February 2018 Article Exchange with JOSPT

In 2015, JBJS launched an “article exchange” collaboration with the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy (JOSPT) to support multidisciplinary integration, continuity of care, and excellent patient outcomes in orthopaedics and sports medicine.

During the month of February 2018, JBJS and OrthoBuzz readers will have open access to the JOSPT article titled “The Influence of Patient Choice of First Provider on Costs and Outcomes: Analysis From a Physical Therapy Patient Registry.”

The authors of this economic and decision analysis tackle a controversial topic: whether giving patients with neck and back pain direct access to physical therapy, without a medical referral, leads to lower costs of care. They also compare clinical outcomes in the medical-referral and direct-access groups.