How Direct Access Benefits Patients and Streamlines Care
Overview of Direct Access Legislation in Pennsylvania
The state of Pennsylvania allows individuals to seek out a physical therapist without a referral under these conditions:
The Licensed Physical Therapist is board certified by the state allowing them to practice without a referral.
Beyond 30 days from the evaluation date, the physical therapist must acquire a referral from the appropriate provider to continue care, if needed.
How does direct access benefit patients?
Legislation for direct access was created to provide patients with more control over their care. These laws allowed new research to be conducted proving the many benefits of direct access to physical therapy such as lower healthcare costs, starting treatment sooner, avoiding unnecessary tests or treatments, and ultimately getting better faster. Let me paint a picture of how a typical outdated approach would go versus a modern approach:
Maybe after looking over that image, you still might be thinking: "Maybe it's still safer for my physician to assess me before starting physical therapy".
It may ease your mind knowing that physical therapists are trained to rule out red flag pathologies, refer out for any imaging needs, and ultimately determine if exercise is safe.
In fact, research has shown that physical therapists have a similar diagnostic accuracy to orthopedic surgeons!
At Elevate, we understand your health Is Important to you. That's why we provide direct access services to help you get back to the things that you love.
If you are experiencing pain, have limitations in your function, or have an injury and would like to take advantage of direct access, click here to schedule a free phone consultation.
References:
Moore, Josef H., et al. "Clinical diagnostic accuracy and magnetic resonance imaging of patients referred by physical therapists, orthopaedic surgeons, and nonorthopaedic providers." Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy 35.2 (2005): 67-71.https://doi.org/10.2519/jospt.2005.35.2.67
Heidi A. Ojha, Rachel S. Snyder, Todd E. Davenport, Direct Access Compared With Referred Physical Therapy Episodes of Care: A Systematic Review, Physical Therapy, Volume 94, Issue 1, 1 January 2014, Pages 14–30, https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20130096
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are based on the opinion of the author, unless otherwise noted, and should not be taken as personal medical advice. The information provided is intended to help readers make their own informed health and wellness decisions.
