QUESTIONS TO ASK YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Many patients don’t realize that they have some freedom of choice when it comes to deciding on an outpatient physical therapy provider, depending on their insurance coverage. Here are some questions you may want to ask when deciding on an outpatient physical therapy provider:

1.  How many patients does your physical therapist schedule each hour?

2.  Does your physical therapist delegate treatments to non-licensed personnel?

3.  Does your physical therapist have any specialty certifications?

4.  Can your physical therapist show you some research articles to support the treatments you are receiving?

5.  Do your physical therapist’s patients see the same licensed therapist for the entire course of therapy?

6.  Is your physical therapist’s clinic wholly or partially owned by a physician?

7.  Are your physical therapist and their colleagues members of the American Physical Therapy Association?

8.  Does your physical therapist provide their patients with customized and individualized home therapeutic exercise programs in a user-friendly written format?

9.  Does your physical therapist send progress reports to your referring physician?

10. Does your physical therapist’s demeanor, appearance, and physique give you confidence in the advice and instruction they are providing?

11.  Is your physical therapist active in the local medical community as a volunteer, speaker, or educator?

12.  Has your physical therapist’s clinic ever been cited or fined by Medicare for billing or documentation issues?