Orthotics: What To Do If Your Care Team Disagrees
“Who writes the prescription for orthotics if the physical therapist and physiatrist disagree? Can a primary care physician? ”
ANSWER- This is a great question that has a very nuanced answer that I think *may* be helpful for those with a little one that has orthotics!
Let's talk how I manage it if I have a child on my caseload that I think could benefit from an orthotic assessment/orthotic use, etc. We start a team approach where we can ALL discuss what the family is seeing, what I'm seeing during sessions, what the physiatrist or orthotist is seeing during their assessment. In my opinion, it TRULY should be a team collaborative approach because we are all seeing things with a different set of eyes and expertise. If the physiatrist as the medical doctor, meaning they would be the one to write the script, feels very strongly about their recommendation and everyone cannot come to a common ground, ultimately the person writing the script is the one with the overarching authority.
BUT I will say, someone being unwilling to modify based on the rest of the team's feedback has genuinely never happened in all of the years I have been in this field and collaboration is truly such a big part of providing the best, most appropriate individualized care - so don't be afraid to keep the conversation going, there is always middle ground to be had!!
Hope this helps!
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KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.
