APTA has released a new report examining the relationship between PTs and primary care physicians. The report, "Primary Care Physician Perceptions of Physical Therapy: An APTA Report," is meant to help APTA and its members identify barriers in and ultimately optimize the PT-PCP relationship.

This report follows three previous studies APTA has commissioned to better understand consumers' perceptions of PTs and PT services over the past 17 years — in 2007, 2016, and 2021. The findings of these reports have informed APTA's messaging to its target audiences, including APTA members, consumers, policymakers, and others.

According to the November 2024 report, PCPs have a very positive overall view of physical therapy and a high level of trust for the care PTs provide — they want to refer patients to physical therapy. The report also found that barriers for referrals to physical therapy and patient follow through on those referrals are mainly patient-centric.

Some of the report's most notable findings based on survey responses include:

• 95% of PCPs view the physical therapy profession "very positively," and 92% "trust the care" PTs provide. Additionally, 88% of PCPs would like to refer more patients to physical therapy, and 95% believe collaborating with PTs would benefit patient care.
• 86% of PCPs refer patients to physical therapy "frequently." They also refer patients to physical therapy more often than to occupational therapy, chiropractic care, or orthopedic or sports medicine.
• Almost all PCPs (98%) said they had referred patients to physical therapy within the last six months.
• 96% of PCPs agree that collaboration with PTs is beneficial to them and their patients, and many believe that it enhances patient care.

Challenges to Making Referrals

The report also describes the "patient-centric concerns" that PCP perceive are barriers to referrals and to patients receiving physical therapist treatment. Perhaps the most significant of these concerns: 61% of PCPs believe that patient cost is a reason that their peers might be hesitant to refer their patients to physical therapy, while 52% believe that patients don’t want to try physical therapy. Other reasons PCPs stated their peers might not refer some patients to physical therapy are access and time. Some 29% of PCPs think their patients believe physical therapy would be too time consuming, and 27% identified limited access to local physical therapists as a concern that patients have.

Drivers to Referring Patients to Specific PTs

The survey also sought to determine what factors are most important to PCPs when deciding whether to refer a patient to a particular physical therapist. Three key drivers were identified:

1. The PT's competence, experience, and reputation.
2. The PT's willingness to collaborate and communicate with other providers.
3. Patient satisfaction with a specific PT.

When given the opportunity state in their own words the most important factors they would like to know about a physical therapist in order to feel comfortable referring patients, 33% of PCPs identified "experience" as the most important factor, followed closely by "patient feedback and satisfaction" at 29%, and that the PT provides "personalized and effective treatment" at 25%. The survey also found that PCPs value a PT's competence and experience over the cost of care and how much of that cost would be covered by insurance.

In response to a similar question, about what's the most important consideration when referring to a specific physical therapist, almost one third (32%) of PCPs responded that "competence and experience" were top of mind, while 28% listed "insurance and cost." Finally, the study determined that PCPs want to know whether patients received the kind of individualized and compassionate care that would lead them to return to that PT in the future.

Enhancing Messaging to Move the Profession

Given the indications that PCPs welcome collaboration with PTs to improve quality of care and outcomes for patients, APTA plans to leverage the findings of this report in developing messaging, resources, and educational opportunities to move the profession of physical therapy forward. The physical therapy profession has the opportunity to encourage more referred patients to try physical therapy by embracing the synergetic relationship between PCPs and patients and working to change the PCP-patient conversation from a referral, the value and benefits of a taking advantage of physical therapy referral.

The report was commissioned by APTA and administered by Penta Group LLC. There were 301 qualified respondents who participated in the survey. Participants were required to be a currently practicing PCP, specializing in family or internal medicine, be at least 25 years old and in practice for at least three years, and have previously referred patients to physical therapy or be open to doing so in the future.

Questions about the research or how APTA will use the findings in this report? View our FAQ .