Part-time/Full time/ Work from Home Research Physiotherapist vacancy in Delhi NCR

Neurorehabilitation Conference 2016

IFNR 2016: Joint Conference of Indian Federation of Neurorehabilitation & Neurorehabilitation Subsection of Indian Association of Neurology supported by Bangalore Physiotherapists Network (BPN) on April 1-3 at NIMHANS, Bangalore.

WhatsApp/ Call Dr.David PT@ +91 9844276236 for Registration.

Conference Fee Rs.1800 for 3 days. Accommodation assistance provided in NIMHANS guest house on payment basis.

Harmless pills: Here’s how to treat pain with zero side effects

Painkillers are easily the world’s most used, overused and abused medicines. One in 10 people have pain daily and most pop painkillers like candy to treat it. Much like candy, these otherwise harmless pills hurt when had in large quantities. Overdose from prescription painkillers like vicodin, kill more people in the US each year than crack and black-tar heroin. Michael Jackson, for one, died from an overdose of taking eight prescription painkillers every day.

Banned drugs trigger depressive lows and cause stomach cramps, nausea, heart attacks, seizures, stroke, lung collapse, kidney and liver damage. Banned drugs kill 250,000 people around the world every year.

Cure hurts more than pain

Opioid painkillers work by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, the gut, the spinal cord, and other areas of the body and stop them from sending pain messages to the brain. These drugs also affect the reward pathways in the brain, creating an addictive, euphoric buzz.

Vicodin belongs to the family of powerful opiod painkillers that include oxycodone, hydrocodone and morphine, which are also sold in combination with paracetamol and ibuprofen. There’s no data for India but in 2012, doctors in the US wrote 260 million prescriptions for opioid painkillers, which kill 40 Americans each day. What makes the situation worrying for countries like India is that these drugs can be bought without prescription in most places, which makes it difficult to track side effects and complications.

Prescription painkillers should not be a first choice for treating common ailments such as back pain and arthritis, say new US guidelines for treating pain released this month. The guidelines, which are not binding, urge doctors to use Physiotherapy, exercise and over-the-counter pain medications such as paracetamol and ibuprofen before turning to prescription painkillers for chronic pain.(http://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/guidelines_factsheet-a.pdf)

For acute short-term pain – for example, for backache or joint pain -- opioids should be limited to three days of treatment and be given in the lowest effective dose possible. The prescription should be continued only if the patient shows significant improvement, say the new guidelines that do not apply to treating pain from cancer, other debilitating diseases and end-of-life care, where strong opiates are necessary.

Heat and Ice

What also works is application of heat and cold to reduce pain, but you need to use the right therapy based on the pain trigger. By the rule of the thumb, use heat for chronic pain or an injury that is a day or more old, and cold compress for acute pain or a new swollen/inflamed injury.

Heat works best for muscular, chronic and recurrent pain. It relaxes the blood vessels to increase blood flow, which helps soothe muscle spasm, soreness and stiffness and eliminates toxins such as lactic acid that accumulates in muscles after stress from over exercising. Do not use heath therapy -- which can be applied with a hot water bottle, heating pad or hot towel --- within 48 hours of an injury.

Ice is used for injury that is recent, red or, inflamed, such as sprains. Cold compress narrows blood vessels to reduce blood flow, which reduces fluid buildup and brings redness, swelling and pain. It is most effective when applied within the first 48 hours of injury. Cold compress should be applied locally -- as an ice pack, cold towel or gel pack -- for never more than 15-20 minutes at a stretch to avoid tissue damage from restricted blood flow.

News Source: Hindustan Times, March 26, 2016
http://www.hindustantimes.com/health-and-fitness/harmless-pills-here-s-how-to-treat-pain-with-zero-side-effects/story-J6ChvyMlPntilkftQZEfyI.html

UK: Allowing patients to see physiotherapists first could reduce pressures on GPs

Patients with musculoskeletal conditions should be able to see a physiotherapist instead of a General Practitioner (GP) as a first option, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) said today.

The CSP said that offering patients better access to physiotherapists would allow GPs to save money and spend more time with other patients.

The CSP has launched a new online Physiotherapy Cost Calculator to show how much GPs can save, which says that a typical GP practice provides 249 appointments a week for musculoskeletal conditions at a cost of £6,346.40 a week, whereas it would cost a physiotherapist £3,800.47 to see the same number.

Karen Middleton, chief executive of the CSP, said: “Both GPs and patients are concerned about the inadequate length of appointments. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. “Expanding the number of physiotherapists working in GP surgeries - and giving patients with musculoskeletal conditions the option of seeing them first could add on average five minutes to appointments.” 

A recent Health Foundation report found that 92% of GP consultations last 15 minutes or less, while a British Medical Association survey found that almost 300 GP surgeries have unsustainable finances.

A pilot scheme is already in place in West Cheshire to allow patients to see a physiotherapist as a first point of contact.

During a three-month pilot over 700 patients accessed the service who would otherwise have seen a GP. It has now been expanded to cover all 36 GP practices in West Cheshire after receiving funding from the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund.

Dr Maureen Baker, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, said: “Whilst the services GPs and physiotherapists provide complement each other, they are very different, so whilst we would welcome better integration between the two we would recommend that any self-referral schemes reflect local needs and are continuously evaluated.

“We would also need assurances that patients do not fall prey to providers who are not accredited by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, whose members are trained to the highest standards and have the skills to identify health problems that go beyond musculoskeletal conditions.”

Compiled for Information purpose by Physiotherapy Jobs Portal:
                   www.physiotherapyjobs.co.in

News Source: http://www.nationalhealthexecutive.com/Health-Care-News/allowing-patients-to-see-physiotherapists-first-could-reduce-pressures-on-gps

Ethical practices in Rehabilitation care delivery CME

Continuing Medical Education (CME) on "Ethical practices in Rehabilitation care delivery" in the department of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Sakra World Hospital.

The CME focused on "The recent advances in Physiotherapy profession, Importance of Ethical practices and code of  conduct in Rehabilitation Medicine, Documentation, Scope of practice, Common ethical issues in current Indian  scenario, Legal implications and coverage".

Brainstorming session with Physiotherapists , Occupational Therapists and Speech Therapists

Saudi Arabia: Researchers call for emphasis on Physiotherapy

              

RIYADH: About 60 percent of health care centers in the Kingdom offer services such as laboratories, X-rays and dentistry, but they don’t offer physiotherapy facility, a study has revealed.

“Physiotherapy plays a vital role in treating patients suffering from orthopedic or nerve problems and helps in preventing the condition from deteriorating and reaching the surgery stage,” says the survey, cited by local media on Sunday.

The study has shown that 81 percent of physiotherapy experts at various centers around the Kingdom emphasize on listing physiotherapy as one of the major services offered by health centers affiliated with the Ministry of Health.

The study, carried out by Dr. Hisham Alhadairi, who has a Ph.D in physiotherapy, and Hani Alabbad, a master’s degree holder in physiotherapy, was published in The Journal Of Physical Therapy Science.

It says physiotherapy departments at health centers provide primary care for early diagnosed cases and prevent complications and extra costs.

The two researchers said that one of the strategies of the Health Ministry is to provide health care by establishing primary care centers that offer preventive and rehabilitation services. This is reflected in the increased number of primary health care centers from 1,925 in the year 2017 to 2,259 in 2012. 

The researchers said the second biggest sector of those who visit outpatient clinics in hospitals have bone or nerve ailments because of sedentary lifestyle. Over 60 percent of Saudis indulge in very little physical activity, which poses more burdens to health care, the study said.

Compiled for Information purpose by Physiotherapy Jobs Portal   

       www.physiotherapyjobs.co.in

          News Source: http://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/898371

USA Study: Visiting a Physiotherapist first is cost effective and reduces the use of costly healthcare services

A Policy brief from the Health Care Cost Institute reports that Individuals with lower back pain who received physical therapy had reduced healthcare costs:

When it comes to healthcare costs, the federal government, medical providers, and payers are attempting to reduce rising spending and adopt value-based care reimbursement. A number of different strategies have been implemented including bundled payment models and accountable care organizations. In the realm of physical therapy, patients with lower back pain could benefit from reduced healthcare costs.

A policy brief from the Health Care Cost Institute reports that Individuals with lower back pain who received physical therapy had reduced healthcare costs when compared to patients who visited with another provider first. Patients who visited a physical therapist at the beginning of their treatment were less likely to end up in an emergency room. A lower likelihood of emergency department visits also produces hospitalization costs.

Since low back pain is a very common occurrence in the healthcare setting and a likely contribution to disability, these findings are key to reducing medical spending across the industry. In fact, $90.6 billion in direct healthcare costs are spent on treating back pain throughout the United States.

The study illustrates that patients who obtained physical therapy services from a clinic owned by their original physician received twice as many PT visits as compared to patients who were referred to physical therapy not affiliated with the referring surgeon. The therapy was also less customized and less intensive, the researchers found.

The study authors focused on analyzing beneficiary claims data from six states including Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Idaho, and Montana. The researchers  looked at claims data  showing three different groups of people including those who never saw a physical therapist, those who saw a physical therapist later in their treatment, and those who immediately received physical therapy.

The study found that patients who saw a physical therapist first were also less likely to be prescribed a painkiller when compared to others who saw a different type of clinician. The policy brief emphasizes that visiting with a physical therapist first will reduce the use of costly healthcare services and thereby cut spending across the board.

Researchers from the University of Washington and the George Washington University also found that taking away state restrictions on physical therapy could improve health outcomes among those on opioid prescriptions as well as enhance imaging. Individual states should consider addressing restrictions on direct physical therapy access, according to the policy brief.

State restrictions on physical therapy access could affect overall healthcare costs by impacting the use of differing medical services. Essentially, in order to reduce healthcare costs, state policymakers should allow patients direct access to physical therapy without physician referral, according to the study.

“The findings from this study suggest that seeing a physical therapist as the first point of care compared to seeing a physical therapist at a later point in time (or not seeing a PT) reduces utilization of potentially costly services,” the study from the Health Care Cost Institute stated.

“Of particular interest was the significant decrease in opioid prescription, ED visits, and imaging for those patients receiving PT first. The potential reduction in opioid prescriptions is notable given the increasing awareness on the overprescription of opioids and the high risk of substance abuse. These findings suggest that having access to PT could have an impact on healthcare costs including out-of-pocket costs across all settings.”

While reducing healthcare costs is an imperative within the medical industry, quality care and patient needs come first. However, a study from the American Physical Therapy Association shows that patient needs may not come first in a referral-for-profit environment.

“When there is referral-for-profit, and from this data as related to group therapy and an extended number of visits, it stands to reason there is increased risk that the patient’s individual needs are of secondary importance to revenue. This has long been the concern here at the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and it is why we have fought so hard, alongside our partners in the AIM Coalition, against physician-owned physical therapy services (POPTS),” American Physical Therapy Association President Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, OCS, stated in a press release.

“This study provides further evidence that when the bottom line takes precedence in healthcare, the patient loses. A patient’s welfare and recovery should always be the primary focus of treatment.”

The researchers looked at more than 3,000 patients who underwent total knee replacement surgery. Out of all of these, nearly 19 percent were found to be completed through a physician self-referral process while 72.3 percent of cases did not have a doctor who had “ownership interest in physical therapy services.”

The findings show that treatment in a physician-owned physical therapy setting lasted a week longer than services not affiliated with the referring physician. About twice as many visits were seen in physical therapy offices in which the referring doctor had a financial stake.

The issue seems to be that, in physician self-referral cases, patients were more likely to receive group therapy instead of individual, one-on-one care, which tends to extend the amount of visits needed to complete treatment.

This type of physician self-referral practice may improve revenue for an individual physical therapy clinic, but it only increases overall healthcare spending and negatively impacts patient care, the researchers wrote. In order to meet the Triple Aim of Healthcare, providers will need to look beyond their own revenue cycle and consider patient needs first.

Update by Physiotherapy Jobs Portal ( www.physiotherapyjobs.co.in) for information purpose.

News Source: http://revcycleintelligence.com/news/direct-physical-therapy-access-could-reduce-healthcare-costs

Try Physiotherapy First

Highlights of The Curriculum for Physiotherapy by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare , Government of India

Indian Physiotherapist nominated for Daily Echo's Hospital Heroes Award at UK’s Southampton General Hospital :

She is the friendly face offering bespoke physiotherapy and advice for patients at Southampton General Hospital with chronic muscle wasting conditions.

Sunitha Narayan works at the Tremona Road hospital’s Wessex Neurological Centre which serves people across the South suffering from disorders affecting the brain, spine and nerves.

And the neuromuscular coordinator also uses her fluency in five different languages to help patients from Asian backgrounds get the healthcare they need.

Now she has received the ultimate recognition after being nominated for a Hospital Heroes award.

And she is calling on people across Southampton to show their gratitude to fellow hospital staff by putting them forward for the Daily Echo’s Readers’ Choice Award.

We have teamed up with University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust to champion staff who like Sunitha have gone the extra mile to ensure patients receive outstanding care.

Sunitha was chosen by patient Katie Hammond who suffers from incurable condition Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) which has weakened her legs and arms so much she requires sticks to walk.

Katie Hammond, who has received regular help from the centre over the last four years, said: “She provides fantastic support. It’s so personalised and she is such a nice person who gives good honest advice.”

Sunitha, 38, trained in India and moved to Britain in 2006.

Many of her patients have other health complications and she helps signpost them to other services within the hospital and the community.

She said: “For me this is the perfect job. We have to have many difficult conversations with patients about their health, but being able to help them makes it so rewarding.

“It’s really lovely to be nominated and I feel very honoured. It’s really humbling to hear people are thanking you on a personal level.”

Sunitha also volunteers as a hospital interpreter using her knowledge of four different Indian languages to help patients.

She also works to promote equality, diversity and inclusion at the hospital.-Compiled by Physiotherapy Jobs Portal for information purpose.

News Source: http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/14324916.Physiotherapist_nominated_as_Hospital_Hero/

Physiotherapy - World Health Organization (WHO)

Physiotherapy News: Gujarat State Council for Physiotherapy

Physiotherapy News: Gujarat State Council for Physiotherapy Act 2011 constituted on February 26, 2016.

Congrats to all Gujarat Physios for this milestone in our Physiotherapy profession.

Physiotherapy Scope of Practice: An Insight

Physiotherapy Scope of Practice: An Insight

"Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience"

This Physiotherapy article published in Academia can be read and downloaded in the link: https://www.academia.edu/22548407/Physiotherapy_Scope_of_Practice_An_Insight