2022 APTA Alaska Spring Conference
Invisible patients with an invisible disease: How understanding the broad social determinants contributing to persistent musculoskeletal pain can help clinicians leverage the clinical conversation and optimize outcomes.
Speaker - Alicia Emerson, PT, DPT, MS, Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy, Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
The epidemic of persistent musculoskeletal pain (PMP) is a public health concern. Epidemiological studies indicate PMP may occur disproportionately in vulnerable populations. Vulnerability can occur due to chronic physical or mental health conditions, and/or adverse social determinants. Inequitable management decisions outcomes persist in PMP, straining the healthcare system, and are influenced by several factors, including the clinical conversation. The clinical conversation is difficult because PMP is stigmatized diagnosis that often occurs in the context of patient-provider outgroup demographics.
This course will be of interest to clinicians who work with patients with PMP and/or diverse populations. Screening for the individual and population risk factors associated with PMP will be presented. Additionally, we will explore how clinicians’ biases, attitudes, and expectations can influence patients and their outcomes. Case-based learning will be used to hone communication skills needed to optimize the clinical conversation in PMP management.
COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course, attendees will be to
- Identify and select key screening forms that can be useful for informing clinical reasoning to identify risk factors for the development of persistent musculoskeletal pain
- Identify and select key screening forms that can be useful to identify comorbidities that influence the prognosis in persistent pain populations and influence interventions prescription.
- Identify clinicians’ and patients’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs that can influence the clinical conversation of persistent musculoskeletal pain.
- Demonstrate optimal communication strategies to leverage outcomes in persistent musculoskeletal pain.
Dr. Alicia Emerson is Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at HPU. She is a Board Certified Specialist in Orthopaedics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists. Her extensive clinical experience working with complex medical conditions in an underserved patient population combined with her previous educational experience allows Dr. Emerson to provide unique insights and enriched learning experiences to advance her student’s clinical reasoning skills. In addition, she is coordinating the Community Outreach series which will afford students an opportunity to work in the emerging HPU Pro Bono Clinic, and she is also responsible for the Intervention series of courses within the PT curriculum.
Dr. Emerson has mentored numerous fellows-in-training and physical therapy students in the clinic, for which she was twice named one of Chicagoland’s Clinical Instructors of the Year. She is currently the Chair of the Research Committee for AAOMPT, and she has amassed numerous recognitions in clinical practice.
Dr. Emerson’s research interests include the functional implications of pain processing in the management of musculoskeletal conditions, clinical reasoning, and clinical management in patients with chronic and/or complex presentations, as well as working with underserved or marginalized patient populations. Dr. Emerson has presented nationally and internationally as a noted opinion leader in her field, and has made numerous contributions to or authored a wide array of professional and scholarly articles.