PTs of SDN, what is the most unethical thing you have done or you have heard of a fellow PT doing

[brooklynyc]

The thread idea is a spinoff of this thread I have been reading on Reddit for the past two days and this has been oddly compelling:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/32qbk5/doctors_of_reddit_what_is_the_most_unethical/

Has anyone heard of unethical things like this occuring in PT?

The only thing I've really heard of is insurance scams.

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[Fiveoboy11]

http://www.apta.org/uploadedFiles/APTAorg/About_Us/Policies/HOD/Ethics/CodeofEthics.pdf

Unethical behavior is widespread in physical therapy if you use this document as a guideline. I do not know the evolution of the guideline but I would suspect "problem areas" are in it on purpose. Unfortunately, given the history of physical therapy, many of the principles is this document are much harder to abide by and direct practice pattern/philosophy than they should be. Kind of like swimming up stream (which is what I do). The law and code of ethics and schooling say do it this way BUT the traditional practice pattern or philosophy or company policy and procedure is often contradictory.

To me the ultimate unethical conduct is violations of principles 3 and 7.

 

[NewDPT31]

usually just insurance stuff, like double booking medicare patients
i've heard of patients falling and busting a hip because the therapist was seeing 3 other patients at the same time.
I have heard of male PT's and Massage therapists being too handsy(that's why I treat everyone in common room or if have to do private room bring in an aid)

Personally, I think a lot of the unethical stuff is not necessarily the fault of the therapist but the company as a whole. When large outpatient companies like Athletico keep getting bought by investment firms, squeeze as much productivity out of the therapists as humanly possible, making the therapists work 50-60 hours a week in some cases and paying them for 37.5, paying them shockingly low compared to hospital outpatient PTs, and having aides basically run patients through exercises each time with 10-15 mins with actual PT....yeah that's where I have a problem. I'm a PT who has been a patient recently(location is close to my house) and the therapists are great, smart, etc. But they get burnt out, if they leave they get replaced by another new grad, and they don't have a lot of options for OP jobs because the large companies have a monopoly on the area-and thus have more influence on business ethics. That's the danger. Big companies( like ATI and Athletico) are taking over the US market.

 

[engmedpt]

Athletico keep getting bought by investment firms, squeeze as much productivity out of the therapists as humanly possible, making the therapists work 50-60 hours a week in some cases and paying them for 37.5,

There are conglomerates that overwork their therapists this much without paying overtime??? Seriously?

 

[engmedpt]

^I believe its different in my town because there is a solid amount of private practice, not chains.

 

[NewDPT31]

they are coming...

http://www.athletico.com/press-room...d-accelerated-rehabilitation-centers-combine/

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-rele...ion-joins-ati-physical-therapy-300058589.html

 

[Azimuthal]

The CA PT Board regularly posts these:

PT in Los Angeles ('nuff said) paid an acupuncturist $3-4k for referrals. He then used these referrals to bill Medicare for >$1 mil... No services were provided. In other words, he just paid the acupuncturist for the patient info so he can file bogus claims.

http://www.ptbc.ca.gov/consumers/enforcement/choi_acc.pdf

 

[DesertPT]

The CA PT Board regularly posts these:

PT in Los Angeles ('nuff said) paid an acupuncturist $3-4k for referrals. He then used these referrals to bill Medicare for >$1 mil... No services were provided. In other words, he just paid the acupuncturist for the patient info so he can file bogus claims.

http://www.ptbc.ca.gov/consumers/enforcement/choi_acc.pdf

Go figure...someone stupid enough to do that was also stupid enough to not get away with it.

 

[DrRehab]

The thread idea is a spinoff of this thread I have been reading on Reddit for the past two days and this has been oddly compelling:

http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/32qbk5/doctors_of_reddit_what_is_the_most_unethical/

Has anyone heard of unethical things like this occuring in PT?

The only thing I've really heard of is insurance scams.

Here is a perfect case of unethical business practices. HCR Manorcare just got sued due to whistle blowers. The practices at this facility were identical to my previous facility, making us see patients for the full 100 days at a SNF even if the patient made no gains (or on the opposite end, met all goals) and was no longer a good candidate for therapy. By the time I left, they were having patients at the highest RUG level, and saw PTs stuck with patients for 75 minutes PER VISIT, while the patients were practically in a coma and could not speak, open their eyes, respond to commands, move any extremity, etc. The therapists just followed the directors orders because they didn't want to be out on their ass and not know a way to put food on their table or pay for a roof above their heads. If a director EVER pressures me to see patients the way they used to, I will print out the article I provided and say, "you want me to be a whistle blower too?"