There is always paperwork in the medical field. We all hate to do it. There is always a subjective part too. Some people like it, and some do not.
Hello! My name is Dr. Karen Ceraso. I am a physical therapist, and today I am going to chat about ‘the big picture’.
It is interesting to me that I go over paperwork and ask the same type of questions and there are more than likely things missing. For example. I saw a patient just today that had the surgical piece of the paperwork empty. So I mention “no surgeries, great”. He lit up “oh yes, I have had meniscus repair 8 months ago, and ALC repair on the other leg 10 years ago, a bankart repair on my right shoulder 5 years ago that never healed well, and I am waiting until the spring for a lajaret shoulder surgery”. All righty. I did not ask why he did not put this all down. I get it. This is not the reason he was here to see me today.
Then why do I need to know? So many reasons why. With surgeries, come tissue healing stages, scar adhesions, movement limitations, strength, and motor control impairments. There are also contraindications and/or precautions we as PTs ensure we are choosing the safest and most effective way to do an examination. We need to know what is the best intervention to perform for your treatment today and in the future.
I am not a fan of paperwork either, for myself when I go to a healthcare provider, or when I need to do PT notes! LOL. Ask any PT, we would all rather chuck the computer and spend all of the time with you. I joke that I need an assistant to interpret and document each patient’s visit for me. Won’t happen. Do your paperwork-I feel ya.
CONTACT KAREN L. CERASO
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