As I write this, we’ve just returned from PT 2009 in Baltimore, where PTJ held its fourth annual Rothstein Debate. Our topic this year was “When Does Regulation Become Over-Regulation, and When Does Under-Regulation Invite Abuse?” I extend special thanks to our debaters, Larry Benz, PT, DPT, ECS, and Stephen Levine, PT, DPT, MSHA, and to our moderator, Tony Delitto, PT, PhD, FAPTA, who, along with PTJ's Steering Committee, determines topics and questions for our debates. Look for the podcast at http://www.ptjournal.org/misc/podcasts.dtl. The debate raised incredibly important issues for the profession, especially as we enter a time of intense health care reform efforts. I was struck by the need for every member of the profession to be informed about the issues related to regulation.
Although Drs Benz and Levine started the session in opposition to each other's point of view, the discussion that emerged showed their agreement on basic principles surrounding the need for regulation. If we all had the facts about professional issues—rather than sound bites, perceptions, and hearsay—our profession might develop a stronger voice at the table with other members of the health care team. How can we get more APTA members to attend sessions that address these types of issues? The conference's “mega-issue” sessions were important regardless of clinical specialty or practice setting but had only moderate attendance. Such topics as the use of technology, health care reform, negotiating with insurance companies, earning a living and being ethical, and the vision of our future from participants in the Physical Therapy and Society Summit (PASS) require our immediate attention!
Take health care reform, for example. Are we going to sit back and let others develop the new model, without providing our input? Are we going to be reactive rather than proactive? And how can we as members be actively involved in the changes that are occurring if we are not familiar with the vocabulary, the data, the opportunities, and APTA's position?
PTJ's “Essentials of Writing and Reviewing Manuscripts” session at PT 2009 had a special focus on case reports, and guest presenter Irene McEwen, PT, PhD, FAPTA, former Deputy Editor of PTJ, spoke about the hot-off-the-press third edition of Writing Case Reports: A How-to Manual for Clinicians. The book provides a step-by-step guide to writing case reports and is applicable regardless of the journal to which you want to submit. In addition to full traditional case reports, PTJ is looking for case reports that highlight diagnosis/prognosis, clinical measurement, intervention, application of theory to practice, risk management, and administrative/educational processes. The physical therapy profession still needs rich case reports that describe practice regardless of setting. I strongly urge you to consider writing a case report that describes, for example, a novel way to help students learn in the classroom or in the clinical setting or to help administrators consider a different management model. We will always welcome clinical case reports, but I am encouraging you to think about other types of reports as well.
I am pleased to announce 2 new Editorial Board members for 2009/2010:
James R. Carey, PT, PhD, is professor and director of the Program in Physical Therapy at University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. With his extensive publication record in neuromuscular content, he brings to our table additional expertise in neuroplasticity, neural imaging modalities, and transcranial magnetic stimulation. Jim has served as principal investigator on numerous federal grants, including tracking training to stimulate neuroplasticity in stroke and, currently, rTMS and motor learning training to promote recovery from hemiparesis. Jim will complement the content expertise of Janice Eng, Kathy Gill-Body, Cole Galloway, Paul Helders, and Carolynn Patten. The neuromuscular expertise on our Editorial Board covers the life span, motor control and motor learning theory, neural recovery, assessment, and intervention! I look forward to this team generating topics to attract work that will excite scientists and clinicians alike.
Steven Z. George, PT, PhD, is associate professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Florida, where he also is a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Rehabilitation Science Doctoral Program. He has about 60 peer-reviewed publications, and his awards include the Eugene Michels New Investigator Award and the American Pain Society's John C. Liebeskind Early Career Scholar Award. His involvement with the Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health and the Brooks Center for Rehabilitation Studies offers PTJ the opportunity to become a stronger voice in understanding the mechanisms associated with the development and management of pain. His research is focused on the utilization of biopsychosocial models for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain, and we are excited that he and Editorial Board Member Dr Chris J. Main have already agreed to work together on a PTJ special issue related to pain.
I also take this opportunity to thank our outgoing Editorial Board members, all of whom have given so much to PTJ. Andrea Behrman, PT, PhD, FAPTA, is a pioneer in locomotor training in people with incomplete spinal cord injury. Her clinical research focus is on neural recovery versus neural compensation, and she has allowed PTJ to travel on this journey with her as she explored the issues of intervention dose, the effect of context (treadmill vs overground), and retention. She also helped the Journal begin using video as a medium to share methods and illustrate results. Her enthusiasm for the work of the authors whose manuscripts she reviewed was infectious. Thank you, Andrea, and keep up the exciting research path you have selected! Gregory Karst, PT, PhD, who is now assistant dean for academic affairs in addition to being professor in the Division of Physical Therapy Education in the School of Allied Health Professions at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, has served on our Editorial Board for almost 10 years. Although his training and research focused on motor control and kinesiological electromyography, Greg has been an incredible team player, reviewing literally hundreds of research manuscripts related to application of a variety of modalities including electrical stimulation, ultrasound, and other thermal devices. Greg's feedback to authors always included suggestions for how to improve the work for the next phase of research. I wish him well in his role as an administrator but am sorry that we are losing his expertise. Thank you, Greg. Chris Powers, PT, PhD, also has done an excellent job, bringing his biomechanical expertise to our Editorial Board for more than 7 years. His work with authors has helped them to link movement principles to procedures for examination and rationales for intervention. I am delighted that he has become the President of APTA's Section on Research, but his voice at our table will be missed. On behalf of the entire board, thank you, Chris.
As we welcome new contributors and thank those who have helped build PTJ, I encourage you to keep reading the Journal. We are working to provide you with relevant information through a variety of media, and we plan to become even more relevant in the generation of new knowledge and in the refinement of practice as we all move forward.
- American Physical Therapy Association
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