Taking in the View From 30,000 Feet

Julie M. Fritz

DOI: 10.2519/jospt.2011.0105

The availability of population-based survey data provides a unique opportunity to understand issues related to access and utilization of physical therapy in the United States, and to better gauge public perceptions of the profession. In our day-to-day routine, we all tend to consider our work as physical therapists on a one-to-one level with the patients we serve. Examining data from national population-based surveys can elevate our daily, ground-level viewpoint to a 30 000-foot perspective on the profession. This vantage point allows certain things to come into focus that would otherwise be obscured, and the vision may not always comport with our expectations.

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2011;41(7):465-466. doi:10.2519/jospt.2011.0105

KEY WORDS: physical therapy, population-based survey

In our day-to-day routine, we all tend to consider our work as physical therapists on a one-to-one level with the patients we serve. Examining data from national population-based surveys can elevate our daily, ground-level viewpoint to a 30 000-foot perspective on the profession.

View Full Article