Practioner to technician ratio responses
Thad Wolfe
Description
Collection
Title:
Practioner to technician ratio responses
Creator:
Thad Wolfe
Date:
3/21/2011
Text:
I would like to thank everybody that has responded so far. The response
range from one technician to 2 1/2 practitioners to 2 techinicans for every
practitioner. I was a technician for 10 years and now at practitoner for the
past 6 years. I worked as a technician in an atmosphere where it was one
technician for 2 practitoneres and this seemed to work fine with a 1 week
delivery for AFO's, BK's, AK's, and check sockets. 2 weeks delivery for
KAFO's and myoelectric prosthesis. We also did hospital calls within 24
hours of getting the call. This is all on custom items, not off the shelf
items. I was just trying to get a better feel for the ratio now. Here are
the responses received and thanks again. I will continue posts as they come
in.
__________________________________________________________________________________
We run one tech to one practitioner and that is not enough techs for us. I
would be best with 1.5 techs at the level I do.
__________________________________________________________________________________
In my practice there is one clinician, two residents, and one tech. We turn
around bk's in 4-5 hours and ak's in 6-7.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Before John Sabolich sold to Nova Care each practioner had three or more
technicians,since I have left everywhere else I have worked it has been one
on one (but now I don't run and have been promoted to an assistant.
I guess it depends do you want to lead or fallow,hope this helps...tom
__________________________________________________________________________________
Ideally?
3 techs to a busy practitioner. Prosthetic tech, plastics tech, and
metal/inserts tech. One of them, usually metal guy, doubles as shoe guy.
Turn around time for items that need to be ordered? It's God's will, you
know that.
Simple items fabricated in-house - 2 days. Ideally.
From this on, it goes down to what your practice is actually doing. I was
referring to comprehensive service.
__________________________________________________________________________________
I. Lesko, LPO My office is small by our area standards-- 1.5 practitioners,
1 OA-- and we
see approximately 75-100 patients a week. I have no lab technician here--
our fabrication takes place at a local lab and I do all the adjustments
myself on site. I hope this helps!
__________________________________________________________________________________
A lot depends on what your practitioners are doing or not doing. I have 9
practitioners and 4 technicians for three facilities. One of the techs also
modifies AFO's and one is also a Certified Assistant so he sees patients and
does minor adjustments for drop in's. All my tech's work out of one lab at
our main facility but may go to the satellites if needed. My tech's also
assist on weekend calls and prosthetic cast changes at physician offices.
Turn arounds depend on insurance authorization. We don't deliver until
authorized so it ranges from 1-2 weeks for Orthotics and 3-4 weeks for
prosthetics. The techs get stuff done before things are authorized usually.
__________________________________________________________________________________
we have 6 technicians to 5 clinicians. Majority of our work is 1 month turn
around, but we can do 2-3 weeks easily and rushes we do in 2-3 days.Hope
that helps
__________________________________________________________________________________
9 Practitioners, 4 FT & 1 PT Technicians. Standard turn around time
for custom fabricated orthotics is 2 weeks, 1 - 2 weeks for prosthetics.
__________________________________________________________________________________
It depends on who does the modifications and percentage of off-the-shelf vs
custom.
I would say one lab assistant to 2.5 practitioners would be my gut instict.
this is assuming the lab techician is experienced. For an inexperienced one,
lower ratio or have practitioner do more prep.
Turn around time is dependent on management providing overtime without
issues. If management is not willing to, turn around times are dependent on
workload. Period.
turn around time: Hospital, one day to 1.5 day, unless parts needed.
diabetic inserts, 2 weeks, depending on quantity of other items.
afo 1.5 week unless hospital
prosthetic check sockets without mods, 2 days once plaster modified
laminated sockets, 1.5 weeks
back braces, custom, next day from boston, spinal tec, etc for hospital,
ground shipping for in house if appropriate
Custom shoes and leather arizona afo's sent out, so time it takes these to
be done.
__________________________________________________________________________________
I'm a technician at West Texas Rehab Center and our ratio at the moment
is 3 technicians to 2 CPOs and 1 Cped and our goal is fab finished in
4-5 day turnaround times...we stay fairly busy with not much downtime
with that ratio. Hope that helps
range from one technician to 2 1/2 practitioners to 2 techinicans for every
practitioner. I was a technician for 10 years and now at practitoner for the
past 6 years. I worked as a technician in an atmosphere where it was one
technician for 2 practitoneres and this seemed to work fine with a 1 week
delivery for AFO's, BK's, AK's, and check sockets. 2 weeks delivery for
KAFO's and myoelectric prosthesis. We also did hospital calls within 24
hours of getting the call. This is all on custom items, not off the shelf
items. I was just trying to get a better feel for the ratio now. Here are
the responses received and thanks again. I will continue posts as they come
in.
__________________________________________________________________________________
We run one tech to one practitioner and that is not enough techs for us. I
would be best with 1.5 techs at the level I do.
__________________________________________________________________________________
In my practice there is one clinician, two residents, and one tech. We turn
around bk's in 4-5 hours and ak's in 6-7.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Before John Sabolich sold to Nova Care each practioner had three or more
technicians,since I have left everywhere else I have worked it has been one
on one (but now I don't run and have been promoted to an assistant.
I guess it depends do you want to lead or fallow,hope this helps...tom
__________________________________________________________________________________
Ideally?
3 techs to a busy practitioner. Prosthetic tech, plastics tech, and
metal/inserts tech. One of them, usually metal guy, doubles as shoe guy.
Turn around time for items that need to be ordered? It's God's will, you
know that.
Simple items fabricated in-house - 2 days. Ideally.
From this on, it goes down to what your practice is actually doing. I was
referring to comprehensive service.
__________________________________________________________________________________
I. Lesko, LPO My office is small by our area standards-- 1.5 practitioners,
1 OA-- and we
see approximately 75-100 patients a week. I have no lab technician here--
our fabrication takes place at a local lab and I do all the adjustments
myself on site. I hope this helps!
__________________________________________________________________________________
A lot depends on what your practitioners are doing or not doing. I have 9
practitioners and 4 technicians for three facilities. One of the techs also
modifies AFO's and one is also a Certified Assistant so he sees patients and
does minor adjustments for drop in's. All my tech's work out of one lab at
our main facility but may go to the satellites if needed. My tech's also
assist on weekend calls and prosthetic cast changes at physician offices.
Turn arounds depend on insurance authorization. We don't deliver until
authorized so it ranges from 1-2 weeks for Orthotics and 3-4 weeks for
prosthetics. The techs get stuff done before things are authorized usually.
__________________________________________________________________________________
we have 6 technicians to 5 clinicians. Majority of our work is 1 month turn
around, but we can do 2-3 weeks easily and rushes we do in 2-3 days.Hope
that helps
__________________________________________________________________________________
9 Practitioners, 4 FT & 1 PT Technicians. Standard turn around time
for custom fabricated orthotics is 2 weeks, 1 - 2 weeks for prosthetics.
__________________________________________________________________________________
It depends on who does the modifications and percentage of off-the-shelf vs
custom.
I would say one lab assistant to 2.5 practitioners would be my gut instict.
this is assuming the lab techician is experienced. For an inexperienced one,
lower ratio or have practitioner do more prep.
Turn around time is dependent on management providing overtime without
issues. If management is not willing to, turn around times are dependent on
workload. Period.
turn around time: Hospital, one day to 1.5 day, unless parts needed.
diabetic inserts, 2 weeks, depending on quantity of other items.
afo 1.5 week unless hospital
prosthetic check sockets without mods, 2 days once plaster modified
laminated sockets, 1.5 weeks
back braces, custom, next day from boston, spinal tec, etc for hospital,
ground shipping for in house if appropriate
Custom shoes and leather arizona afo's sent out, so time it takes these to
be done.
__________________________________________________________________________________
I'm a technician at West Texas Rehab Center and our ratio at the moment
is 3 technicians to 2 CPOs and 1 Cped and our goal is fab finished in
4-5 day turnaround times...we stay fairly busy with not much downtime
with that ratio. Hope that helps
Citation
Thad Wolfe, “Practioner to technician ratio responses,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 5, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/232419.
