As I write this during an unusually hot Colorado summer with the thermometer reaching the upper 90s, it’s hard to believe that by the time you read this, we’ll all be settling into our September fall routines (and hopefully some more seasonal weather). And for most of us, that means leaving the summer mindset of vacations and long relaxing evenings in the backyard for a renewed focus on work or school. In this issue, we discuss some aspects of O&P that may not have direct application to the clinic but nevertheless impact the care you provide to improve patients’ lives.
One common business hurdle, particularly for small facilities, is marketing—getting noticed, maintaining a strong referral base—while carrying out the essential functions of the practice of serving patients and managing billing and reimbursements. “Marketing Beyond the Brochure: Why the Best O&P Strategies Start With Clarity” offers strategies to build on small scalable marketing solutions for busy practices, even with limited staff resources.
Communication, often through conversation, is an essential element of any relationship, personal or professional. And no one likes to be interrupted. But “The First Few Seconds: Interruptions That Change the Medical Conversation” explores a more nuanced understanding of these disruptions in conversation and how they can be used cooperatively for a mutually productive understanding.
Phantom limb pain is a common condition plaguing individuals with amputations. While not a primary concern within O&P clinicians’ scope of practice, their relationships with patients make them uniquely positioned to share the available resources. “From Innovation to Global Impact: Rethinking the Fight Against Phantom Limb Pain” discusses new initiatives available to educate the community about the variety of interventions that can help people experiencing phantom limb pain find relief.
Finally, though advocacy occurs outside the clinic walls, it supports all the important work of the profession. “NAAOP Hosts Congressional Fly-In to Advance O&P Policies” recounts the recent efforts in Washington to advance some key O&P issues.
Happy reading.
Andrea Spridgen
