Top 5 Fridays! 10 Healthy Habits That Promote Physical Therapy Part 2

6. Offer workshops or seminars.

An offshoot opportunity that occurred for me through this kettlebell class were platform opportunities, TV interviews, and local workshops. Going down memory lane once again — here’s another highlight moment of my early clinical career: The Health Fair at the YMCA.

One afternoon, I was rushed out to offer an info/health-screening booth at a local YMCA health fair. Unfortunately, I wasn’t given much resource or time to prepare. I ended up seeing my last patient of the morning, printed out a paper from the EMR room that said “Spine Health Screening,” and hoofed it out to arrive barely on time.

The health fair was a 4 hour event surrounding lunch. I was to attend the 2nd half of the hour. It was organized in a fashion where attendees were allowed in time blocks of 30 minutes, with any exiting attendees allowing for those on standby to go into the hall early.

Attendees would browse the exhibit hall in the main gym to get information and experience health screens from the various exhibitors. There were diabetic screenings, blood pressure screenings, body composition screenings, etc. etc. etc. WELL! I was the only one out there, left in the corner since I was the only exhibitor that was a dedicated afternoon arrival… with no material, no table cloth, no easel, no posters, NOTHING. Just me, my print out piece of paper… in person direct from acute care in my scrubs.

What happened?

The most incredible thing. It first started with people coming to me asking about their spine, why it felt stiff, or sore… which led me down a “shallow” McKenzie style screening. After all, I had to make all this stuff up since I was given no time nor materials. That, of course, lead to the neck… then the shoulder… then the hip… the the knees…. then the ankle and foot… and, the elbows… and, the wrist, hand, and fingers.

Almost immediately, there was a crowd of attendees who I had to relocate to the bleachers and turn it into an impromptu agora like Socratic seminar — having attendee after attendee ask about their physical health ailments and concerns. My “booth” turned stadium seating Q&A turned out to be the most popular booth that entire afternoon. AND, it was during this time that I realized how popular and powerful our basic clinical knowledge is in physical therapy. It was also during this experience that I realized we have the answers to so very many of the questions that people have… they just don’t know to ask us Physical Therapists.

7. Blog about it.

There are free blogging platforms EVERYWHERE. The advantage of blogs over social media posts is that they are more visible to search engines. It also allows for longer form writing which allows you as the writer to be more expressive in detail to a medium that has longer lasting effects than a social media post or story.

Even if you’re not inclined to establishing a proper blog, perhaps you can influence your practice to open up a blog where each clinician takes a turn writing up a case or experience. Or, maybe you can request your marketing and PR department to feature a physical therapy story. Whatever the case, there’s definitely one thing that is unique about the every day user who reads a physical therapy story on a website versus one that quickly scrolls through on social media — they take time to internalize the content.

That internalization process is a profound moment which we’ve seen sets up potential patients for a better care experience, and, in many ways — creates stronger lead generation on the marketing front (something we can delve into on a future post).

8. Broadcast on social media about it.

As mentioned above, we have these wonderful digital outlets… we use them every day. Why not be purposeful and intentional about it in promoting our profession? Live broadcasts have been around for a little while now and there’s a distinct advantage of using this feature when compared to blogging and regular posts about #PTwins — notifications.

Users get notified when you go on live broadcast. Keep these broadcasts to a 5-10 minute window… surround them by commonly unopposed break times such as lunch, dinner, early in the morning, or towards the evening when people are winding down their day. Go on a topic series, whatever your clinical passions are. Talk about them at the basic level, go into little blurbs of the more “medical language stuff,” and return it back to what the general healthcare consumer can take home with them and act on right then and there.

This is a powerful way to not just build your own brand, but it in effect (and en masse, should you take up this challenge) creates a digital grassroots effect… and, as we know… grassroots when grown right, mature into lush forests.

9. Engage on consumer forums.

As we know, consumers are shopping in a very digital way — word of mouth is different now (new post coming) and we need to be where patients are shopping [See our State of Marketing Report for more].

That said, outside of the search bar, patients — especially those with more involved concerns or with family/friends suffering from emergent or chronic ailments — people are going to forums for their information. They are easy to find, easy to join, and the thing of it is — people trust people who have been through it before. What better place than to simply offer our available expertise (Habit #2, right there!) and help bring light in a giving, kind, unassuming, open way… not to correct anyone, not to dispel myths, not to compete for attention, not to set a few records straight… simply to be available, accessible, and open.

Interested in being that person? Here are three forums to look into:

PS. UpDoc is not attached to these forums in any way. These were a few sites I found quickly through that all powerful search bar… like anyone else who is looking for answer 😉

10. Keep up to date with legislative happenings AND encourage your colleagues to take action.

Advocacy is something we care about emotionally as licensed professionals… but, too tragically often, we don’t care enough to have it affect our actions or our daily lives. Then, something happens… something bad. Then, we’re all angry about it… such as with the Mass Rehab Therapy Layoffs in late 2019, or, as seen in a patient’s perspective on the 8% Medicare cuts.

This one is a harder pill to swallow and is certainly something I, personally, could get better on and aim to be more active in. A few resources for you to consider:

And, again… none of this article is sponsored or promoted content in any way — these are just some easily found, helpful links that one might consider.

As with all things affecting a licensed profession, it all starts with the law. What are we legally allowed to do? None of our credentials, none of our education, none of our training, none of our branding nor marketing, none of the content hold as experts matters unless we are legally empowered to act on it. ALL of this starts with having the law being written on our side, and most importantly, on the side that best serves our patients and our communities.

It’s 2020. It’s not just a New Year, it’s a New DECADE. And, it’s a great time to be resolved to promote profession with healthy habits. The challenge has been issued. Challenge Accepted? Let us know!

First posted on UpDoc Media via - Dr. Ben Fung

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