NEW CHANGES TO HEALTH CARE
Raj Suppiah, MScPT, BHScHons.
BIG NEWS! GREAT CHANGES TO HEALTHCARE! Physiotherapists in Ontario can now “diagnose.”
As of Sept. 1, 2011, Ontarians will be able to ask their physiotherapists directly, receive an expert diagnosis and be prescribed a treatment plan, all without visiting a medical doctor.
What does this mean? Prior to this, physiotherapists were not able to diagnose your condition. Although, we were able to assess your injuries and treat them, we were withheld from communicating an official diagnosis (the identification of the nature and cause of your symptoms). This
responsibility belonged solely to physicians.
After years of lobbying and proving that physiotherapists are experts when it comes to the physical body, the legislation was changed, allowing us to diagnose our clients’ conditions. This means fewer visits to physician offices, saving lots of health care dollars. As physiotherapists conduct detailed assessments of physical conditions, clients’ can be more confident in their diagnoses. They can also expect better prognoses.
But wait, there’s more. Over the coming months, our ability to diagnose will help us with the ability to order X-Rays, ultrasound or lab tests. We will keep all our clients’ updated regularly about these exciting changes in health care.
Please read this post from the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario for more information.
Raj Suppiah is the co-owner and physiotherapist at Foundation Physiotherapy.