PTJ's December issue features the Special Series on Rehabilitation for People With Critical Illness: Taking the Next Steps. Editorials by Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Craik, PT,PhD, and guest coeditors Patricia Ohtake, PT, PhD, Dale Strasser, MD, and Dale Needham, MD, PhD, introduce the special series.

The special series will be published in 2 issues—December 2012 and February 2013. The series presents recent advances in managing critical illness across the continuum of care, from the intensive care unit (ICU) to the community setting. The series also raises awareness of the essential role that physical therapists and rehabilitation and critical care professionals play in this growing patient population. The articles in the December issue showcase important research conducted by established authors in the field, including physical therapists from across the United States and from Australia. In February 2013, articles will highlight innovative quality improvement initiatives, discuss key considerations for the profession, illustrate educational strategies, and describe novel cases.

In a new APTA podcast, MarySue Ingman, PT, DSc, describes the use of motivational interviewing (MI) when talking to patients about making changes in their lifestyle and presents the key concepts of MI—expressing empathy, supporting self-efficacy, rolling with resistance, and developing discrepancy. She also offers listeners specific MI techniques that they can use with patients, such as asking open-ended questions and demonstrating reflective listening. Ingman illustrates how the techniques can be used with an example in which a physical therapist has to have a conversation with a patient about smoking or a sedentary lifestyle. 

This podcast is the third in a series on behavioral change. Look for a podcast later this month that will provide an example of using MI with a student. The other podcasts in this series can be found on APTA's Health Behavior Change webpage.

APTA podcasts are prerecorded discussions and interviews, not live events. Members can listen to podcasts at their convenience by clicking on the links provided in News Now  articles, visiting www.apta.org/podcasts/, or subscribing to APTA podcasts on iTunes.