Dear Colleagues and Guests,
If you go to the website op-repository.org, you can find an orthotic and
prosthetic survey under documents, then surveys.
I think now is the right time to participate in this survey. First, a
little history. This form has been sent around the country to various
practitioners and associations for distribution consideration. To date,
it has fallen on deaf ears, so I’m moving forward with it myself. If you
think it’s a bad idea, then don’t participate. I have had good input
from a few knowledgeable practitioners along the way. I’ve also been
told that the survey will be virtually meaningless. So be it. I still
believe it will have value. The purpose of this survey is to compile and
tabulate valid responses from our O&P clientele. The results can be
presented to CMS and other healthcare officials and legislators as
necessary. The results can also be used to demonstrate the value of O&P
professionals when it comes to O&P care. Of course, that assumes the
answers will be in our favor. I envision another, much shorter, survey
that will be sent to physicians around the country. The purpose of that
survey will be to hopefully garner honest support within the physician
community for allowing O&P professionals to write the definitive O&P
prescription in consultation with the prescribing physician. In other
words, we would like a collaborative end-game agreement with physicians
that supports the clinical needs of O&P clients/patients. If the outcome
of the physician survey is in the positive, then we would approach the
AMA and other physician groups to see if they would support this
endeavor within the CMS system. If physicians and clients give our
profession a positive read, then I believe this information can be used
effectively with CMS and our legislators. Do you agree? If so, read on.
Here is how the first survey will work. Each participating practice will
need to email me to request a unique mailing address for the survey.
Each practice will download and print the survey for their respective
clients. They will also provide a self-stamped and addressed envelope
for each survey. Each survey will be mailed by the client/patient to the
address that is typed on the self-stamped envelope. All surveys will be
sent to a CPA accounting firm that is not involved with orthotics or
prosthetics. Once enough surveys are collected, the survey will end and
a small group of O&P professionals will meet to tabulate the results.
The results will then be made available to anyone who chooses to see
them. Is there a risk associated with this? You tell me. If you believe
the answers to the survey will support our profession, then I believe we
will have one more piece of documentation that supports our long-term
cause. At the end of the day, these surveys will be used to provide
support for CMS to allow O&P professionals write a definitive
prescription in consultation with the prescribing physician. Can you
imagine the fewer CMS audits that would result from such a system if
properly done? Can you imagine a physician who would not welcome the
lifting of their O&P burden, especially since they would still be fully
in charge of the final prescriptions and agreements? Physicians
collaborate routinely with other specialists and laboratories. Why is it
not reasonable that we be included in this process? Since we are being
held fully accountable by CMS for what is in the definitive documents
and physician’s records, why should we not be allowed to actively
participate in this process, especially since most physicians do not
fully understand the world of O&P and routinely rely upon our judgement
to assist in the prescribed outcomes?
If you have an active practice and want to participate in this survey,
please send me an email and I will assign you a unique mailing address.
Since postal authorities seem to use various stamping techniques, the
unique mailing address will provide us with the city and state where
each survey came from. We only want to provide proof that this was
indeed a nationwide survey. I will not keep or share any confidential
information about any O&P company. You have my word. After the survey is
ended (approx. 1000), all supporting documents will be destroyed except
for the surveys and associated mailing envelopes they came in. They will
be kept for 18 months, then destroyed.If we get 10 surveys from 100
facilities around the country, our goal of 1000 will be complete. If we
get more, great.
This may not be a scientific survey, but it will at least give us, and
perhaps others, a glimpse of our value in the O&P medical world. Thanks
for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you
Again the survey can be found at
op-repository.org/Documents/Surveys/Medicare Patient Survey
Wil Haines, CPO
MaxCare Bionics
Avon, IN 46123
