Healthcare Regulatory Research Institute

THE HEALTHCARE REGULATORY RESEARCH INSTITUTE'S MISSION IS TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC (SEE SCH O) THROUGH REGULATORY RESEARCH AND COLLABORATIVE EXCHANGE WITH STRATEGIC PARTNERS TO PROMOTE EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTHCARE REGULATION. HRRI'S VISION IS A WORLD IN WHICH REGULATION ENSURE PEOPLE CAN TRUST THE HEALTHCARE THAT IS PROVIDED.

HRRI CONTRACTED WITH A HEALTH POLICY CONSULTANT (CATHERINE DOWER) TO CONDUCT RESEARCH TO HELP IDENTIFY STRENGTHS AND OPPORTUNITIES AMONG THE PHYSICAL THERAPY BOARDS IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING INFORMATION REGARDING SEXUAL MISCONDUCT BY PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS. THE REPORT AND ACCOMPANYING MATERIALS AND RESOURCES BUILD ON EFFORTS OF THE FSBPT SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AND BOUNDARIES COMMITTEE AND ARE MODELED ON WORK PUBLISHED BY THE INFORMED PATIENT INSTITUTE AND PATIENT SAFETY ACTION NETWORK. THE FULL REPORT IS AVAILABLE ON HRRI.ORG.CATHERINE DOWER WAS ALSO USED TO DEVELOP A PAPER TO SUMMARIZE ISSUES SURROUNDING RE-ENTRY TO CLINICAL PRACTICE FOR PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AND PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS; TO OFFER A THEORETICAL MODEL FOR REGULATORY BOARDS TO UNDERSTAND THE ASSOCIATED CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES AND DECISION OPTIONS THAT ARE FAIR TO LICENSEES WHILE PROTECTING THE PUBLIC; AND TO PROVIDE PRACTICAL AND USER-FRIENDLY GUIDANCE FOR BOARDS TO FACILITATE RE-ENTRY TO PRACTICE FOR PRACTITIONERS THROUGH SOUND POLICIES AND PROCEDURES. SHE WILL PARTNER WITH ZACH HAMBRICK FROM MICHIGAN STATE ON THIS RESEARCH. THE WORK OF THESE RESEARCHERS WILL CONTINUE INTO 2024.

HRRI WORKED WITH MARKETING RESEARCH FIRM (ELEMENT) TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT TO WHICH CONSUMERS ARE AWARE OF HEALTHCARE-AFFILIATED STATE REGULATORY BOARDS, WHAT SERVICES THEY PROVIDE, AND THE ROLE THEY PLAN. HRRI IS ALSO INTERESTED IN ASSESSING THE PERCEIVED NEED AMONG PATIENTS AND CAREGIVERS FOR A WEBSITE WHERE VARIOUS TYPES OF VIOLATION COULD BE REPORTED ACROSS HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONS. A SURVEY WAS LAUNCHED IN 2023 TO RESPONDENTS WHO HAVE SEEN ONE OR MORE OF 8 DIFFERENT HEALTHCARE PROVIDER TYPES AS EITHER A PATIENT OR AN INVOLVED CAREGIVER. THE SURVEY IDENTIFIED THOSE WHO EXPERIENCED AN ISSUE AND DETERMINED THE PROPORTION WHO REPORTED IT, TO WHOM, AND BY WHAT MEANS. AMONG THE GROUPS WHO REPORTED AN ISSUE, THE SURVEY ASKED WHO EASY OR DIFFICULT IT WAS TO REPORT, HOW SATISFIED THEY ARE THAT THE ISSUE WAS RECORDED AND ACTED ON PROPERLY, AND WHAT IF ANYTHING, WOULD HAVE MADE THE REPORTING PROCEDURES AND OUTCOMES BETTER.TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS OF FSBPT CONTINUING COMPETENCE COMMITTEE, HRRI CONTRACTED WITH RESEARCHERS FROM COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY (GWEN FISHER & ALYSSA GIBBONS, FISHER WORKLIFE SOLUTIONS) TO UNDERTAKE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HEALTHY PRACTICE SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL TO SUPPORT PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCY OF PHYSICAL THERAPISTS AND PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS. THE HEALTHY PRACTICE SELF-REFLECTION RESOURCE IS A TOOL DEVELOPED TO GUIDE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS THROUGH REGULAR, PROACTIVE SELF-REFLECTION. THE SELF-ASSESSMENT TOOL WAS PILOT TESTED BY FISHER WORKLIFE SOLUTIONS IN 2022 AND 2023. THE FULL TECHNICAL REPORT OF THE PILOT TESTING IS POSTED AT HRRI.ORG

HRRI IDENTIFIED AND SECURED A HEALTH WORKFORCE POLICY RESEARCHER FROM INDIANA UNIVERSITY (HANNAH MAXEY, VERITAS HEALTH SOLUTIONS) TO LEAD THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE TASK FORCE CREATED BY THE HEALTH CARE REGULATION CEO GROUP AND STAFFED BY THEIR DELEGATES. THE TASK FORCE DEVELOPED A CROSS-PROFESSION MINIMUM DATA SET TOOL (CPMDS) TO FACILITATE THE COLLECTION OF HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE INFORMATION. THE CPMDS IS A CRITICAL TOOL FOR COLLECTING AND SHARING DATA ON THE HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE IN A CONSISTENT AND COMPARABLE WAY. IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR INFORMING POLICY AND PROGRAMS TO ADDRESS WORKFORCE SHORTAGES. THE CPMDS WAS DEVELOPED IN CONJUNCTION WITH SEVEN NATIONAL HEALTHCARE REGULATORY ORGANIZATIONS TO REVIEW EXISTING SURVEY TOOLS AND PREPARE A RESOURCE FOR FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND RESEARCHERS. THE CPMDS AND THE ROADMAP FOR IMPLEMENTATION WERE COMPLETED IN 2023 AND PUBLISHED TO THE HRRI.ORG WEBSITE.

HRRI CONTRACTED WITH HUMAN RESOURCES RESEARCH ORGANIZATION (HUMRRO) TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF CLINICIANS WHO STEP AWAY FROM PRACTICE AND THEN RE-ENTER THE PROFESSION. HUMRRO CONTINUED ITS WORK FROM 2022 BY ADDING ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS TO THE NPTE PRACTICE ANALYSIS SURVEYS TO IDENTIFY AND SEE WHAT QUANTITATIVE INFORMATION COULD BE LEARNED FROM THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO REPORTED STEPPING AWAY FROM PRACTICE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THIS WORK WILL ALSO CARRY OVER INTO 2024. HUMRRO WAS ALSO COMMISSIONED TO CONDUCT QUALITATIVE INTERVIEWS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INDIVIDUALS WHO LEAVE THE PROFESSION ONLY TO RETURN SOMETIME LATER. THIS RESEARCH WILL ALSO CONTINUE INTO 2024. FINALLY, HRRI PARTNERED WITH HUMRRO TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF COMPUTER-AUTOMATED METHODS FOR DETECTING SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES AMONG THE LAWS, RULES, AND REGULATIONS (LLRS) GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF PHYSICAL THERAPY (PT) ACROSS THE FEDERATION OF STATE BOARDS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY'S (FSBPT) MEMBER JURISDICTIONS. SPECIFICALLY, HRRI ASKED HUMRRO TO EXPLORE WHETHER NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING (NLP) TECHNIQUES COULD HELP AUTOMATE COMPARISONS OF LRRS ACROSS JURISDICTIONS. BASED ON HUMRRO'S FEASIBILITY EVALUATION AND INSIGHTS DEVELOPED BY WORKING WITH THE JURISDICTIONS' LRRS, HUMRRO SUSPECTS THAT HRRI MIGHT BE BETTER SERVED BY DEVELOPING COMPARISONS BETWEEN JURISDICTIONS LRRS THROUGH MORE CONVENTIONAL MEANS. THE NLP ANALYSES HUMRRO INVESTIGATED IN THIS RESEARCH CAN IDENTIFY RELATED TEXT, BUT THEY REQUIRE MORE RESOURCES THAN THEIR RESULTS MIGHT BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY.