Physical Therapy News, Treatments and Services – April 28, 2025

Intermountain Connect Care is revolutionizing patient access to physical therapy by offering telehealth services from 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays. The program aims to provide swift, effective care, reducing overall healthcare costs. The service enables patients to discuss their symptoms and receive diagnosis and treatment advice from a licensed therapist at home, removing the traditional barriers of distance and schedule.

Mayo Clinic’s Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) bridging the gap for individuals hampered by disease or injury. This unit is committed to restoring function to patients, focusing on improving quality of life, muscular ability, and brain function. Mayo Clinic’s treatment strategies are reflected in the unique needs, abilities, and goals of each patient. In addition to providing expert medical consultations, PM&R also offers patient education opportunities, and uses cutting-edge technology, including 3D printing and functional electrical stimulation.

ATI Physical Therapy has received its fifth consecutive “Exceptional” rating from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) for quality patient care. The recognition, earned every year since the program’s inception for physical therapy providers, underlines ATI’s commitment to health outcomes improvement and healthcare cost reduction. The MIPS recognition is used to determine CMS reimbursement rates, impacting the range of services available to patients.

Husson University’s Soaring Eagles Healthcare Clinic has expanded its physical therapy services for the spring semester, now offering free physical therapy and occupational therapy services. These services, run by university students and professors, provide free therapy to uninsured and underinsured patients. Moreover, the clinic has launched a new hand therapy program within its expanded services. This program gives students hands-on experience while offering assistance to patients who need continued therapy.

In other news, PT Solutions Physical Therapy has acquired the physical therapy branch of OrthoCarolina. This acquisition includes 24 therapy clinics offering physical, occupational, and sports therapy and rehabilitation services in various locations. PT Solutions will collaborate with Novant Health to provide exceptional physical therapy care to patients throughout the Southeast region. This marks PT Solutions’ commitment to expand access to high-quality physical therapy services. Current patients can continue visiting their present therapy providers.

A independent report released by the nonprofit Peterson Health Technology Institute (PHTI) confirms that guided virtual health technologies deliver “clinically meaningful improvements in pain and function” for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. The report, Virtual Musculoskeletal Solutions Health Technology Assessment, revealed that many virtual MSK solutions offer clinical benefits to patients, which are comparable to in-person physical therapy. APTA welcomed the report, stating its importance in advancing cost-effective solutions in healthcare. Furthermore, the report suggests that a move towards more digital health could save an estimated $4.4 million per 1 million commercially insured individuals if one-quarter of physical therapy users with low back pain used digital care. The report also confirms the superiority of digital health solutions guided by a physical therapist over those that lack professional guidance.

The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense (DOD) have released an updated clinical practice guideline (CPG) on the Rehabilitation of Individuals with lower limb amputation (LLA). This updated guide aims to provide top-notch treatment to service members and veterans who have lost lower limbs and is driven by data collected from the treatment of over 1,700 deployment-related amputations since 2001. This guideline focuses on the entire process, from planning the procedure to the surgery itself right out to lifelong care, and aims to lead future research by highlighting areas where more robust evidence is required.

Moreover, the updated CPG includes new evidence-based recommendations on surgical procedures that were not part of the previous guide, along with emphasis on behavioral health, pain management, and peer support. Researchers anticipate the guidelines to enable patients to return to their pre-amputation activities and work, thus improving overall patient outcomes.

On another note, Emory Healthcare has incorporated Luna’s at-home physical therapy (PT) services into its outpatient care offerings to address the issue of referral leakage. In this new model, Emory credentials Luna’s therapists and provides its treatment protocols, which allow the healthcare provider to maintain quality and continuity of care. Luna’s PT program has increased Emory’s range of services, promoted better patient health outcomes, and controlled costs by maintaining continuity of care.

Emory also utilizes Luna’s app to connect its therapists with patients requiring PT in their homes. This innovative approach caters to patients who find frequent clinic visits impractical due to distance or discomfort. These advancements by DOD, VA, and Emory Healthcare echo a broader shift in the healthcare field, exploring innovative solutions and guidelines to improve patient care, especially for physically challenged patients and veterans.