Physical therapy as primary health care: public perceptions

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Physical Therapy
• Public Health

Background:

• Direct access allows patients to see a physical therapist without a physician referral.
• Understanding public awareness of direct access is crucial for healthcare utilization.
• The role of physical therapists as primary care providers is an emerging concept.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess public knowledge of direct physical therapist access.
• To determine public understanding of the physical therapist's role.
• To evaluate the public's willingness to use physical therapists for primary care.

Main Methods:

• Random digit dialing telephone survey conducted in South Florida.
• A self-generated questionnaire was used to collect data from consenting respondents.
• Data analysis focused on awareness, prior experience, and potential utilization.

Main Results:

• 67.3% of respondents lacked knowledge of direct physical therapist access.
• 57.4% had no prior experience with physical therapy.
• 73.4% expressed willingness to directly access a physical therapist for care.

Conclusions:

• Public understanding of direct access and the physical therapist's role is limited.
• Increased public awareness could lead to greater utilization of physical therapists as primary care practitioners.
• Educational initiatives are needed to inform the public about physical therapy's primary care potential.