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Accesibilty Barriers to Physical Therapy

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How to increase physical accesibilty

• Use telehealth
• many clinics already use apps to track and demonstrate exercises for at home care
• host virtual PT sessions intermittenly through care
• in-person sessions will still need to take place periodically
• The US government can require more FQHCs (federally qualified health centers) to include PT

Limited Locations

• Some communities, especially lower income communities, have very limited PT clinics near them
• People have to take public transit, costing time and money
• The community of Austin in Chicago

• A minor can be limited by the schedule of their parent/guardian's ability to bring them far out of the way

COST

• One PT session costs between $20-$60
• Patients pay anywhere between $1,080 – $2,160 to rehab a simple injury or discomfort such as back pain

What are patients saying? “You can't go to physical therapy when you've got five mouths to feed … You're going to take food out of your kids' mouths just to go to physical therapy? I don't think so” (Huber et al.)

How to decrease cost

• Allow patients direct access to PT without a referral of a physician
• cuts the initial cost of consultation
• this requires educating the public on what kinds of injuries require PT vs a physician
• Educate the public on common injuries
• how they happen
• at home exercises to treat yourself