Breakthrough Leads a Movement to Fix a US Healthcare System in Crisis

Within 72 hours, more than one hundred physical therapists signed Breakthrough’s pledge to fix the healthcare system last week at the American Physical Therapists Association’s Private Practice annual conference. By signing the PT pledge, they agreed to join a national campaign for a better, safer, more affordable healthcare system that educates patients about conservative care options. This is a major milestone in Breakthrough’s mission to help 1 billion people solve their health challenges naturally by 2030. “The current US healthcare system is not sustainable, affordable, or effective… It is, in fact, very harmful,” said Chad Madden, MSPT, Co-Founder of Breakthrough. Last weekend, Breakthrough shared staggering statistics about healthcare in the US with APTA conference attendees:

US healthcare ranks at the bottom of nearly every major health statistic but is the most expensive worldwide: According to CMS, it surpassed $4.3 Trillion, 19.7% of the GDP in 2021. In 2021 US healthcare spending per person reached $12,956 annually. For perspective, that means healthcare now costs over 74% of the median household income for a family of four. The US wastes $460 billion on unnecessary & ineffective prescriptions & hospital care. In contrast, CMS reports that only $34 billion was spent on physical therapy and occupational therapy combined (that’s 0.78% of total US healthcare expenditure).

Breakthrough’s solution is Patient Demand. People are often unaware they can choose the care that’s right for them and avoid surgery or pills. Patient Demand refers to educational marketing and business strategy designed to increase public awareness for conservative care. “People need to know the truth about what is best for their health. The way the current system works doesn’t share how exercise and physical therapy can solve issues… Instead people are sent straight to risky surgeries or drugs, some with bad side effects. People need awareness so they can make the best decisions for themselves,” said Carl Mattiola, Co-Founder of Breakthrough. Breakthrough announced its new campaign and published PatientDemand.com on November 2nd, 2022, at the annual conference of the American Physical Therapy Association’s Private Practice Section (PPS). They printed an entire newspaper and delivered it in front of every hotel door, highlighting the grim state of US healthcare and inviting attendees to join the Patient Demand campaign. The PT pledge includes:

A commitment to educating the public about the truth of the US Health System, and the solutions that conservative care provides,  A commitment to building patient demand and putting the choice of care in the hands of the patients themselves.

“Something has to change…..fast.”~Amanda Lightsey, DPT, Lightsey Physical Therapy “People need to know they have options. They get discouraged and think they have to live with their issues, so they limit themselves and their lives. We want to empower people to be more proactive and make better choices.”~Brooks West, Discover PT and Wellness “I’m tired of time and money wasted on ineffective treatments. PT first…and PT for the win!”~ Sean Weatherston, PT, OCS, CSCS, Altitude Physical Therapy PatientDemand.com is currently collecting more pledges like these every day, with a goal of 1,000 pledges to start.  The next phase is a nationwide commercial to the public, heightening public awareness of conservative care even more. There will also be a directory of pledging practices made available online.About Breakthrough Breakthrough is the leading patient demand platform for conservative care practices looking for consistent, predictable revenue growth. Co-founders Carl Mattiola and Chad Madden, MSPT, started their mission to “flip the pyramid” (put preventative care before surgery) in 2012.  Ten years later, they have a massive following for their marketing education resources, digital marketing management, and powerful software products that have helped thousands of practices grow. The company offers tested and client-ready social media campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, Google, TikTok, as well as email and SMS campaigns, all made easily trackable with automated ROI reports. More information about how to get involved and take the PT pledge is available at www.patientdemand.com. Source: Breakthrough