Today I had two clients booked in at the clinic.
The first was a virtual appointment at 9am, in order to prepare for this appointment I had ensured that my questions were prepared and my notes were ready the evening before due to not having the time in the clinic prior to my appointment. During this appointment I did not have anyone sit in with me to help take notes due to everyone else in clinic also having appointments. This made me a little nervous however also confident. It gave me the confidence boost I needed to do this appointment by myself.
What Went Well
I found this appointment ran smoothly and I was able to ask every question I possibly could, going through all the movements needed to help my client. Being able to confidently and professionally discuss an injury with a patient giving feedback and advice where necessary was the biggest highlight of this appointment. The patient gave me great feedback afterwards and booked their next appointment with myself for the following week.
What Could Have Gone Better
The timing of the appointment could have gone better. At the start I was 5 minutes late to my appointment due to technical difficulties with the internet on my device in order to connect to the video call. Prior to this because the clinic was busy there was miscommunications of where I could sit to go ahead with this appointment, ensuring people who had clients in the clinic had the beds available to them. However once I connected to the video call I explained and apologised for my lateness due to internet issues and they completely understood.
Next time
Next time I need to make sure I arrive to clinic in plenty of time prior to my appointment ensuring I have available bed space and be prepared ready to start my appointment on time.
My second appointment was a follow up appointment with a patient who had previously had their virtual appointment. For this appointment I needed to make sure I had read the notes from their last appointment so I could understand what the previous student therapist had already asked and discussed with this patient.
What Went Well
This patient had asked for an ultrasound on their knees due to it helping with their pain tolerance in the past. Being able to use the ultrasound machine correctly and performing the technique well in order to achieve a pain free appointment was the biggest achievement for myself.
What Could Have Gone Better
I needed to seek advice from my supervisor due to the patient suggesting to do the ultrasound right around their knees rather than just on the place where the notes stated it should be performed delayed the process. Due to the supervisor being super busy, however the patient completely understood that I needed to ensure these settings would be the best options for around the knee. I wanted to double check these settings due to not wanting to create more pain for the patient. I ensured to keep the patient in the loop of the discussion by asking the supervisor to come into our cubicle to discuss in front of the patient. We got the all clear however I felt like I needed to double check just in case.
Next time
I need to revise and practice my ultrasound skills, ensuring I know I am using the correct settings for the certain body part that it receiving the treatment. Next time I will be performing the ultrasound longer due to the patient being a little disappointed that we couldn’t do the treatment for longer due to lack of time. Next time I would like to be able to listen to the patients needs and what they would like rather than going through the plan that was previously given for this appointment. The plan in the previous notes were of exercises which the patient already performs at home so the time we spent on the exercises (rehabilitation exercises) we could have used to perform the ultrasound treatment for longer.