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Ethics Committee Report Lisa Kohler, PT – Chair
The Ethics Committee has been very active during the first half of 2019, and we are always on the lookout for situations that could affect PTs and PTAs; an example is listed below .
18 | September 2019 | OPTA
PLEASE BE AWARE AND NOTIFY YOUR THERAPISTS OF THIS SCAM
• A phone call, from 614 area code/Columbus, came into a clinic office asking for a physical therapist by name .
• Caller identified himself as Special Investigation Officer calling from the Ohio Medical Board and said the PT’s license was being suspended .
• He said the therapist by name was involved in transporting drugs over the border and license was suspended until an investigation was completed .
• The department then received a FAX while PT was on the phone with name and correct PT license number, which
caused more concern .
• The caller kept putting the PT on hold
and the PT, due to concern about license status, cancelled afternoon patients . The PT became suspicious and hung up .
• The PT called the DEA . They said they had no record of the PT’s name being involved in any issue .
• This call was reported to the police and reported to the Ohio OT/PT/AT board . There was never any action taken against the PT’s license . We assume if the PT would have stayed on the call, they would have asked for money .
ETHICS GOALS FOR 2019
We’ve been working on our three goals:
1. Collaborate with other healthcare associations and stakeholders in order to introduce legislation to address the opioid issue in Ohio.
• Plan to contact legislators when opioid bill introduced, as well as ongoing . Discussed bound by ethics for no opioid use by PTs and PTAs unless for medical purpose .
2. Implement an OPTA Leadership Development Program for members.
• Develop ethics component to the program, such as role of Ethics Committee, resources from APTA and ethics modules .
3. Develop three innovative initiatives the measurably enhance member value.
• Annual conference topic based on survey by OPTA members .
• Availability for ethical situations by post questions to ethics committee on OPTA website . Communicate this process by email blast and/or banner on website .
• Quarterly email blast 3 times a year of scenario, reason for ethical issue and recommendation .
ACCOMPLISHMENTS YEAR TO DATE:
• Committee members have contacted Federal legislators about opioid bills .
• Committee members attended Advocacy Day; discussing the opioid crisis with state legislators .
• Annual conference presentation in April based on member feedback .
• Developed banner title of “Is My First Thought Wrong? Posing an Ethical Dilemma.”
Examples of ethical situations that are submitted from real experiences we may put in an email blast are:
1 . Observed therapists charging four units versus three units for a patient arriving late to a one-hour appointment . Therapist fearful of not meeting productivity (patient seen for 50 minutes) .
2 . In acute care setting . Patient evaluated and discharged – independent up in room, ad lib . Asked by case manager to re-evaluate because family/ doctor demanding patient go to rehab/SNF .
3 . PT asked by case manager to change a discharge recommendation so patient can qualify for SNF or IRF .
If you have other ethical situations you’d like to share or questions you’d like answered, reach out! We’re here to help .
For more information, please contact Lisa at:
lkohler@cinci.rr.com