Direct Access and Its Role in More Efficient Treatment
It is likely that in someone’s experience with physical therapy, the encounter began with a visit to a physician. Our traditional health model is built on a system in which individuals seek attention from a physician for any number of ailments, including common aches and pains associated with musculoskeletal impairments. While this can be a typical route to physical therapy thanks to the referral of the physician, it is often times an unnecessary step towards symptom improvement and recovery.
In the state of Ohio, physical therapy has the benefit of a program called direct access. Direct access allows for a patient to seek the assistance of a licensed physical therapist directly for evaluation of their symptom complaint without need to see another healthcare provider first. No referral is necessary in this situation and it avoids unnecessary steps in the process of recovery and rehabilitation. This ultimately results in faster assessment, development of a plan, and treatment for the patient while also saving money through avoidance of potentially unnecessary tests, images, and provider visits. The only stipulation for referral occurs with Medicare plans and insurance plans that require prior referral or authorization.
With the profession of physical therapy’s transition towards doctorate degree programs, extra education and training has been invested into physical therapists to make them excellent evaluators in musculoskeletal pain and symptom complaints. Physical therapists are trained to assess pain complaints and are knowledgeable and competent in recognizing if the complaint is truly a musculoskeletal complaint that is within their scope of practice to treat or if further referral to another medical provider is necessary. PTs are able to determine through their evaluative skills and reasoning if further skilled physical therapy is a safe and effective treatment or if treatment needs to be deferred until further assessment is completed.
Direct access physical therapy allows the patient more freedom in selection and determination of their health rehabilitation and recovery and helps to allow for patient driven care. Patients are independently able to seek out a physical therapy group or office that best fits their needs and they also gain the benefit of patient-centered care with devotion of a physical therapist who can provide comprehensive assistance in their path to recovery.
Dr. Kyle Vollmer, PT, DPT