advantages of using external consultants

What State of Origin Can Teach Us About Booking Frequency

I love “State of Origin” time.

Note for Non Australian Subscribers – State of Origin is Australian Rugby League’s NSW V’s Queensland Yearly 3 Game Series.

The interstate rivalry and saturation media coverage makes it great to be a good old Rugby league tragic.

However – a recent media item really got my attention.

One of New South Wales star players – Jarryd Hayne – sustained a Grade One hamstring strain while playing for his club side the weekend just gone.

Placing him in doubt for the next State of Origin game in a few weeks time.

Nothing special about this I hear you say – it happens ever week in all sporting codes.

However – what pricked my ears was the article that included the text:

Star to have Physio Eight Times a Day to be Fit for Game Two”

I then saw an interview Jarryd gave on a sports panel last night where he commented on the progress of the injury by saying:

“I had 5 physios sessions yesterday and 6 today”.

So what I hear you ask.

Well – have you ever seen a new graduate physio do an initial assessment and treatment of a grade one hamstring strain and make the follow up appointment for anything between 4 and 10 days away?

Why does Jarryd Hayne need physio multiple times a day – yet our standard patient only gets booked in once or twice a week?

The answer my learned colleagues can be one of two possible reasons:

One – the physio is too worried about the cost to the patient to book in daily treatment sessions.

OR

Two – the physio does not believe in their ability to make a real difference to the recovery of this injury – so they sent the patient off to do some gentle stretching and icing.

In both cases – the result is gross under-servicing of the patient and ultimately – a poor clinical outcome.

I know this will challenge some of you – but I firmly believe that the more experienced and confident a therapist is – the more consultations they will deliver to their clients.

Not the reverse.

Being a better therapist does not necessarily mean you get them better in less visits – however it does mean you get a better outcome and more complete recovery.

So the next time one of your therapists makes a follow up appointment for a client weeks down the track – ask them:

“If that was Jarryd Hayne – and he had a State of Origin Game to play in 2 weeks – would you have still made the next appointment that far in advance?”

I suspect not.

I value your comments.

Best Wishes

Paul Wright

 

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