In Colorado patients have direct access to their Physical Therapist and do not require a physician referral to begin treatment. This healthcare pathway is associated with improved health care outcomes and lower health costs compared to seeing a physician first. Seeing a physician first has been associated with early imaging, specialist referrals, and medications which...
Low back pain continues to affect many Americans leading to pain, loss of function, missed work days, and higher health care expenditures. Much of this cost is attributed to the often unnecessary utilization of advanced imaging and procedures such as injections and surgery. Previous research has shown early access to Physical Therapy without a prior MD...
Low back pain is a common problem and one of the most common areas we treat in our Boulder Physical Therapy practice. In Colorado, patients do not need a referral to seek Physical Therapy services and this pathway (direct access) has continuously been shown in the research to be safe, effective, and save patients health...
As healthcare costs and out of pocket deductibles continue to rise in our country patients have become more vigilant on treatment costs. In particular, patients are realizing the expenses associated with different entry points for their care. For muscle, joint, ligament, and tendon pain, seeing a Physical Therapist first (direct access) continues to be the...
Healthcare in our country faces significant challenges in the future including an aging population requiring more healthcare services and a shortage of primary care physicians. These clinical personnel are an essential group within our healthcare system as they sit on the front lines for individuals seeking care. Many of these patients will be managed optimally...
Direct access to Physical Therapy services was first written into a state’s law (Nebraska) in the 1950s and since has been shown in the literature to be safe, effective, and less costly than seeing a physician first for musculoskeletal pain. Due in part to its’ cost effectiveness large organizations including fortune 500 companies and the...
Early access to Physical Therapy services (direct access) has been previously shown to reduce a patient’s cost of care by up to $1500. In addition to its’ cost savings, direct access to Physical Therapy treatment has been shown to be a safe and effective short and long term treatment plan for patients with musculoskeletal pain....
Low back pain, along with death and taxes, remains one of the certainties of life. This condition affects over 90% of Americans and is often benign, but painful, in nature. Currently spending on low back pain is over 100 billion dollars a year and much of this spending can be attributed to unnecessary and unwarranted...
Evidence continues to support the utilization of Physical Therapists as a first line treatment for patients with musculoskeletal conditions such as back, neck, shoulder, or knee pain. Patient self referral for Physical Therapy services or direct access has been safely utilized in our country since the late 1950s. Many large corporations and the U.S. Military...
Each day over one hundred Americans die from an opioid overdose. Over prescription and use of prescription pain relievers has largely contributed to these unnecessary deaths and the $78 billion dollar economic burden of the opioid epidemic. Authors estimate over 2 million Americans are currently suffering from a substance abuse disorder related to these prescriptions....