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Published on: November 7, 2014
Geriatric referral patterns for physical therapy: a descriptive analysis
Ellen Winchell Miller1, Kyle Ross, Shawn Grant
1University of Indianapolis, Center for Aging and Community, Indianapolis, IN 46227, USA. emiller@uindy.edu
Purpose:
The purposes of this study were to: (1) describe older adults being seen for physical therapy, (2) identify the most prevalent physician orders and physical therapy interventions, and (3) compare these results across US regions.
Methods:
A written questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 1600 therapists. Therapists completed information for up to 10 patients including classification of diagnosis according to the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice.
Analysis:
Descriptive analyses were performed.
Results:
118 therapists provided information on 839 patients. More of the patients were women (65%) than men (35%); their average age was 76.4 years. Most patients were seen in the outpatient setting (56%) and over 70% were classified into one of the musculoskeletal diagnostic categories. "Evaluate and treat" was present in 66.2% of the physician orders. The 6 most frequently performed interventions were in the therapeutic exercise category.
Conclusion:
Many physical therapists, even those who may not consider themselves geriatric physical therapists, are seeing older adults in a variety of settings. Knowledge about the diverse needs of older adults, therefore, is important for clinicians and students to meet the rising demand for quality physical therapy for this population.
