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You Are the Brand
On Friday morning at PT 2009, three speakers collaborated to present "You Are the Brand: Learn It. Live It!" That brand, first introduced by APTA at the 2009 Combined Sections Meeting in February, is "Move Forward. Physical Therapy Brings Motion to Life." Now that the brand has been established, the goal is to ensure it is embraced by physical therapy professionals nationwide and thereafter disseminated to fellow healthcare professionals and consumers. Tannus Quatre, PT, MBA, principal of Vantage Clinical Solutions in Bend, OR, began the presentation.
"What is a brand?" he asked the audience. "It is a promise. It defines expectations. When I think of a brand, one of the first that comes to mind is Starbucks. Every time you see that brand, you know what to expect. You're going to get good coffee that costs a little more than some other places, nice ambience and jazzy music."
A good brand can be hard to create because it takes a long time to build trust and identity, Quatre continued. Brands can also be influenced and are not fully controlled. "What we're trying to do is influence how the PT profession is perceived."
So what makes a good brand? "It evokes emotion and connects with people on a subconscious level," explained Quatre. "A good brand is also relevant. I think Facebook is the most relevant brand right now. It has 270 million users. If you're not on Facebook, the common perception is that you should be."
Research Results
Emilio J. Rouco, director of public relations and marketing, later took the podium to discuss the primary qualitative and quantitative research that APTA conducted to assess the existing strength and potential of physical therapy. The organization spoke to consumers, MDs, nurse practitioners, insurers, APTA leaders and members, as well as legislators. It also evaluated trends impacting consumer behavior.
"The good news is that PT professionals are held in high esteem," said Rouco. "Nearly 90 percent of consumers have a positive impression of physical therapists. But there is also some blurriness in the differentiation between physical therapy and other healthcare professions on the part of the general public."
Furthermore, the relevance of physical therapy is growing. "Ninety-four percent of consumers have gone to their PCP for pain relief and improvement in movement or performance of daily activities. Consumers are also looking for prevention and wellness options."
One current "brand opportunity" is to pursue an "earlier mindshare" among the general public, Rouco continued. The traditional process when a patient experiences pain is to first try a pill or rub, then see a PCP or NP, which only then leads to an appointment with a PT, orthopedist or chiropractor. "We're trying to shift the mindshare so that consumers think of physical therapy earlier in the process."
The APTA is also seeking through its brand campaign for physical therapy to occupy a greater mindshare among the general public, noted Jennifer Rondon, associate director of public relations. "We have found through our research that physical therapists are perceived to own rehabilitation, which is great," she said.
The goal now is to shift the identity of physical therapy from only rehabilitation to motion, in general. In this mindset, consumers will view physical therapy professionals not only as who to see when they are injured, but also as experts on injury prevention and proper biomechanics to maintain independent function over a lifetime.
"Our brand promise is that physical therapists help you restore and improve motion to achieve long-term quality of life," Rondon explained.
But in order to achieve its potential, the brand campaign must have extensive and enthusiastic participation among PT professionals. "A brand is only as strong as the people who live and breathe it," concluded Rouco.
--Brian W. Ferrie
Maley Lecture Emphasizes Health Care Reform
On June 12, Helene M. Fearon, PT, was honored with the 14th annual Maley Lecture. Since 1996, this lecture has been an integral part of APTA's annual conference. Fearon, a graduate of Marquette University's physical therapy program and co-owner of Fearon Physical Therapy, Phoenix, AZ, has experience in reimbursement, fiscal management and health policy as it relates to rehab services. She lectured on the topic, "Perspectives on Functional Reform for an Impaired Payment System."
Fearon walked out on stage to standing applause, "I feel like a 5-year old who was waiting for Santa Claus," she told the audience. She borrowed a quote from Aristotle to set the tone of her lecture: "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
Fearon then went on to explain that major reforms need to be made in the health care system. Two flaws in the health care system continue to be wasteful spending within the Medicare program and provider reimbursement, she said.
She proposed to disrupt the current model in order to move a payment system that supports effective and efficient value-added care.
"Disruptive business models improve quality access and affordability by changing the way hospitals and office-based practices work," she explained.
What do you think you are worth to a health care system, she asked the audience. What do you think a payer thinks you're worth? Unfortunately, PTs collectively still have a need to communicate how the interventions chosen are related to the functions they wish to insure.
"Are we dangerously close to promoting a profession to the public and the payer that cannot yet live up to its own billing? Are we setting ourselves up for a scenario in which we are over-selling and under-delivering in an environment that is demanding more for less?" she asked.
Fearon supports a radical shift to emphasize clinical abilities of physical therapists new to the field. She said graduates should be licensed and required to complete a one-year residency.
"Our profession's continued path of transition.cannot leave physical therapy behind in the minds and choices of the consumer or the payer." she stated.
She mentioned that codes have changed over the past 16 years. "Drastically changing codes without drastically changing the payment methods attached to the codes, looks like lipstick on a pig. It's change we can not count on."
Fearon proposed moving away from a procedure-driven payment system and offered a new model to report physical therapy services, which consisted of seven office visit categories and three levels of service: low, moderate and high.
"There should be no gap in the eyes of the public as to what should be consistent and value-added care." she said.
--Beth Puliti
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