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Content of physician referrals to physical therapists at clinical education sites in Indiana
1Krannert School of Physical Therapy, University of Indianapolis, IN 46227.
Background And Purpose:
The content of physician referrals to physical therapists was studied as an indicator of the level of decision making required of physical therapists.
Subjects And Methods:
Seventeen managers of clinical education sites in Indiana provided diagnosis and treatment information on a total of 2,267 patient referrals.
Results:
Differential diagnoses were specified in 39.6% of the referrals, and specific treatment orders were present in 32.6% of the referrals. Outpatient referrals contained significantly fewer diagnoses (29.1%) and specific orders (28.2%) than did inpatient referrals (56.0% and 39.5%, respectively).
Conclusion And Discussion:
These results indicate that physical therapists working in clinical education sites in Indiana must frequently exercise independent decision-making skills in determining the nature of the patient complaint and the appropriate treatment for the complaint. Academic programs that choose to expose students to a full range of decision-making situations should ensure a balance between inpatient and outpatient experiences.