Be A Critical Consumer: Take full responsibility & accountability for your clinical practice

✨𝕁𝕦𝕤𝕥 𝕒 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕝𝕪 𝕣𝕖𝕞𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣...✨

𝘽𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 (𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮) 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚, 𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖.

While the word 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 can mean "expressing disapproval or condemnatory judgement" is can ALSO mean 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙛𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠; 𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙩𝙞𝙘.

Such is the case when we talk about the term 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜.

I did not mean that I want others to assume the worst in others or search for fault.

Rather, I invite others to be more intentionally and positively 𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 of the information they consume.

I that in mind, I think the statement I mentioned before,

[𝘽𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 (𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙮) 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚, 𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖.]

in general, may be considered "common sense."

But do we apply this statement to 𝙖𝙡𝙡 the information we seek & find on social media, including information related to our clinical practice?

I love Instagram for many reasons, including the ability to easily find new information and ideas for my own practice and caseload. It is easy to take things at face value, especially when the source is perceived as credible (and more often than not, it is).

However, I challenge you, as I constantly challenge myself, to 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲.

𝗧𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿: I'm not saying I think there are people out there who want to lead you awry or purposefully share inaccurate information.

What I 𝗗𝗢 mean is that there is a lot of information out there and it is easy to scroll, find and apply, without intentionally analyzing and evaluating:

1) if this has good evidence behind it,

2) if this is a good fit for my caseload &

3) if I really understand enough about it (the WHY) to start implementing it effectively.

This ability to analyze, evaluate, and know your why makes us powerful, intentional & competent clinicians.

𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆: We are more powerful when we take full personal responsibility and accountability for our practice.

Consider trying these things next time you're scrolling👇🏼👇🏼

✨ If there is a reference provided, check it out!

✨ If you want more information, DM the person & ask for a reference or way to learn more.

✨ If you have a follow up question or need clarification, ask.

🥜 In a nutshell:

📖 Take the information.

📐 Evaluate and analyze.

❓Ask questions.

📚 Do any necessary self study.

🧠 Know your why.

✌🏼Apply.

This absolutely applies to the information you read/hear from me.

Consider the following (I speak for myself, but I bet this is true for many):

📢 I often share information that founded in the literature, but often through the lens of my own clinical experience

🤷🏽‍♀️ While the information I share may be accurate, true & intriguing, not everything may be feasible or applicable to your caseload 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗢𝗞𝗔𝗬.

💪🏼 I am human and imperfect. Although I do my best to stay up to date on past and current literature, I can't know everything. I'm always open to professional discussion and constructive criticism if you know something that I don't.