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The Private Practice Division (PPD) is one of the special interest groups within the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) committed to gathering and providing private practice information to physiotherapists who are either employed by or own private physiotherapy practices. The number of private practice physiotherapists is growing yearly. Currently, approximately one half of all physiotherapists in Canada work in or own a private practice. Consequently, private practice owners are challenged to meet the needs and requirements of the business as well as the patients/clients and community.
PPD is committed specifically to assisting private practice physiotherapists (owners, contractors and professional employees) in fulfilling these needs through ethical behaviour, continued competence, and advocacy for the profession.
PPD acts as a forum for discussion and a resource on business management topics relevant to private practice physiotherapy.
Key Activities
- Newsletters and Website: You’ll find our newsletter valuable as a source of content on business start-up, business operations, human resource issues, research findings, evidence-based practice, independent contractor rulings, provincial and federal legislation, administration, accounting/taxes/financial advice, book reviews, marketing and advertising, e-business and information technology, and much more. Back issues are available to members.
- Tele-seminars and Courses: PPD offers learning opportunities on business-related topics from time to time. Visit the CPA Events calendar for event information. See also archived private practice resources for sale in the e-Store.
- Cost of Doing Business Analysis: Our Division works collaboratively with the provincial Branches and National office to determine the cost of doing business in each province, as well as the national average. This data is essential to negotiations with various funders in that it establishes justifiable private practice fees. This data is only available to CPA members. Learn more.
- Business Affairs Working Group: PPD provides leadership on more global issues affecting private and public practice in Canada by working with colleagues in National, Branch Presidents, and Joint Division forums.
- Division Research Representative Committee (DRRC): PPD has representation on the DRRC and is an annual contributor to the Physiotherapy Foundation of Canada.
- International Private Practitioners Association (IPPA): PPD participates in data collection and conference projects, representing your interests on the world stage.
- North America and the World: We bring new ideas and information to Canada by attending Private Practice Section events of the American Physical Therapy Association and international private practice conferences of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy.
- Advertising and Communication: PPD recognizes the value of enterprise. We’re committed to creating space for you as business owners to advertise and communicate with each other across Canada.
More About the Cost of Business (COB) Survey
If you're motivated by being fairly compendated for your services, you’ll be interested in the COB Survey.
Based on initial survey runs in 2003 (Ontario) and 2004 (four western provinces), COB survey results were first made available in 2004. The results provided information on various aspects of physiotherapy clinic practice, including cost per average visit, average physiotherapy treatment visit times across the country, staffing breakdown trends per province, and breakdown of revenue sources and expenses, to name only a few of the variables measured.
A national COB survey is currently underway (learn more).
How will my survey data be used?
Examples of how the data that you provide will be used include the following:
- Negotiations with third party payors regarding appropriate reimbursement for physiotherapy services, based on documented evidence of the costs of providing such services.
- Creation of recommended fee guidelines, which will assist clinic owners to set their fees based on documented, researched facts about the cost of providing physiotherapy services.
- Distribution of individual benchmarking reports that allow clinic owners to compare their facility's data to the aggregated (anonymous) data collected from all survey participants.
- Production of various aggregate (anonymous) benchmarking reports that summarize the responses received from all participants in various cross-tabulations, for the purpose of identifying best practices in facility management, areas of efficiency/inefficiency, and other analytical purposes, as well as analysis of regional, provincial, and urban/rural differences.
- Development of educational/research resources for facility owners/managers, private practitioners, students, third party payors and others regarding business efficiencies, best practices and other information gleaned from the survey data.
- Publication of research based on survey results, using aggregate/anonymous data.
What are the benefits of participating?
There are benefits both to you as a facility owner/manager and to the profession as a whole from participating in the COB Survey:
- By completing the survey, you will receive a benchmarking study that will allow you to compare your business practices to those of the aggregated practices of other survey participants.
- You will be able to identify areas where your practice is more or less efficient/cost effective than other practices, and voluntarily modify business practices if desired, to enhance your facility's efficiency.
- For the profession as a whole, broad participation in the Cost of Business Survey will provide your Association with desperately needed economic data on the cost of providing physiotherapy services to Canadians. This will provide us with data required for such activities as fee negotiations with payors, and development of recommended fee guidelines.
If you require access to the online survey or technical support, or if you have any inquires related to the COB Survey, please contact Project Manager Kristine Houde at 1-888-474-9746 (223) or khoude@physiotherapy.ca.
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