The value of your Physio

We at The Physio Social Club recently met to discuss the topic of Promoting Your Value. The question stemmed from a question I was asked about how to best get your name out ‘there’ and build a caseload. Like an annoying supervisor I had back at uni, I answered their question with another question.

I asked, ‘What about your way of providing Physiotherapy do you value?

Asking the question in this format makes you consider our profession as an action, a methodology or philosophy regarding the application of a skillset rather than simply describing an individual.

To make the distinction between Physiotherapy as describing a person in contrast to describing a methodology consider the ‘simple’ task of writing out your Physio bio.

You are asked by your employer to provide a brief paragraph that allows the prospective patient know more about you. It’s an impossible task. How can you describe in 100 words or less how you are a culmination of countless hours or study and determination, how you process information looking for patterns, pushing back biases, formulate hypothesis, consider the evidence base, analysis risk, predict a likely timeline all while keeping an eye on the time? How can you concisely describe your ability to empathise with patients, take the time to listen while remembering the difference between diclofenac and ibuprofen. How can you reassure the reader that you appreciate your scope of practice, have spent years developing a network of trusted colleagues and that you will refer as needed in the best interest of the patient? How can you explain the innumerable hours you spend chasing up imaging reports and writing letters, that you email on the weekend and spend unpaid hours planning rehab programs? As I mentioned, it’s an impossible task.

In the end we resort to providing a silhouette of the Physio we provide by giving precedence to the university where we were educated, naming the body parts or sports injuries we feel most comfortable treating and describe our own sporting interests.

So, the aim of the group discussion was to shine a light on what we value most in the way we deliver our Physiotherapy skills.

As a result, we discussed the concepts of warm data and how it fails to register in most KPIs, explored the concept of clinical strengths and weakness, the appreciation of your scope of practice, vulnerability, mentoring within a flat hierarchy and exploring our knowledge gaps using information beyond Physiotherapy. As always it was a diverse and interesting chat.

Reflecting on the great points made by my colleagues during our Physio Social Club Tinot chat, I will ask you the following questions to help you promote your value.

 1.     What part of your Physiotherapy do you feel is most important?

Is it your ability to recall the evidence base for a range of injuries? Is it your manual skills? Perhaps the importance lies in your ability to perform an objective assessment any tesxt book would be proud of? It could even your association with a particular sporting team? Maybe, it’s your ability to listen and not interrupt?

It’s not for me to say what it can or can’t be. It’s for you to consider.

2.     What part(s) of your Physiotherapy do you think benefits your patients the most?

Is it your manual therapy skills? Your great repertoire of rehabilitation exercises? Perhaps it’s your ability to summarise your findings at the end of a session? Is it your ability to concisely explain pain, inflammation or what occurs following their knee replacement.? Maybe, it’s the multidisciplinary network you have established over the years that you can refer to as needed. It could be your commitment to guiding your patient through the challenge of injury by calling/emailing them as needed.

Again, it’s not for me to say what it can or can’t be. It’s for you to consider.

The same part of your Physiotherapy may not answer both questions. Perhaps the key to promoting your value is to consider what it is about your Physiotherapy that will benefit your patient the most, rather than what you feel is important about your career. Promoting your value is more than simply promoting your CV or bio.

Promoting your value firstly requires an understanding of what you value about how you deliver your set of skills. Then you are in a position to better promote yourself to your patients, colleagues and employers.