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Demographics & Opinions of

ATPs in Supply & Manufacturing

Joy Nix, ATP, CIFT, MSJuly 27, 2018

CRT Industry At-A-Glance• 4,092 ATPs Nationwide • Suppliers & Clinicians• Active & Not-Active• Government Mandated Role• Demand increase 4.8% per

year (1959 – 2005)

Jett, Spicer & Flaubert, 2017; Valentine, 2017; LaPlante & Kaye, 2010

ABC, 2018; AOPA, 2018; AOTA, 2017; APTA, 1996; West, 1992; Winters, 1995

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ATP Impact on Clients• Provide mobility• Access to independence • Access to community and social engagements• Access to environment• Impact client’s self-identity• Effect treatment trajectory

Bingham & Beatty, 2003; Dicianno et al., 2018; Dicianno, Cooper & Coltellaro, 2010; European Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine Bodies Alliance, 2018; Ripat, Verdonck, & Carter, 2018

Questions• What is the age of the ATPs?• What are the demographics of ATPs?• Is there a sufficient workforce to meet the future needs?• What are the opinions of ATPs regarding the future of the

profession, education needed for the role and the need for state licensure?

• How do younger ATPs compare to older ATPs in these areas?

Exploratory Study Development• Partner with NCART • Develop 18-Question Survey

• 14 Demographic • 4 Opinion

• Set Up Filter Question• Internal Review Board• Qualtrics Web Based Survey

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What We Asked About• Zip Code

• Age• Gender

• Ethnicity

• Disability• Financial Compensation

Structure• Work Hours

• Years Experience*

• Type of Company

• Category of Company*

• Certifications • When ATP Certified• Other

• Education Background

• Opinions:• Recommend profession• Comments*

• Education think necessary • If should have state licensure

Exploratory Study Methods• Distribution

• Press Release• Mailing Lists (email)• CRT Industry Websites

• March 6, 2018 – April 15, 2018• Email10 Winners of RSTCE Access Code Information

Time To Complete Survey

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Who We Reached254 Respondents

% CRT Industry Representation

88.8% Suppliers11.5% Manufacturer2.0% Independent Rep

Jette et al., 2017; Arthanat, Elsaesser & Bauer, 2017

AgeQ1/Q2 – 42.95Q2/Q3 – 51.93Q3/Q4 – 59.35

17.5% < National Average

4.8% > Retirement Age

Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018

Retirement8.7% – 2018 14.7% – 202319.8% – 202816.3% – 2033

3.4% per year

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It’s a Good Gig• People don’t seem to retire!• 79.5% ATPs recommend it!• Reasonable work hours!

Gender

20.9%79.1%78.2 for younger group

79.7 for older group

21.8 for younger group

20.3 for older group

Ethnicity

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DisabilityTotal – 3.2% Younger – 0.8%Older – 5.5%

χ2 = 4.45, ρ = .035

VeteransTotal – 13.8% Younger – 6.5%Older – 20.3%

χ2 = 10.37, ρ < .001

Financial Compensation Structure

Total:Salary – 34.3%Commission – 5.6%Both – 60.1%

Mann Whitney U Test0.035

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Certifications – ATP Peak Testing:

1996 – Start of Cert’06 to ’09 – Medicare

Testing since 2007:3.4 people per year

1.3% of respondents

Certifications – Other• OT/PT*• Educator• Rec Therapy• Nurse• Engineer• O&P• Other*

Certifications – CRTSTotal: Yes – 53.0% No – 47.0%

χ2 = 6.262, ρ = .012

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Education – Experience

Education – Opinion

High School = 0; Associates = 1; Bachelor’s = 2; Masters = 3

Education – Opinion

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Study Limitations• Convenience Sample

• Likely high number of NCART members• Email dissemination• Incentive may have encouraged those interested in more

education• Internet savvy requirement• Filter question may not have stopped all clinicians• Age group breakdown didn’t allow for equal-sized groups

New Questions• Why have white men dominated this industry? • How does satisfaction in this industry compare to other fields?• What is the trend of Clinicians and Suppliers in ATP testing?• How many registered ATPs are active in the industry? • Who is taking responsibility to recruit ATPs into profession?

• Government• CRT Industry• Educational Institutions• Organizations

More Questions• What is the average age at entry into ATP field• What does the future look like for ATP requirements and

certification?• What else can we learn from the data from this study?

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Take-Aways• ATP profession is a good job • More ATPs are needed for Supply

• Pear Year: 4.8% Demand; 3.4% Retiring; 1.8% Incoming• Need for diversity

• Target young professionals• Engage with minority groups and veterans

• Desire for more educational preparation for field• Opportunities for degrees that focus on preparing ATPs for Supply• Grants/Scholarships to encourage education training to grow field• State licensure (63.3% in favor)

• Tracking trends for profession are needed• Separate Clinical and Supply ATPs• Testing, Active, Not-Active, Retired Status

• Opportunities for additional studies on ATPs

Brady, Long, Richards, & Vallin, 2007; Gartz et al., 2017; Jette et al., 2017; LaPlante & Kaye, 2010; Schiappa et al., 2018

• ABC (2018). American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics History. Retrieved from https://www.abcop.org/WhoWeAre/Pages/History.aspx• AOPA (2018). Timeline: 100 years of AOPA and O&P. Retrieved from: http://aopa100.org/timeline.php

• AOTA (2017). Important Events in Occupational Therapy by Decades. Retrieved from http://www.otcentennial.org/events/events-by-decades• APTA (1996). PT Education Time Line. Retrieved from http://ncope.org/summit/pdf/PTEducationTimeLine.pdf

• Arthanat, S., Elsaesser, L.-J., & Bauer, S. (2017). A survey of assistive technology service providers in the USA. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 12(8), 789–800. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2016.1265015

• Bingham, S. C., & Beatty, P. W. (2003). Rates of access to assistive equipment and medical rehabilitation services among people with disabilities. Disability and Rehabilitation, 25(9), 487–490.

https://doi.org/10.1080/0963828031000071723• Brady, R., Long, T. M., Richards, J., & Vallin, T. (2007). Assistive technology curriculum structure and content in professional preparation service provider training programs. Journal of Allied Health, 36(4), 183–192. • Department of Labor Statistics, U. S. B. (2009). Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey. [Internet] [cited 2018 May 10]. Retrieved from https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11b.htm

• Dicianno, B. E., Cooper, R. A., & Coltellaro, J. (2010). Joystick Control for Powered Mobility: Current State of Technology and Future Directions. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America, 21(1), 79–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2009.07.013

• Dicianno, B. E., Joseph, J., Eckstein, S., Zigler, C. K., Quinby, E. J., Schmeler, M. R., … Cooper, R. A. (2018). The future of the provision process for mobility assistive technology: a survey of providers. Disability and

Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 0(0), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2018.1448470• Eggers, S. L., Myaskovsky, L., Burkitt, K. H., Tolerico, M., Switzer, G. E., Fine, M. J., & Boninger, M. L. (2009). A Preliminary Model of Wheelchair Service Delivery. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 90(6),

1030–1038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2008.12.007• European Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Bodies Alliance. (2018). White Book on Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) in Europe. Chapter 8. The PRM specialty in the healthcare system and society. European

Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, 54(2), 261–278. https://doi.org/10.23736/S1973-9087.18.05152-3

• Gartz, R., Goldberg, M., Miles, A., Cooper, R., Pearlman, J., Schmeler, M., … Hale, J. (2017). Development of a contextually appropriate, reliable and valid basic Wheelchair Service Provision Test. Disability and Rehabilitation:

Assistive Technology, 12(4), 333–340. https://doi.org/10.3109/17483107.2016.1166527• Hammel, J., & Angelo, J. (1996). Technology Competencies for Occupational Therapy Practitioners. Assistive Technology, 8(1), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.1996.10132271

• IBM Corp. Released 2017. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 25.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.

• Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA), Pub. L. 108-446, 118 STAT. 2647 [Internet] [cited 2018 May 10]. GPO Access database. Available from: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-108publ446/pdf/PLAW-108publ446.pdf

• Jette, A. M., Spicer, C. M., & Flaubert, J. L. (2017). The Promise of Assistive Technology to Enhance Activity and Work Participation. https://doi.org/10.17226/24740• LaPlante, M. P., & Kaye, H. S. (2010). Demographics and trends in wheeled mobility equipment use and accessibility in the community. Assistive Technology, 22(1), 3–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400430903501413

• Rigg, L (July 11, 2009). RESNA and the New ATP A Message from NRRTS to Suppliers and Therapists. Retrieved from https://www.rifton.com/adaptive-mobility-blog/blog-posts/2009/july/resna-and-the-new-atp-a-message• Ripat, J., Verdonck, M., & Carter, R. J. (2018). The meaning ascribed to wheeled mobility devices by individuals who use wheelchairs and scooters: a metasynthesis. Disability and Rehabilitation: Assistive Technology, 13(3),

253–262. https://doi.org/10.1080/17483107.2017.1306594

• Schiappa, V.J., Lee-Hauser, C., Schmeler, M.R., Schein, R.M., Pramana, I., & Saptono, A. (2018, March). Impact of Assistive Technology Professional (ATP) in the Provision of Mobility Assistive Equipoment. In Proceedings of

the 34th

International Seating Symposium. Vancouver, BC. pp. 98-101. http://www.seatingsymposium.com/images/pdf/ISS2018_Syllabus_eVersion.pdf• Valentine, D. (2017). Fall 2017, (Anth 8810), 1–12.

• West, W. L. (1992). Ten milestone issues in AOTA history. The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. : Official Publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 46(12), 1066–1074. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.46.12.1066

• World Health Organization (WHO). Capacity Building [Internet] [cited 2018 May 10]. Available from: http://www.who.int/disabilities/capacity_building/en/• Winters, J. M. (1995). Rehabilitation Engineering Training for the Future: Influence of Trends in Academics, Technology, and Health Reform. Assistive Technology, 7(2), 95–110.

https://doi.org/10.1080/10400435.1995.10132258

References

Thanks!• David Brienza• Don Clayback• Cecelia Lee-Hauser• Greg Packer• Igede Pramana

• Charlie Raphael• Joseph Ruffing• Mark Schmeler• Richard Schein• Vince Schiappa

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Q&A:• What was the importance of separating clinicians from suppliers

in this study?

• What pros and cons do you see about offering an associates-level requirement for ATPs?

• Based on your knowledge of the field, what recommendations would you have for companies to transition to bringing younger employees into this profession?