One of the things I struggle with in relation to improving consumers' ability to make informed health care decisions is the constant assault of information from advertisers and special interest groups. It can be very difficult to sort through the haze and determine what the best course of action might be in response to a specific issue.
This might be responding to a serious health crisis like cancer, or it could be responding to something more minor, but no less confusing. For example, chronic "tennis elbow" or lateral elbow pain has as many proposed solutions as proposed causes of the condition itself. For the average consumer, there is no way to determine what the right course of action might be aside from relying on the perspective of their health care provider…whomever that might be.
Andrew Pollack from the Evidence Gap series does an excellent job of portraying how, even in the face of strong evidence, certain treatments don't catch on through the example of diuretics, hypertension, and the Allhat study: The Minimal Impact of a Big Hypertension Study. Placing the blame solely on the pharmaceutical reps may not be appreciating all the factors that come into play when evidence-based practice is examined at the level of a health system.
However, placing the blame of the pharmaceutical companies sure is fun, especially as I sit through advertisement after advertisement on TV touting each drug to be "clinically proven." Nonsense!
Afterall, we know that in science, there is no such thing as proof. It's a moving target.
An estimated 60 million Americans are can be found partaking in some sort of Health 2.0 activities. This is defined as:
"Health 2.0 consumers are defined as consumers who have conducted one of the following activities in the past 12 months: read health-related blogs, message boards or participated in health-related chatrooms; contributed or posted health content online such as: writing or commenting on a health-related blog, adding or responding to a topic in a forum or group, or creating health related web pages, videos or audio content; used online patient support groups, message boards, chatrooms, or blogs."
Seems like a bit of a loose definition to me. This would make any reader of my blog a Health 2.0 consumer…so…congratulations? I'm thinking the definition might be better off including some sort of active intent with respect to one's health condition. For example, reading my blog with the intent to learn more about selecting a physical therapist for your treatment.
One of the staples of physical therapist practice is teaching individuals to walk using assistive devices. In fact, just today I'm prepping to introduce the skill to first year students. Not much has changed in how one uses crutches, except that perhaps splinters have become less of a problem with the emergence of metal vs. wooden crutches.
At some point, technology will touch upon everything, and I wonder if these auxiliary legs might be the wave of the future for assistive devices. Instead of a clumsy rolling walker, one might simply strap on these robo-legs and go. Could I be instructing how to strap on and use robo-legs in a couple of years?
The LA Times recently picked up this APTA press release reporting on the results of a study in Physical Therapy, which found that improving strength through resistance training can help with blood sugar control. Subjects in the study participated in a 16 week exercise program supervised by a physical therapist. The key to the program was the addition of resistance training to aerobic training. Those who recieved that program had improved health in terms of BMI and increased muscle mass compared to those who only performed aerobic exercise. Lean tissue helps regulate blood sugar levels.
The study is part of PT Journal's Special Diabetes Issue, which is a pretty slick issue! Of course, November 14th is World Diabetes Day! Diabetes is estimated to have an economic cost of $174 Billion in the United States and effects up to 24 million individuals.
I've been at the annual conference of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists (AAOMPT) in Seattle, WA over the past few days. This is one of my favorite conferences, in part because of the high-powered attendees, but also because it is plain fun! The theme of the conference was "Pain: From Science to Solutions."
This year, we were treated to some wonderful neuroscience as delivered by David Butler, PT, who combined cutting edge information with humor during his talk, "Manipulating the Brain."
I had the great opportunity to present a session at the conference. Not surprisingly, I spoke about using web technology to improve evidence-based practice. I really got to show off my inner geek! If you're interested in the resources from my presentation, find them here.
The online encyclopedia of Physical Therapy. 
