Referral patterns and utilization of physiotherapy services following a one-time physiotherapist consultation in general practice

• Published in: Physiotherapy Theory and Practice 2003, Vol.19 (1), p.5-21
• Main Authors: Hendriks, H. J. M., Kerssens, J. J., Heerkens, Y. F., Elvers, J. W. H., Dekker, J., van der Zee, J., Oostendrop, R. A. B.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0959-3985; 1521-0510; 1532-5040
• DOI: 10.1080/09593980307968

The purpose of this study was to describe the influence of a one-time consultation of physiotherapists (PTs) by primary care physicians (PCPs) on utilization of physiotherapy services, functional outcomes, and number of treatment sessions per treatment episode. A 7-month observational study with 59 pairs of randomly selected PTs and PCPs was conducted, with a prospective follow-up study of patients being referred for physiotherapy (treatment) after the consultation. The main variables measured were: (1) characteristics of patients who were referred for physiotherapy after consultation compared to those who were not referred for physiotherapy after consultation; (2) number of sessions per treatment episode predicted by the consulting PT compared to the actual number; and (3) functional outcomes of physiotherapy. The primary study sample consisted of 352 patients referred for a one-time PT consultation. Of these patients 224 were referred for physiotherapy treatment after consultation. Patterns of referral for physiotherapy after consultation were positively related ( p