New Study Based on ATI’s Patient Registry Shows Direct Access to Physical Therapy Can Reduce Healthcare Costs; Time in Treatment

Bolingbrook, Ill., Feb. 16, 2018 -- A new study published by the Journal of Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy from ATI Physical Therapy’s national patient registry¹, shows that seeing a physical therapist first can lower healthcare costs and reduce expenses related to imaging.

The study queried 603 ATI Physical Therapy patients that had back and/or neck pain from 2016-present.  The major finding in the study illustrated that of the patients who came to ATI through direct access (not needing a doctor’s referral) showed a cost savings of $1,543 vs. those who were sent to physical therapy by a physician, a savings of nearly 50 percent compared to those who sought therapy from traditional medical referral. 

The study also showed that those in the direct access group had one less physical therapy session and spent 10 less days undergoing care.  In addition, less than 20 percent of all patients did not require additional medical care, illustrating that a physical therapy-first pathway can be a cost-effective solution for injury and pain recovery. Currently, only 17 states allow unlimited direct access to physical therapy, while the remaining 32 states allow for self-referral conditionally. Indiana is the only state that does not allow any form of direct access to physical therapy.

“This study further supports a body of literature that has demonstrated that seeing a physical therapist early in the care for musculoskeletal injuries is safe and as effective as traditional medical pathways,” said Thomas Denninger, PT, DPT, OCS, FAAOMPT, ATI Physical Therapy. “This study helps quantify just how much of a cost savings is there – patients who come to us through direct access finish up their recovery more quickly and incur less expense.”

ATI Patient Outcomes Registry is registered in ClinicalTrials.gov and the Agency for Health Care Quality’s Registry of Patient Registries which is designed to promote collaboration, reduce redundancy, and improve transparency among registry holders. ATI is the first and only physical therapy company that has created such a Registry.

For more information on ATI Physical Therapy, and a complete list of ATI’s clinic locations and services, please visit ATIpt.com. You can also follow @ATIPhysicalTherapy on Facebook and @ATIPT on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. Or subscribe to the official ATI YouTube Channel for a glimpse into our world!

About ATI Physical Therapy

ATI is a privately held, nationally recognized healthcare company, specializing in outpatient rehabilitation and adjacent healthcare services. With a focus on delivering a remarkable experience to every patient, every day, ATI has more than 750 locations from coast to coast. ATI was named “Best Physical Therapy Practice in the Nation” by ADVANCE magazine, and was one of the first physical therapy companies in the country to achieve URAC Core Accreditation, a mark of distinction that recognizes its commitment to quality healthcare. Based in Bolingbrook, Illinois, ATI gives back to communities across the country through the ATI Foundation, a non-profit established by ATI, which has provided more than $4 million in resources and funding to children with physical impairments.  For more information on ATI Physical Therapy, and a complete list of clinic locations, services and the ATI Foundation, please visit ATIpt.com.

¹ Registries are vetted by the U.S. Government and do not contain any Protected Health Information, but rather aggregate findings to discover trends and presentations.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fecf8673-415e-478e-90c7-4ae25cb48ddf

Clifton O'Neal
ATI Physical Therapy
630-296-2222
[email protected]