Re: Direct Access

[Guest guest]

I am a PT who works with many of those " scorned " orthopedic surgeons in Ohio.

The good orthos have no problem with PT's having direct access. They see their

income coming from performing surgeries, not in referring a person with a sprain

or tendinitis to therapy. They are very appreciative when we see a patient,

detremine the patient needs medical assessment, and refer them for an orthopedic

consult. This model is beneficial for patients in that the patien gets refrred

to a quality surgeon( we see the results of a wide variety of surgeons) and one

who is a subspecialist fort their specific problem.

Direct access allows us to develop long-term relationships with our patients.

They see us as the first person they call when new conditions pop up, or an old

one resurfaces. These clients look to us for advice on what to do next, and

appreciate the easy access they have, and our ability to direct them to the

correct resource with a phone call, a reassessment, or a physcial exam. While

only 10-15% of our visits are attributable to direct access, it has changed our

practice by allowing us to treat our patients as we see fit. We don't see our

autonomy as a threat to the medical profession, we see it as a resource for our

patients.

Aube, PT,

Rehab Professionals of Cleveland, Inc.

Direct Access

In my opinion, direct access is not a big deal. I have worked with

both, and ultimately you usually want a physician involved.

Sometimes physician involvement is necessary for payment, and

sometimes it is just better to have a teammate.

When I was fresh out of school I thought it would be a big advantage

in business and ego, but now I think it is largely unimportant. I

would rather have physician friends not competitors.

Kurt Gray, PT