Recent Study Highlights Physical Therapy’s Clinical, Financial Benefits Among Medicare Beneficiaries…

We would like to feature this informative article by Home Health Care News reporter Patrick Filbin. He brings to our attention a recent study on how the use of physical therapy benefits Medicare patients who suffer fall-related injuries.

The researchers analyzed patients who suffered fall-related injuries and compared those who did and did not receive physical therapy in the post fall period. This study from the Alliance for Physical Therapy Quality and Innovation (APTQI) showed that an increase in PT among Medicare patients could reduce health care spending by $10 billion. PT users were also less likely to visit the emergency room or be hospitalized in the six months following their initial fall.

Key Findings

  • PT Users were 50% less likely to visit the emergency room or be hospitalized for a follow-up injury in the 6 months following their initial fall.
  • The relative odds of ER and hospitalization were lowest for the patients who had >30 PT sessions.
  • It was estimated that increased PT use by 100 beneficiaries prone to falls could result in an offsetting reduction in total healthcare spending of as much as $61,400-$91,900.
  • PT users were also 39% less likely to use opioids in the 6 months following their initial fall.
  • PT users remained less likely to use opioids for the 6-18 month post-fall period.

→ Click here for the study! ←

https://homehealthcarenews.com/2023/07/study-highlights-physical-therapys-clinical-financial-benefits-among-medicare-beneficiaries/

https://www.aptqi.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Impact-of-PT-on-Falls-and-Opioid-Use-051623.pdf