Business
Explorers, Innovators, and the Future of Therapy Practice
What distinguishes an explorer from a maintainer in the therapy profession? Why are outside disruptors capturing market share while traditional practices struggle? How can clinicians leverage cutting-edge research on mitochondrial DNA and movement disorders to revolutionize treatment approaches? We tackle these questions and more in a dialogue that bridges clinical excellence with business innovation.
Alex offers a provocative parable about buying lottery tickets that perfectly captures our profession's hesitation to proactively engage with healthcare transformation. "We're losing workforce," he warns, "but we're still failing to see that we need to go out and look into these risk-based contracts, at least explore, at least understand what they are and how to operationalize them."
We examine the stark contrast between traditional care models and patient-centered approaches that leverage technology. Is it better to "hold a patient's hand" through dozens of visits, or transition to guided self-management after fewer sessions? This question gets to the heart of therapy's value proposition in an evolving healthcare ecosystem.
The irony doesn't escape us: therapists expertly help patients recognize and build upon their strengths, yet we collectively struggle to do the same for our profession. The gap between the actual value therapists provide and our ability to communicate that value creates the perfect opportunity for disruption – either from outside forces or, ideally, from innovative thinkers within.
External disruptors aren't succeeding because they provide better clinical care. They're succeeding because they've packaged therapy expertise in ways that solve specific problems for stakeholders, speaking the language of value, efficiency, and outcomes that resonates with payers and health systems.
This conversation isn't meant to be comfortable – it's meant to be catalyzing. The explorer's mindset we advocate requires questioning established practices, reimagining care delivery, and having the courage to venture into unfamiliar territory.
As Alex puts it: "I'm optimistic because I think the better days are ahead, because that's my nature, but I'm also realistic that it may take a catastrophe for those models to be absorbed. We just want to be on a good hill when the catastrophe hits."
Are you ready to climb that hill? To join us as explorers charting new territories in healthcare transformation? To balance rigorous clinical standards with business innovation?
Listen now to discover how adopting an explorer's mindset could transform your practice and ensure our profession remains central to healthcare's future. Because the future of therapy will be written by those willing to explore it – and we believe you have an important chapter to contribute.
Takeaways
- The explorer's mindset encourages seeking new horizons in therapy.
- Therapists must adapt to changing healthcare delivery models.
- Curiosity and innovation are essential for professional growth.
- Understanding value-based care is crucial for therapists.
- Therapists need to articulate their value to stakeholders.
- Research consumption strategies can enhance clinical reasoning.
- Collaboration with other healthcare providers is vital.
- Growth can be achieved through efficiency and subtraction.
- Therapists should prepare for risk-based contracts.
- The future of therapy depends on adaptability and exploration.
#TherapyLeadership #HealthcareInnovation #PhysicalTherapy #ValueBasedCare #PracticeManagement
Link to the transcript here.
Subscribe to the Future Proof PT newsletter and receive exclusive resources that grow with every episode!
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
Check out our friend and colleague's *course on AI for PTs (and so many others!) by Cody Lee, PT, DPT
*affiliate link