Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Goodness Gracious

These last two weeks have been nutty. A whole lot of tests, papers, practicals... I have one final left later today so this will be my review. I just want to make it out of this alive, so let's go...

Health Care Delivery is the class, management, marketing, PTA's are the main topics. This could be one of the topics that is least PT related yet. Most of this info comes from Managerial & Supervisory Principles for PT's.
  • Work teams consist of individuals brought together for a specific function, whereas work groups are more about individualized assigned tasks.
  • 6 steps to aide a successful transition from an individual to a team focus:
    • open and honest communication
    • clear performance expectations
    • make barriers and constraints understood
    • adopt work rules
    • structure and position the team within the organization to achieve expected performance
    • make sure members are qualified to completed the required tasks
  • Information exchange strategies
    • set performance expectations
    • ongoing performance evals
    • understanding and addressing work barriers
    • obtaining the resources necessary to meet performance expectations
  • Performance expectations start with a well-written job description including:
    • applicable work standards
    • decision-making authorities
    • job duties
    • methods by which work will be coordinated
    • minimum job requirements
    • organizational relationships
    • responsibility for the work of others
  • Performance standards define how the organization expects duties to be performed and how performance will be measured
  • There is a 5 point scale to rate performance, 5 being exceptional and 1 being unsatisfactory
  • Job competencies are a form of performance standard that usually incorporate knowledge, skill and professional behaviors.
  • 3 basic models of management theory (Miles)
  1. Traditional - those with superior ability should be in charge
  2. Human Relations Model - based on Hawthorne effect, managers encouraged to allow employee input but the employee ultimately does not play any substantial role in decision making.
  3. Human Resource Model - Greater focus on the employees need for recognition, inclusion, attention and contribution. Workers are satisfied from personal sense of accomplishment. In order to get the most out of employees, managers need to create an environment where they can maximize productivity by maximizing ability of the employee to be involved.
  • The Contingency Model functions under the interplay of
    • the situation (the organization, job characteristics),
    • the employee (acceptance of responsibility),
    • and the manager (competencies).
  • The life cycle theory branches off of this model to suggest that management style should be determined by employee maturity.
  • Employee development takes planning, management effort, and money for time and resources. The ultimate goal is to maximize employee potential.
  • All employee development approaches are designed to train employees so they can do the following:
    • adapt to change in job duties/performance expectations
    • do their job well today and better tomorrow
    • do a different job in the future
    • keep pace with new technology
    • fulfill professional goals
    • meet continuing education needs to maintain licensure
  • Varying approaches include:
    • training programs from external sources
    • rotations - to a variety of work settings, apply new skills in new ways, gain advanced expertise
    • mentoring programs - pass on expertise, act as a resource, provide ongoing direct feedback
    • internal/external consults
  • 4 types of formal presentations and the common process suggested for their development
  1. Persuasive - convince the audience you are credible. Then lead your audience to take a desired action (invest in what you are "selling")
  2. Exploratory - used to introduce new information or provide an update.
  3. Instructional - teach the audience something. Shared info is very detailed.
  4. Oral report - very common in business setting; used to bring audience up-to-date on a topic of interest. i.e. monthly management reports.
  • Key steps in preparing a quality presentation
    • set clear objectives
    • know your audience
    • plan your presentation
    • identify resource materials to support the presentation
    • practice and reorganize when necessary to maximize effectiveness - be comfortable and confident
  • Parts of a formal presentation
    • INTRO - what is this all about
    • BODY - main ideas and supporting info
    • CONCLUSION - restate the main points and objective of the presentation
    • take questions to clarify anything left unsaid
SPECIAL NOTE: FOR THOSE OF YOU LESS FAMILIAR WITH THE INS AND OUTS OF MICROSOFT POWERPOINT AND WHO WANT TO INSERT A VIDEO INTO THE PRESENTATION, PLEASE KNOW YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE VIDEO FILE IN THE SAME FOLDER AS THE .PPT FILE IF YOU WANT IT TO PLAY WITHIN THE PRESENTATION - IT ACTS AS A SHORTCUT IN THE PRESENTATION - SHORTCUTS NEED SOMEWHERE TO LINK TO. IN RECENT WEEKS I HAVE ENCOUNTERED MANY PEOPLE WHO DID NOT KNOW THAT AND I HOPE THIS IS HELPFUL TO SOMEONE OUT THERE :-D
  • PTA's are regulated by state practice acts.
  • Amount of supervision/direction from a PT is based on education, experience, potential risk, practice setting, federal/state regulations.
  • Level of supervision as defined by APTA are general, direct, or direct/personal.
  • By law, they are the only individuals permitted to assist a PT in selected interventions.
  • Joint mobilizations/manipulations & selective sharp debridement are exclusively performed by the PT.
  • Medicare recognizes supervised PTA's as "qualified professionals."
  • Within the APTA House of Delegates (the highest decision-making body in the profession), there is a PTA Caucus of 5 PTA's that serve as an advisory council to the House without voting rights.
  • PT Aides are only allowed to perform tasks related to operation of PT services
Happy Thanksgiving to all, and to all a healthy day...

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Stony Brook Conclave

Yesterday I got to present at and enjoy the 2007 Downstate Student Conclave at Stony Brook University. I helped organize last years and Stony Brook did a great job feeding off of that one. It was truly an honor and privilege to be invited to speak on the same stage as the other amazing speakers. I just hope that my presentation on ways to be involved in the APTA and different events going on around the profession was informative and will inspire a few of those present to get more involved.

Now back to the reality that is my last two weeks of classes in the DPT program. Tomorrow I have a case report due and will finally present the group project on the video analysis of the power clean. Tuesday we have a written final exam in our musculoskeletal elective and I will be presenting in the CAM class about Qigong. Wednesday we have our final for clinical decision making 2 in which we have to go through our thought process of treating the diagnosis of "multi-level disc herniations." All the while my grandfather has been going in and out of the hospital and the other mini stressors of life are all around as well.

Here's a quote I enjoy;
I once heard that Frank Sinatra's tombstone read: "The best is yet to come"

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Marathon/200th Post

Yay 200th post!

Today I got to be a medical volunteer at the ING NYC Marathon for the second year in a row. Another great time, great people, and I want to run the marathon more than ever... I entered this year into the lottery to run but did not get in (I have heard close to 100,000 people apply and only 38,000 get to run - a lot of which are guaranteed based on certain requirements).

Also, I found out that at my upcoming clinic has their students try to "stump the therapist" meaning that I have to come up with probably close to 11 odd case studies or in depth questions... so if anyone who happens to read this has anything good, I would greatly appreciate you sharing that with me.

Here's to running the marathon next year! Cheers to all those who ran today!

Thursday, November 01, 2007

Rewind

I did not get a chance to send a special shout out to my homie ericgalvezdpt.com last Thursday October 25 for hosting the inaugural Tumors Suck Day. I was wearing my Tumors Suck shirt but did not have a camera to prove it... I hope that his efforts are helping others and I certainly look forward to seeing him when he comes through NYC in two weeks. Before that happens I better get all my work done though...

Have to finish up my power clean instrumented movement analysis project, come up with a case study on the labral tear of the shoulder (I was not supposed to share that diagnosis with my classmates but I am almost certain not a single one of them read this :P, still have to finish up my presentation on Qigong, got some tests, a DEXA scan to observe, practicals, etc.

Also, two days ago I underwent a metabolic rate treadmill test to help determine how effective my body is at burning fat and breathing oxygen (not the most technically sound definition of it, but stay with me). Below is the graph of the exam which consisted of being on a treadmill with a mask on and HR monitor. The treadmill was at 3 mph and went up by 1 mph every minute or so, up to 9 mph, then the incline went up by 2% every stage (I got up to 8% before I got to 19 on the RPE). Gotta do better next time :-D