Cost-Effectiveness and Outcomes of Direct Access to Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Disorders Compared to Physician-First Access in the United States: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Direct access to physical therapy provides an alternative to physician-first systems for patients who need physical therapy for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Direct access across multiple countries and the United States (US) military services has produced improved functional outcomes and/or cost-effectiveness at clinical and health care system levels; however, data remain scarce from civilian health care systems within the United States. The purpose of this study was to compare evidence regarding costs and clinical outcomes between direct access and physician-first systems in US civilian health services. METHODS: A database search of PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Reviews, and PEDro was conducted through May 2019. Studies were selected if they specified civilian US, physical therapy for MSDs, direct access or physician-first, and extractable outcomes for cost, function, or number of physical therapy visits. Studies were excluded if interventions utilized early or delayed physical therapy access compared with physician-first. Five retrospective studies met the criteria. Means and standard deviations for functional outcomes, cost, and number of visits were extracted, converted to effect sizes (d) and 95% CI, and combined into grand effect sizes using fixed-effect or random-effects models depending on significance of the Q heterogeneity statistic. RESULTS: Direct access to physical therapy showed reduced physical therapy costs (d = -0.23; 95% CI = -0.35 to -0.11), total health care costs (d = -0.19; 95% CI = -0.32 to -0.07), and number of physical therapy visits (d = -0.17; 95% CI = -0.29 to -0.05) compared to physician-first systems. Disability decreased in both direct access (d = -1.78; 95% CI = -2.28 to -1.29) and physician-first (d = -0.89; 95% CI = -0.92 to -0.85) groups; functional outcome improved significantly more with direct access (z score = 0.89; 95% CI = 0.40 to 1.39). CONCLUSIONS: Direct access to physical therapy is more cost-effective, resulting in fewer visits than physician-first access in the United States, with greater functional improvement. IMPACT: These findings within civilian US health care services support a cost-effective health care access alternative for spine-related MSDs and can inform health care policy makers.

Knee pain and mobility impairments: meniscal and articular cartilage lesions.

The Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association presents this fifth set of clinical practice guidelines on knee pain and mobility impairments, linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). The purpose of these practice guidelines is to describe evidence-based orthopaedic physical therapy clinical practice and provide recommendations for (1) examination and diagnostic classification based on body functions and body structures, activity limitations, and participation restrictions, (2) interventions provided by physical therapists, (3) and assessment of outcome for common musculoskeletal disorders.