A: A prescription for a PT or OT treatment plan is limited to one year from the date the physician signs the prescription order.
There is NO specific length of time a referral is valid or good; the Board leaves it to the professional judgment of the PT to determine whether the referral is valid. If you have doubts, you should contact the referral source, as the Board has no rules addressing this question.
How do I write a script for physical therapy? Your referral only needs to include the patient's main complaint, e.g. “low back pain” and your name and credentials. The physical therapist will evaluate the patient and determine the classification, cause and appropriate treatment plan for the patient.
A: Most referrals are valid for up to 180 or 365 days. However, some referrals have different expiration dates. Check your authorization letter to confirm when the referral expires. If you have ongoing specialty care needs, you should request a new referral from your primary care provider before the referral expires.
Namely, orthopedic surgeons, followed by general practitioners and internal medicine specialists, are still the main referral sources for physical therapy. Likewise, this study showed similar results with orthopedists (59%) and family and internal medicine practitioners (32%) accounting for 91% of the total referrals.
There is NO specific length of time a referral is valid or good; the Board leaves it to the professional judgment of the PT to determine whether the referral is valid. If you have doubts, you should contact the referral source, as the Board has no rules addressing this question.
Thanks to Direct Access legislation, physical therapy patients can now get evaluations and treatments directly from a licensed physical therapist (PT) without first obtaining a doctor's prescription or referral. It essentially means anyone can visit a physical therapist whenever they want.
Since the IEP must be re-evaluated each year, the Department generally interprets the referral to be good for one year, unless the IEP or the referral itself provides for a shorter duration.
Can I get a referral letter from a GP online? Yes, you may often obtain a referral letter from a GP online. Begin by discussing your symptoms with a general practitioner via telehealth or an online consultation platform. During the consultation, ask for a referral from a specialist if necessary.
Current textbooks about diagnosis for physical therapists describe referral as an essential part of physical therapist practice, but do not provide explicit guidance for initiating a high-value referral or improving care continuity.