Direct referral of patients by physiotherapists to specialists should be allowed on a case-by-case basis. Each patient's situation is unique and what may be best for one patient may not be best for another. The goal should be to ensure that each patient receives the best possible care. YES, you can see a physical therapist without a referral from your family doctor.
If you have private health insurance, most clinics have a machine where you swipe your private health insurance card and you only pay the GAP. Even if your doctor has referred you to see another physical therapist, you have the right to choose the physical therapist you want. Just take the referral with you to your first session and we'll let the referring doctor know that you have started treatment with us. Physical therapists can refer you for many medical investigations, including x-rays, ultrasounds, and MRI scans.
Physical therapists are considered primary health care providers, so you can book directly with us without needing a referral. However, please let us know your doctor's details if you would like us to keep you informed of your treatment and progress. Our clinic uses state-of-the-art computerized scanning technology called “GaitScan” to assess foot function and order individual custom-made orthoses, great for relieving problems such as Achilles tendon injuries, plantar fasciitis, shin pain, knee injuries and lower back problems. You don't need to see physical therapists for treatment by our experienced massage therapist; to schedule an appointment, simply contact our friendly management team.
However, we regularly recommend our physical therapy clients to undergo a follow-up massage treatment to help with maintenance after recovering from specific injuries. North Coast Physical Therapy Specialists Do you have pain? It is an injury that limits your quality of. Mid North Coast Physiotherapy brings together more than 50 years of experience in the health and wellness industry to provide you with the best possible customer experience. In addition, patients who benefited were better able to continue with allied health treatments after the funded physiotherapy treatments had been used.
The annual referral rate per 1000 GP visits per year (methods described above) was then extrapolated, 3 to estimate the number of PCP visits nationwide where the patient was referred to physical therapy. The different referral rights depend on whether your referrer is a family doctor, a specialist doctor or a physical therapist. The results of the Danish study suggest that knowledge of physical therapy and regular contact with a physical therapist are likely to have an impact on referrals from general practitioners. It is not clear from the data whether a wider promotion of the range of clinical problems that can be effectively treated by physical therapy among family physicians and the general public would be beneficial.
Physical therapists are what are known as first contact professionals, and they are able to evaluate and diagnose a problem. GPs may refer patients to outpatient physical therapy from public hospitals, but there are often long waiting lists. Ian Watts BSW, BarchDes, MBA (Exec), Policy and Industrial Relations Manager, Australian Physiotherapy Association, Hawthorn, Vic. There is evidence that patients without private health insurance or the financial means to pay for physical therapy may be more likely to access physical therapy through an ATT.
Further policy and MBS changes may be required to improve access to evidence-based physical therapy for the many people with musculoskeletal problems who present to general practice and who are not referred to physical therapy. .
