A comparison of health care use for physician-referred and self-referred episodes of outpatient physical therapy

Abstract

Objective: To compare patient profiles and health care use for physician-referred and self-referred episodes of outpatient physical therapy (PT).

Data source: Five years (2003-2007) of private health insurance claims data, from a Midwest insurer, on beneficiaries aged 18-64.

Study design: Retrospective analyses of health care use of physician-referred (N = 45,210) and self-referred (N = 17,497) ambulatory PT episodes of care was conducted, adjusting for age, gender, diagnosis, case mix, and year.

Data collection/extraction: Physical therapy episodes began with the physical therapist initial evaluation and ended on the last date of service before 60 days of no further visits. Episodes were classified as physician-referred if the patient had a physician claim from a reasonable referral source in the 30 days before the start of PT.

Principal findings: The self-referred group was slightly younger, but the two groups were very similar in regard to diagnosis and case mix. Self-referred episodes had fewer PT visits (86 percent of physician-referred) and lower allowable amounts ($0.87 for every $1.00), after covariate adjustment, but did not differ in related health care utilization after PT.

Conclusions: Health care use during PT episodes was lower for those who self-referred, after adjusting for key variables, but did not differ after the PT episode.