available for PTs in private practice and PTs practicing in health care organizations with ACO status.
A new podcast provides additional detail about 2 major changes in 2012—frequency of reporting and the quality data codes—to Physician Quality and Reporting System (PQRS) Measure 131: Pain Assessment and Follow-Up. A case study, which also is included in the podcast transcript, takes listeners through 3 scenarios using the measure's new codes.
A thorough and honest assessment of an organization's readiness should take place before choosing an electronic health record (EHR), says an online resource designed to help health care organizations anticipate, avoid, and address problems that can occur when implementing and using EHRs.
The Guide to Reducing Unintended Consequences of Electronic Health Records, prepared by RAND Corporation for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, aims to provide practical, troubleshooting knowledge and resources to primary EHR users, such as chief information officers, directors of clinical informatics, information technology specialists, and clinicians involved in the implementation of an EHR. However, frontline EHR users, such as health care providers, also may find the guide useful.
Four modules address how to avoid, understand and identify, and remediate unintended consequences of EHRs. Tools and examples are available for both current and future EHR users, in addition to 15 case examples that outline issues encountered and provide solutions and lessons learned.