Physician’s FAQ

Thank you for your interest in our services.  To save you time, we have posted the most common questions and their answers that our referring physicians ask.   If you need more information, please feel free to call us immediately at (563) 288-6787.

 
• How long after I refer a patient will my patient be seen in physical therapy?
• How do I refer a patient to physical therapy?
• What other information would be helpful to the physical therapist on the referral form?
• Do you need operative, MRI, or X-ray reports?
• How do I know what frequency and duration to refer my patient for?
• How will I know how my patient is progressing?
• Can I refer for a consultation?
• How do I know what kind of treatment I should suggest?

 

How long after I refer a patient will my patient be seen in physical therapy?

Appointments are scheduled as promptly as possible.  In most cases, we are able to schedule within 24 hours of referral.   MPTS will make every effort to see a patient immediately if it is an emergency situation.   Unfortunately, with today’s managed care, some insurance companies don’t allow this timely scheduling secondary to pre-certification requirements.   This is a very rare situation.  Please call us at (563) 288-6787 if you have any questions.

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How do I refer a patient to physical therapy?

Referring a patient to physical therapy is easy. Simply give the patient a referral form.

Again, with managed care, although we make every effort to take care of all insurance and pre-certification requirements, unfortunately some insurance companies require the physician to get pre-certification. If this is the case, it must sometimes be done before the patient is allowed to start.

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What other information would be helpful to the physical therapist on the referral form?

Other than a clinical diagnosis, if known, other helpful information:

• Weight bearing restrictions for post-surgical and post -fracture patients
• Fracture status
• ROM restrictions for post-surgical patients
• Degrees of resistance allowed for post-surgical patient (e.g.: active, passive or resisted)
• Expected limits in ROM if any, for a final outcome on a post-surgical patient
• Type of surgical procedure and/or type of internal fixation used
• Specific requests for splints or braces.

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Do you need operative, MRI, or X-ray reports?

As physical therapists, we work very closely with your patients to allow gradual stress on a surgical site. Operative reports, X-rays and/or MRI reports are always helpful, but are not absolutely necessary. Any vital information can be written directly on the referral as outlined in the previous question.

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How do I know what frequency and duration to refer my patient for?

In most cases it is best to leave specific duration and frequency up to the physical therapist.

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How will I know how my patient is progressing?

The physical therapist will send you a full written report on your patient after first seeing the patient. Information included will be history, objective findings, assessment, and intervention type and frequency.

The patient will be periodically re-examined and updated reports will be sent. Frequency of reports will depend upon the chronicity and nature of the problem. Re-examinations and reports will also be sent prior to any follow-up visit you have scheduled with the patient. If you would like reports or updates more frequently and/or verbally, please call or write it on your physician referral form.

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Can I refer for a consultation?

Absolutely. Simply tell your patient you would like them to be seen by a physical therapist to see if we can be helpful.  We will assess the patient and call you or send a report, as you prefer.

Also, feel free to call us first for general information and intervention options for an individual patient or for more general information on various diagnoses or types of problems.

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How do I know what kind of treatment I should suggest?

Decisions about specific interventions, duration, and frequency of visits are best left to the physical therapist upon examination/evaluation. You can explain to your patient that the physical therapist will evaluate them and identify any physical therapy problems such as pain, weakness, loss of motion, loss of function, gait problems, etc.

The physical therapist will explain all aspects of the plan of care to the patient and will send you a report with an outline of their care. This way, the patient doesn’t have a false expectation for physical therapy and the best intervention options can be utilized.

Any specific requests you make will be incorporated in the patient’s program if appropriate.

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