ArticleInternational journal of environmental research and public health2022
Direct Access to Physical Therapy: Should Italy Move Forward?
Article in International journal of environmental research and public health, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 26 papers.
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Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Physiotherapists as first-contact practitioners for patients with low back pain in French primary care: a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial.BMC health services research · 2024Trial
- How direct access to physiotherapy reshapes GP gatekeeping for musculoskeletal care in primary care: an exploratory organisational typology across health systems.Family medicine and community health · 2026Article
- Implementation of Direct Access Physiotherapy Policy in Saudi Arabia: Insights from Practicing Physiotherapists: A Cross-Sectional Study.Risk management and healthcare policy · 2026Article
- The experience and need of patients with cauda equina syndrome caused by lumbar disc herniation: a phenomenological qualitative study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Observational
- Evaluation of musculoskeletal complaints, treatment approaches, and patient perceptions in family medicine clinics in a tertiary center in Jordan: a cross-sectional study.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Article
- A study protocol for the policy intervention design and development of the implementation strategies for direct access to physiotherapists in primary care: a sequential mixed-method study using implementation mapping and a Delphi survey.Implementation science communications · 2024Article
- Recognition of a patient with neck autonomic dysfunction: findings from a rare case report of harlequin syndrome in direct access physiotherapy.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2024Article
- A consensus-based agreement on a definition of a process variable: findings from a New Zealand nominal group technique study.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Clinical reasoning skills of German and Dutch manual therapists: a cross-sectional study.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2024Article
- On-Site Physiotherapy in Emergency Department Patients Presenting with Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- The Musculoskeletal 30-question multiple choice questionnaire (MSK-30): a new assessing tool of musculoskeletal competence in a sample of Italian physiotherapists.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Article
- Teaching evidence-based practice to physiotherapy students in Italy: a cross sectional study.Archives of physiotherapy · 2023Article
- Effectiveness and Consequences of Direct Access in Physiotherapy: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Review
- Physiotherapy Screening for Referral of a Patient with Peripheral Arterial Disease Masquerading as Sciatica: A Case Report.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Recognition of Prodromal Hypoglossal Nerve Palsy Presenting with Neck Pain as Primary Complaint: Findings from a Rare Case Report in Direct Access Physiotherapy during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Physiotherapy Screening for Referral of a Patient with Patent Foramen Ovale Presenting with Neck Pain as Primary Complaint: A Case Report.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Physical therapy in the intensive care unit: A cross-sectional study of three Asian countries.PloS one · 2023Article
- Physiotherapists' knowledge of and adherence to evidence-based practice guidelines and recommendations for ankle sprains management: a cross-sectional study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2022Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Direct access to physical therapy (DAPT) is the patient's ability to self-refer to a physical therapist, without previous consultation from any other professional. This model of care has been implemented in many healthcare systems since it has demonstrated better outcomes than traditional models of care. The model of DAPT mainly focuses on the management of musculoskeletal disorders, with a huge epidemiological burden and worldwide healthcare systems workload. Among the healthcare professionals, physical therapists are one of the most accessed for managing pain and disability related to musculoskeletal disorders. Additionally, the most updated guidelines recommend DAPT as a first-line treatment because of its cost-effectiveness, safety, and patients' satisfaction compared to other interventions. DAPT was also adopted to efficiently face the diffuse crisis of the declining number of general practitioners, reducing their caseload by directly managing patients' musculoskeletal disorders traditionally seen by general practitioners. World Physiotherapy organization also advocates DAPT as a new approach, with physical therapy in a primary care pathway to better control healthcare expenses. Thus, it is unclear why the Italian institutions have decided to recognize new professions instead of focusing on the growth of physical therapy, a long-established and autonomous health profession. Furthermore, it is unclear why DAPT is still not fully recognized, considering the historical context and its evidence. The future is now: although still preliminary, the evidence supporting DAPT is promising. Hard skills, academic paths, scientific evidence, and the legislature argue that this paradigm shift should occur in Italy.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.