Electronic health record data extraction: Physical therapists' documentation of physical activity assessments and prescriptions for patients with chronic low back pain.
Mariana Wingood, Jennifer Vincenzo, Nancy Gell
PMID 37902255WHAT IT FOUND
Physical therapists rarely document formal physical activity assessments or prescriptions for chronic low back pain.
Home exercise programs appeared in only 5.4% of encounters. When documented, prescriptions often lacked intensity and frequency details, leaving patients without clear guidance.
Key findings
01Home exercise programs incorporating physical activity were documented in only 5.4% of encounters, and formal physical activity assessments were absent.
02Physical activity prescriptions rarely included all FITT components, with only 33.7% including frequency and 66.6% including time and intensity.
03Documentation of physical activity history was common but lacked specifics on frequency, intensity, or duration.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Very small sample size (18 patients, 56 encounters) from a single clinic. No data on the physical therapists' education, training, or experience, which may influence documentation habits. Findings are based on documentation, which may not fully reflect clinical practice if activities were discussed but not recorded. The study is observational and cannot determine if better documentation leads to better patient outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this study proves physical therapists are failing to prescribe physical activity. It only shows what was documented in the electronic health record. Activities may have been prescribed verbally or in ways that did not fit the study's definitions for documentation.