Looking to maybe start using NCS technicians. Anyone with experience using them ? Good place to start in hiring one? Would want to train them and make sure I feel comfortable with their work quality of course. Any insight on how you set up work flow to improve efficiency ?
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EMG/NCS
Started by PLR_Rehab/Spine
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We use NCS technicians daily in my work. They are honestly such a huge help in our clinic flow (large tertiary academic center). We personally have multiple presenting complaints protocolized so when a patient arrives, depending on the presenting complaint, our NCS technicians room the patient and follow the pre-prescribed NCS protocol for that presenting complaint. Then we, the physicians, enter the room for the needle portion of the exam (discussion of clinical history, pre-exam focused physical exam, and needle portion). Our technicians are also trained in neuromuscular ultrasound (most commonly median nerve at wrist and forearm for carpal tunnel syndrome, but a few others). I have not personally hired any, as that is not my capacity in the EMG lab, but enjoy working with them.
I agree. The PTs are seeing the money grab and diving into this space as well.
I even had orthopedic surgeons pick a competing PT over me because they were cheaper than me and they could bill on top of them.
Plenty of physicians hide behind "patient care" when they bill behind it.
A tech and PT who's interpreting are obviously two separate things. However, physicians are putting more people and red tape between us and patients. We wonder why patients don't trust us anymore.
Life is short, so enjoy your money.
However, as a profession let's not be surprised and blame everyone else in the end.
To clarify, NCS technicians are trained to performed NCS under the care of a physician, as the first part of an Electrodiagnostic examination. They do not interpret the results. Interpretation of the NCS, as well as performance of the second portion (needle EMG) of the exam, lies on the physician. For my understanding, if the physician is interpreting the NCS results, how is this poor patient care?
The evolution of PAs, NPs, ATCs, NCS Techs is really about dollars and volume and rarely is about improving patient care. If it was about access to care, why are we okay with the least skilled seeing our patients first?
This is not specific to EMGs but the general trend and motivation of business decisions in the insurance based model of care.
The ncs techs in my residency were amazing and the main teachers in the technique of the basics like cts eval. The doctors would do all interpretation and teaching of diagnosis and the harder studies ncs studies.
