Support Direct Access to Physical Therapy!
- The Public should have direct access to a licensed physical therapist.
What is Direct Access?
Direct access means that a consumer would have the right to obtain services from a licensed physical therapist where or when he or she may choose, without having to first obtain a prescription or referral from a physician.
Why is Direct Access important?
Direct access to physical therapists eliminates the burden in both dollars and time of unnecessary physician visits. It can also eliminate delays in receiving physical therapy services. Delays that can result in higher costs, decreased functional outcomes, and frustration to patients. Direct access allows for an earlier return to work, an earlier return to daily activities, and it reduces the need for long-term care by providing earlier intervention.
What is Physical Therapy?
Physical Therapy is a century-old profession, and the only profession devoted primarily to the evaluation and treatment of human movement dysfunction in health and disease, throughout life. Physical Therapy was first widely recognized during World War I when the War Department trained and mobilized these specialists to rehabilitate injured soldiers. Today, the profession of physical therapy is made up of licensed professionals trained to diagnose and treat movement dysfunction and physical disability in hospital settings, rehabilitation facilities, long-term care centers, factories, schools, homes, outpatient clinics and military bases here and abroad.
Who needs Physical Therapy?
The public requires the services of physical therapists throughout the life spectrum, and throughout the entire continuum of health and disease. From infancy to the elderly, physical therapists diagnose and treat movement-related dysfunction and physical disability associated with musculoskeletal strains and sprains, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, cardio-pulmonary disease, strokes, gynecological conditions, reconstructive surgeries, pregnancy.
The Public has direct access to these professionals.
Does the public need more protection from direct access to Physical Therapists than from all these professions?
- Lawyers
- Professional Counselors
- Marriage/family therapists
- Psychologists
- Physicians
- Dentists
- Optometrists
- Dieticians
- Podiatrists
- Chiropractors
The public has direct access to other health-related occupations with
No college education requirement
No graduate school requirement
No clinical or medical training
- Massage Therapists
- Personal Trainers
- Pilates Trainers
- Feldenkrais Practitioners
- Yoga Instructors
-
Heath food/supplement vendors
The public deserves direct access to Illinois Physical Therapists, who are highly educated specialists in movement dysfunction, and graduates of nationally accredited professional graduate schools at major Universities.
Illinois Physical Therapist Educational Programs
- University of Illinois at Chicago
- Governors State University
- Northern Illinois University
- Northwestern University
- Bradley University
- Midwestern University
- Rosalind Franklin University
Why You Should Support Direct Access Legislation!
Direct access can eliminate delays of services. The referral requirement can cause delays and denials of services provided by physical therapists. Delays in care result in higher costs, decreased functional outcomes and frustration to patients. Direct access to physical therapists improves the accessibility to rehabilitation services and eliminates the burden of unnecessary visits to physicians and unnecessary cost to the health care system.
Direct access to physical therapists does not promote over utilization or increase the cost of health care. A 1994 study of the cost effectiveness of direct access to physical therapists found that the costs incurred for physical therapy visits were 123% higher when patients were first seen by a physician than when they went to a physical therapist directly. This study found 67% more physical therapy claims when physicians generated the physical therapy referral, than when patients went directly to the physical therapist without a physician referral.
Physical Therapists are well qualified to provide services independent of referral from physicians. Physical therapists are educated at the post-baccalaureate level and receive extensive education and clinical training to be able to practice without a referral. Most states have some form of direct access to a licensed physical therapist.
Liability insurers and the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy affirm that direct access does not jeopardize the health, safety, or welfare of the patients/clients seeking physical therapists’ services without referral. CNA Insurance Companies, a leading liability insurer of physical therapists in the US says that Direct Access is not a risk factor, has not created a need for a premium differential and has not increased the risk exposure by physical therapists.
We encourage you to print the following letters about Direct Access and send them to your senators and representatives.
Illinois Physical Therapy Association, 1010 Jorie Blvd. Suite 134, Oak Brook, IL 60523
630-571-1400
800-552-4782 (IL only)
630-571-1406 (fax)
www.ipta.org
E-mail: ipta@ipta.org |
