WHAT DOES D I R E C T A C C E S S MEAN FOR YOU?
DIRECT ACCESS WILL SOON BE AVAILABLE IN WYOMING! This past February, the state of Wyoming passed a law that will allow patients Direct Access to Physical Therapy. Coming to effect this July, this law will eliminate your need for a prescription or referral to see a physical therapist! Direct access is already available for patients in Colorado. WHAT IS DIRECT ACCESS? Direct access means the removal of the physician referral mandated by state law to access physical therapists’ services for evaluation and treatment. Every state, the District of Columbia, and the US Virgin Islands allow for evaluation and some form of treatment without physician referral. However, many of those states continue to impose arbitrary restrictions on direct access, or only allow for treatment without referral under very limited circumstances. These restrictions cause delays in the provision of physical therapists’ services to individuals who would benefit from treatment by a physical therapist. Delays in care result in higher costs, decreased functional outcomes, and frustration to patients seeking physical therapy treatment. Eliminating arbitrary barriers results in timely, more effective care. ARE PHYSICAL THERAPISTS QUALIFIED TO DELIVER SERVICES INDEPENDENT OF REFERRAL? Absolutely. Physical therapists are educated at the post-baccalaureate level and receive extensive education and clinical training in the examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention of patient/clients with functional limitations, impairments and disabilities. Physical therapists are qualified to recognize when a patient presents with signs and symptoms inconsistent or outside the scope and expertise of the physical therapist and when the patient should be referred to a physician. APTA’s Guide of Professional Conduct advocates that physical therapists should assist patients in receiving appropriate medical care when the physical therapist’s examination and evaluation reveals signs and symptoms inconsistent with a condition that can be appropriately treated with physical therapy or needs a physician’s care and expertise.
Source http://www.apta.org/StateIssues/DirectAccess/FAQs/
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