President's Note

Embracing Change

I've been practicing long enough to understand that change is inevitable and progress takes time. In my years as president of APTA, one of my goals was to embrace change in order to further our organizational mission and vision. Which is why I'm so pleased that we have several ways for our members to learn about cutting-edge initiatives and programs in this month's issue of APTA Magazine.

Inside the September issue, we look at some of the newer ideas and ways that we, as a profession, can further the reach and impact of our services. In “Incorporating Psychologically Informed Practice,” frequent magazine contributor Chris Hayhurst examines how PTs can integrate the principles of psychology into treatment plans to improve outcomes by treating patients holistically. You might be surprised by how much you already are doing this in your practice, and experts share convincing evidence on why clinicians would be wise to seek out opportunities to incorporate even more psychologically informed practice into their patient care.

With today's technologies, we can extend our connections with patients and clients outside the clinic; one example is remote therapeutic monitoring. APTA Magazine Editorial Advisory Group member Bob Latz, PT, DPT, and colleague Karen Hughes, PT, spoke with several clinicians who use RTM to provide a primer on the benefits of using these digital monitoring tools. Read “Going the Distance: Remote Therapeutic Monitoring."

Thinking even more broadly, there are also ways that our profession can support change by encouraging more diverse representation. Julian Magee, PT, DPT, ATC, delved into this topic in the Fifth Lynda D. Woodruff Lecture on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Physical Therapy. In his June lecture, Magee evoked the concept of divine dissatisfaction and reminded the profession that “representation matters.” See our coverage of the Woodruff Lecture.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention an event that is often a wellspring of what's new and innovative. When I think about what's coming next for our profession, the APTA Combined Sections Meeting immediately comes to mind. I enjoy connecting with fellow clinicians at the country's largest gathering of the physical therapy community, but my biggest takeaways are always the new research and leading-edge programs that our esteemed colleagues share during sessions. Early bird registration opens Sept. 11 for APTA CSM, which will be held Feb. 13-15, 2025, in Houston. I hope to see you there!

Onward and upward.

Roger Herr, PT, MPA