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Visionary Leadership

I read your editor's note in the November 1999 issue of the Journal. I also read the speeches by Suzanne Campbell and Jan Richardson. A common thread appears to run through all 3 publications. That thread is the need for radical change and improvement in the research into physical therapy clinical procedures.

I agree with your premise that the "educational" programs should be shunned if they are not backed by research or strong statistical data validating the procedure and its purported outcomes. Could not a committee, under the auspices of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), be developed to review programs and rate them on a scale from a full recommendation to rejection? At the same time, physical therapists should be educated to look for this recommendation before signing up for these programs. This would constitute a "cultural change" for the physical therapists of today. In addition, the Foundation for Physical Therapy could help fund research into the clinical programs that appear promising to the APTA review process but do not have sufficient data to get a full APTA recommendation.

I retired from physical therapy in December 1998 after 23 years in the clinic and 7 years in physical therapy management. This gives me the ability to step back and assess the physical therapy practice of today with both an insider's and an outsider's perspective. It is my concern and worry that unless there are changes in the direction of physical therapy practice today, physical therapy will be relegated to play a very small role in the delivery of health care in the 21st century. If physical therapists cannot demonstrate that for every dollar spent for physical therapy services there is a concomitant financial savings in productivity greater than the cost of physical therapy services, then I do not think physical therapy can or will flourish in the future.

Do I think that physical therapy can demonstrate financially that the profession can deliver economically viable results? Possibly, in certain areas of physical therapy practice, but not in all areas. However, nothing will be accomplished unless there is strong and decisive leadership at the national level backed up by grassroots support in the field. It is the time for visionary Leadership!

Alan F Caniglia, PT

Snowmass Village, Colo
cacaniglia{at}aol.com

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This Article Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Caniglia, A. F Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Caniglia, A. F Related Collections Professional Issues Continuing Education Related Articles Social Bookmarking                      What's this?