From #ChoosePT to #StopTheCap: The Importance Of Advocacy

By Marc Suznovich PT, DPT, GCS

Physical Therapist

One can walk around in a city and ask people walking by, “What is a physical therapist? What does a physical therapist do,” and get a wide array of responses.

Lack of public awareness of who we are needs to change. People are seeking our services later than they should. Together, we can change stereotypes and public opinion of physical therapy by educating one person and one group at a time.

Now that it is October and National Physical Therapy Month, I think about the vision statement for the PT profession from the American Physical Therapy Association adopted in 2013: “Transforming society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience.”

What can one PT do?

APTA’s Take

APTA President Sharon Dunn, PT, PhD, said recently, “NPTM is a call for each of us to reach beyond the walls of our clinics and classrooms to connect with the public at large.”

You and I can promote our profession by educating people in our local communities.

Would you like to see patients earlier when they are in less pain, before they fall, before they need an assistive device?

Discussion of healthcare reform is still ongoing in Congress. So, now is the time to educate and inform our legislators on who we are and what we do.

How To Advocate Politically

Advocating is as simple as using an app on our phones – PTaction – to email them our talking points.

Another way is a practice visit – inviting them to your clinic to see firsthand the impact we have on our patients.

I am currently the Federal Affairs Liaison for the NJ chapter of APTA. If you have any questions, please reach out to me at marc.suznovich@foxrehab.org

Advocacy & Social Media

The “Choose the Safer Way to Manage Pain – #ChoosePT ” campaign is the focus for this year’s National Physical Therapy Month.

There are many people out there who are unaware of the knowledge and tools we possess that can help them manage their pain, illness, disease, or disability. We are usually not the first healthcare professional the public thinks of when they are in pain.

It is time to change the public’s perception of the physical therapy profession.

Let’s work together to get #ChoosePT trending this month to raise awareness.

If you are new to Twitter or do not yet have a Twitter account, reach out to me for help. For more information and material on this year’s NPTM, there’s an entire site dedicated to the campaign which includes a toolkit.

Advocacy At Home

“What can I do in my neighborhood and local community?”

There are many groups out there who are looking for local speakers to present: religious organizations, sports teams (community, school, club, etc.), YMCA, community service based groups (Rotary Club, Lions Club, etc.), township senior centers, support groups and senior living communities.

You may be a member of one of these groups or know a family member or friend who is. Knowing your audience will make it easier for you to talk in front of them.

Before creating a presentation, search for ones already made to use. Examples of presentations are “Backpack Safety” to schools, “Bone Health” to local senior centers, and “Pitcher’s Elbow” to local little league teams. Those are just a few examples already created at that site mentioned above.

Conclusion

Promoting our profession to the public can start a wave of change that will positively impact the health and wellness of our society.

There are many different ways one can get involved in advocacy on the federal and state levels based on your strengths and comfort level.

You can send an email or call a legislator on the phone to state our stand on an issue.

You can invite a politician to your clinic for a site visit to further demonstrate our impact on our patient’s health and quality of life.

You can present to a local group or organization on a health topic meaningful to them such as osteoporosis, falls prevention, or ergonomics in the workplace.

All of us are advocates for this profession we love.

The person in the photo is not mentioned in, nor authored, this article.