Direct Access: How It Benefits The Patient
Direct Access is a term used in many different professions,but for physical therapists it gives us the ability to evaluate and treat a patient without the need of a referral from a MD, PCP, or OrthopedicSurgeon. Though it may be a new term to some, the direct access laws have been around for over 10 years now and throughout that time, the laws have changed in the level of access for physical therapists. For example, in the state ofPennsylvania the law states that a physical therapist can treat a patient for30 days (from the initial evaluation) before they are required to get a script from a physician so treatment can resume, but in the state of Arizona their access is “unrestricted” meaning they can see a patient as long as necessary as long as it falls within the scope of physical therapy (APTA, “Direct Access ByState, 2021).