It’s All About Education, Training, and Experience

By Thomas H. Watson, CP

To PTs:

 It's All About Education, Training, and Experience

I feel compelled to address many of the points raised in The O&P EDGE's April 2003 article, "Physical Therapists: Are They Encroaching on O&P?" I believe that this article twists the truth and portrays the O&P profession in a negative light.

What the PTs fail to recognize in their drive to expand their scope of practice and increase personal income is that it is really education, training, and experience that make a good orthotist or prosthetist. It is the problem-solving ability to address patients with unique needs that makes orthotists and prosthetists qualified to provide the care we do. It is our ability to evaluate the patient properly, make or choose the most appropriate device, and fit, adjust, and repair that device to each individual patient's need that is so critical to our patients. O&P practitioners base their decisions on education, training, and experience--not selecting a device because they saw it in a magazine or attended a half-day seminar.

Access to orthotic services was also mentioned as a reason why PTs are providing orthotic services. The argument advanced is that since access to orthotic services is a problem, particularly in rural areas, PTs should fill this gap. This statement is like saying, "Since there are no brain surgeons in my area to treat my tumor, I will go see my proctologist, since he has surgical and anatomical training."

If physical therapists want to provide orthotic and prosthetic services, I strongly suggest that they receive proper education, training, and certification to do so. Instead, PTs have resorted to amending individual state scope-of-practice laws. I think this is wrong and must be stopped. Physical therapists should not be allowed to accomplish legislatively what they have not accomplished through formal education and training. To do so only risks the quality of orthotic and prosthetic care and gives our profession a bad name.

I for one will continue to work with PTs in my state to provide only the highest level of care to my patients. But I will speak out and oppose any effort on the state or federal level that I know in my heart risks injury to patients in need of O&P services. As an amputee, I only want to receive my care from a certified practitioner. O&P services are not DME. I urge all practitioners to join me and stand up for what we know is right.    

Thomas H. Watson, CP, is president of Tom Watson's Prosthetics & Orthotics Lab Inc, Owensboro, Kentucky, with an additional facility in Evansville, Indiana. He is a past president of the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association (AOPA).

Editor's Note:  We encourage and welcome all comments, suggestions and letters to the Editor.

	Arizona Couple Shows Patient Advantages of O&P, PT Partnership - March 2006 Feature
	Physical Therapists: Colleagues or Combatants? - March 2006 Feature
	PT 'Direct Access' —Why Is It Considered a Threat? - July 2005 Feature
	PT Direct Access: Threat to O&P? - September 2003 Should physical therapists have “direct access” to patients—being able to provide physical therapy services without a physician’s prescription? With or without the passage of “direct access” legislation, should physical therapists be allowed to provide orthotic and prosthetic services and devices, without additional education, training, licensing, and/or certification, as part of their scope of practice? Feature
	Physical Therapists: Are They Encroaching on O&P? - April 2003 Are the two disciplines complementary or competitive? How much do they overlap? Here, two physical therapists with wide experience in working with prosthetic and orthotic patients give their views.
	Prosthetists: A Physiotherapist’s Perspective - March 2003
	Physical Therapists: Partners or Competitors? - October 2002 Orthotists and prosthetists share their views on this controversial question. Next month, physical therapists and those who practice in both fields will get their say. Feature

Table Of Contents - June 2003

	Making the Internet Work for You Tips and techniques that will help you make better use of the Internet tools that are available. Feature
	Business Software: Its Role in Your Office Billing and practice management software and associated services are continuously evolving in an attempt to lift some of the administrative load off busy O&P practices. Feature
	Orthotic & Prosthetic Technological Association (OPTA) “The mission of OPTA is to recognize and fulfill the unique professional needs of the orthotic and prosthetic technical specialist.” Shop Talk
	Distance Learning: A New Era In Orthotic/Prosthetic Education Education Outlook
	Otto Bock Initiative Includes Upper-Extremity Professional Services Team Leading EDGE
	Creative Adaptations: Helping Young People with Disabilities Salute!
	Glasgow Hosts BAPO Conference Global View
	Alicia Marquardson, CO Profiles
	It’s All About Education, Training, and Experience Perspective
	From The Editor Viewpoints