Investigating Disparities in Physical Therapy Utilization: An Intersectionality Perspective.
Lauren Rimmel, Kathleen Taglieri-Noble, Rebecca Pham and 4 others
PMID 40980530WHAT IT FOUND
Patients from lower-income areas and those speaking languages other than English were significantly less likely to schedule or attend physical therapy after referral.
These disparities were most pronounced in scheduling, where the lowest income group had half the odds of booking an appointment compared to the highest income group.
Key findings
01Patients in the lowest income quintile had approximately half the odds of scheduling an appointment after referral compared to those in the highest quintile.
02Patients whose primary language was neither English nor Spanish had significantly lower odds of scheduling and attending appointments compared to English speakers.
03Black or African American patients had the highest rates of scheduling appointments but the lowest rates of attending once scheduled, compared to White patients.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study could not capture patients who attended physical therapy out-of-network, so it may underestimate overall utilization. Zip code median income was used as a proxy for individual socioeconomic status, which may not accurately reflect a patient's personal financial situation. Data collection occurred during the post-lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic, which may have influenced patient behavior and clinic operations. The study relied on electronic medical records, which may contain biases in data entry, such as incomplete race or language information.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that high no-show rates indicate patient non-compliance or lack of interest. The study shows that barriers often occur before the appointment is even scheduled, particularly for low-income and non-English speaking patients.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →