What Matters to You?
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Kimberly Benson, PT, DPT
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Neurologic Physical Therapy
VPTA's Communications Committee-Content Development Manager
Recently I was at a course regarding a shift in culture to embrace the “Whole Health” module. The whole health model is a holistic look at the many areas of life that can affect your health — your work environment, relationships, diet, sleep patterns, and more. As a physical therapist, I felt like I was already doing a great job considering my patient's needs and addressing goals. However, I realize there is always room to grow.
Embracing the idea of celebrating accomplishments instead of focusing on challenges truly hit home to me. Just rephrasing the question “What is the matter with you?" or "What brings you here today?" to asking “What matters to you?” can truly shift how therapy is delivered. If we could shift from focusing on problems and focus on what matters, perhaps we can be more effective. Using SMART goals to design treatments was one tip I really appreciated. To make your goal S.M.A.R.T., it needs to conform to the following criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely.
A great example of this is, instead of writing "Patient will walk 100 ft in 6 weeks"; maybe convey the goal as, "Patient will walk 100 ft in 6 weeks so he can attend his grandson's soccer game." By highlighting why and how their efforts in physical therapy can be meaningful and obtainable, we can improve their compliance to the plan of care and achieve better treatment outcomes.
The more I learn, the more I accept the importance of the mind-body connection and how important motivation is when treating patients. Regardless of whether I see the potential and can come up with a great treatment plan, if the patient doesn’t buy in, the goals will never be reached.
I challenge you, next time you see a patient, take a few extra moments to find out what really matters to them. Shape your treatment plan to the person, not to the disease or condition.
