Date of Award

1998

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Master of Physical Therapy (MPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Renee Mabey

Keywords

Physical Therapy -- utilization -- North Dakota; Referral and Consultation -- North Dakota

Abstract

Recent trends in healthcare reinforce the idea that interdisciplinary teams are essential for quality patient care. Optimal team function requires respect and communication among team members as well as knowledge of their roles. The purpose of this ·study is to assess physician knowledge and referral patterns of physical therapy.

Subjects in this study included 200 physicians of varying specialty areas from North Dakota. Physician knowledge and referral patterns were assessed through a questionnaire. Results were analyzed according to descriptive and analytical statistics, and were shared with University of North Dakota faculty and the North Dakota chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. This study sheds light on areas within the field of physical therapy which are poorly understood and utilized. It is hoped that with increased physician awareness more patients will have access to physical therapy servIces.

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