From APTA: Landmark Study: Direct Access to PTs Associated with Lower Costs, Fewer Visits

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Landmark Study: Direct Access to PTs Associated With Lower Costs, Fewer

Visits

Dear APTA Member:

On behalf of APTA and its sections on Health Policy and Administration (HPA)

and Private Practice (PPS), we're pleased to announce the release of a new

study that we expect will have positive implications for our profession and

the association's efforts to achieve direct access to physical therapists.

Funded by a grant from APTA, PPS, and HPA, this study examined non-Medicare

claims data and compared self-referred episodes of physical therapy to

physician-referred episodes of physical therapy.

Published ahead of print September 23 in the journal Health Services

Research (HSR), the

study<http://APTA.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xODUwMzE2JnA9MSZ1PTEwMTQ4NzczNTYmbGk9\

ODU4Mzk3NQ/index.html>suggests

that " the role of the physician gatekeeper in regard to physical

therapy may be unnecessary in many cases. " Patients who visited physical

therapists directly for outpatient care had fewer visits and lower overall

costs on average than those who were referred by a physician, after

adjusting for age, gender, diagnosis, illness severity, and calendar year.

In addition, overall related health care use — or care related to the

problem for which physical therapy was received, but not physical therapy

treatment — was lower in the self-referred group after adjustment. Examples

of this type of care might include physician services and diagnostic

testing. The study also found that individuals were similarly engaged with

the medical care system during and after their course of physical therapy

care, suggesting that continuity of care did not differ between the 2

groups. A news

release<http://APTA.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xODUwMzE2JnA9MSZ1PTEwMTQ4NzczNTYmbG\

k9ODU4Mzk3Ng/index.html>on

this study was distributed to the national media earlier today and

provides more detailed information.

We believe the results of this study will support our efforts to work with

legislators and physician groups to establish policies that reduce

unnecessary regulations, improve access, and build models of delivery that

best serve our patients and the health care system.

Earlier

research<http://APTA.informz.net/z/cjUucD9taT0xODUwMzE2JnA9MSZ1PTEwMTQ4NzczNTYmb\

Gk9ODU4Mzk3Nw/index.html>has

supported direct access to physical therapists as safe and cost

effective, but the new HSR study is by far the most comprehensive to date.

Not only did it look at a far more extensive number of episodes than

previous research, but it also controlled for illness severity and other

factors that could have affected the patients' outcomes.

In the coming weeks, you will be hearing more about this landmark study as

APTA, HPA, and PPS roll out a comprehensive communications plan to members,

the media, and the public. In addition to our news release referenced above,

we will be developing sample presentations and talking points for you to use

in your community outreach. You also will learn more through interviews,

podcasts, and other educational opportunities for members.

We hope you are as excited about this new research as we are, and we look

forward to working with you to educate decision makers on this study and its

positive implications for patients and the health care system.

Sincerely,

R. Ward, PT, PhD

President, American Physical Therapy Association

DiAngelis, PT, DPT

President, Private Practice Section

Rick Gawenda, PT

President, Section on Health Policy and Administration

American Physical Therapy Association | 1111 North Fairfax Street,

andria, VA 22314-1488

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