Should general practitioners refer patients directly to physical therapists?

Several advantages have been claimed for general practitioners having direct access to physical therapy (defined as having a practice-based physical therapist or open access to a hospital-based physical therapist), and general practice fundholders are increasingly committing resources to ensure such services are available to their patients. This may lead to potential increases in costs as a larger total number of patients are treated owing to improved access and awareness of such services. A review of the available published literature found eight studies that compared two or more models of providing physical therapy services. Analysis of the studies revealed that there are several advantages for patients who are referred directly for physical therapy. The main advantages are significant reductions in waiting times, convenience, reduced costs for the patient and a lower cost per treated patient. There is also some evidence that the recovery time may be slightly better for patients who have direct access to a physical therapist.