What if you as the PT treated a personal trainer, and that personal trainer referred several of their clients to you when they had legitimate reasons for PT. The personal trainer injured themselves again and was your patient again. Should you accept further referrals from that personal trainer?
Answer
First, why does this personal trainer keep injuring themselves? That is a concern. As their PT, we need to provide education on body mechanics or proper lifting techniques or overuse injuries. I don't know what the issue was. As long as there is no financial relationship, this is not a conflict of interest. What I'm reading here though this question is that you did a good job with the professional trainer, and because of that, the professional trainer referred their clients to you because he or she thinks you did a good job. That is what every PT manager and/or PT private practice owner, is hoping for is that word of mouth referral. There is a problem and its llegal if there is some sort of kick back scheme or if the trainer says to you, "You're such a great PT. I'm going to give you free training sessions." That's a conflict of interest. If you say to the professional trainer, "You've referred so many people to me. You can work out in my gym whenever you want for free," that is also a conflict of interest and a kick back as well. If the person is just referring patients to you and is just coming back to you because you did a good job, that's our dream as PTs (that they would believe that we did a good job, and that they would want to come and work with us).
Brigette Cuffia, PT, JD
Brigette Cuffia is an Assistant Professor at Neumann University and teaches in the Physical Therapy Program. She is also one of the Academic Coordinators of Clinical Education responsible for student clinical placements. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Therapy and her Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Thomas Jefferson University and her Juris Doctorate Degree from Temple University. She is both a licensed PT in Pennsylvania as well as a licensed attorney admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar.
Brigette has taught live ethics and jurisprudence courses for licensed therapists since 2009. She is currently teaching courses on ethical technology usage, pediatric ethics and legal issues. She is also an on-line instructor for Care Resources, LLC and Elite Rehabilitation Solutions teaching ethics and legal issues for healthcare providers.
Clinically, Brigette has worked for Moss Rehab Hospital for over 15 years in some capacity- currently she is an outpatient per-diem. While at Moss as the neurology team lead she was integral in developing a CARF accredited spinal cord injury program, bariatric program and also reviving the sexuality and disability education committee. Brigette was awarded a grant to develop Moss Muscle Builders, a maintenance group for persons with disabilities, which is still active today.
At Neumann Brigette developed and implements the service-learning curriculum which allows students the opportunity to participate in public health initiatives throughout the community Brigette also chairs the Philadelphia Area Clinical Education Consortium a nonprofit group providing continuing education in the region: www.phillyclined.org
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