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Recent studies provide evidence for therapy benefits

Briefings on Outpatient Rehab: Reimbursement and Regulations, April 1, 2009

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Therapists have a lot on their minds due to declining reimbursements, rapidly changing managed care contracts, and the large amount of information supplied by CMS. Too often, the reason therapists entered the business gets lost in the shuffle: the desire to help patients and practice medicine. So sometimes, instead of reading about regulatory and reimbursement changes, therapists should read clinical studies and literature reviews that affect their profession.

Two such recent studies published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons can help therapists reaffirm their career choice and show that jumping through all the red tape is a small price to pay for the difference they can make in patients’ lives.

The first article was published in the February issue of the journal and dealt with the benefits of PT for patients with lower back pain; it was lauded by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The second article was published in March and stressed the importance of rehab and therapists in treating patients with medial collateral ligament (MCL) knee injuries.

Articles such as these should be used to promote the benefits of rehab to patients, physicians, and insurers who may be trying to reduce therapy benefits, says APTA spokesperson Julie Fritz, PT, PhD, ATC, clinical outcomes research scientist at Salt Lake City’s Intermountain Healthcare and associate professor at the University of Utah.

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