Patient Consumerism, Physical Therapy and Our Practice

I have dreamed about my business MTN PHYSIO for years. I love the outdoors and I am passionate about what I do. I have seen the outdoor and hunting industry accelerate over the past few years with its emphasis on fitness, wellness, and conditioning which goes hand-in-hand with my passions and expertise. As a Movement Specialist I am excited to be able to offer another service to hunters, archers, bowhunters, outdoorsman/woman and the mountain athletes. There are more and more people training day in and day out optimizing the principle of periodization in order to perform at their peak during the fall hunting season. I find this exciting and after all, I think we owe it to the animals in which we pursue.

So what is patient consumerism and how does this relate?

“There doesn't appear to be a clear, all-encompassing definition. One is "personalization of care to facilitate health outcomes." Another source describes health care consumers as those who "want to be better able to make decisions to address their needs…who can make informed choices about the care they receive."  

An article published in the magazine PT in Motion in March of 2019 speaks directly on this subject, and it happens to be a subject I enjoy as this is the model of MTN PHYSIO.

Three key points I want to make from this article. Patients want to choose their health care providers, they want an experience and want it to be transparent.

• Choosing a health care provider:

  • Patients want to choose a specialist of their choice to meet their needs. As I apply this to my current practice, patients who are bowhunters expect that their Physical Therapist is an expert in the form of bowhunting, the demands placed on the body, and the experience they will have. They have come to expect a lot more that their PT will be with them and guide them through the training process. Patients have learned to expect that their Physical Therapists should have additional training and be certified specialists.

• Patients want an experience:

  • Patients want to have a good experience. In addition to choosing a specialist who “understands the patient,” they want to be able to have a personal relationship with their provider, strike a cord with them and share the emotion of a story. Patients don’t want to wait hours to be seen, they don’t want to be placed on heat or ice but they want direct contact with their Doctor of Physical Therapy. They have further come to expect that their provider will email them and go the extra mile for them. Consumers are paying for an experience, the therapists time and expertise. They have come to expect technology and outcomes implemented into their care.

• Transparency:

  • Just as if shopping on Amazon, you go to purchase an item and you know what it is all about and how much it will cost. Patients don’t want to get a bill 2 months later with all of the expenses they racked up at physical therapy. Patients want to know that their Physical Therapist will respect them, their time, their money and interests. They want to receive quality care and be able to afford it. If a patient has had a rotator cuff repair they want to know what is required of them and how often they should be in the clinic. Patients don’t want to waste their time away from work and their family so if fewer visits gets them the same results they want this model. “Patients must be smart with their health care dollars.. copays are going up, deductibles are going up and people are paying more out of pocket. Patients have to be consumers.”

Ultimately this model puts the responsibility on the consumer or the patient and more often then not these patients are motivated to improve and take upon them the responsibility to get better. If a patient is engaged in their plan of care it often translates to getting better faster. The consumer in this model has an appropriate level of power and direction. It goes without being said that building a therapeutic alliance leads to better care. “Consumerism is about partnering with our patients.”

To finish I would like to put in a plug for my business MTN PHYSIO. Our model applies a Patient Consumeristic approach. You now have a Movement Specialist, Orthopedic Specialist, Bowhunter, Archery enthusiast and Doctor of Physical Therapy who is your expert. You will receive transparency and you will have a positive experience as we swap stories and prepare a plan specific to your goals to keep you in the MTN.