Physicians’ Medical diagnosis versus Physical therapists’ diagnosis

The American Academy for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, in their website, states: “Rehabilitation physicians take the time needed to accurately pinpoint the source of an ailment. They then design a treatment plan that can be carried out by the patients themselves or with the help of the rehabilitation physician’s medical team. This medical team might include other physicians and health professionals, such as neurologists, orthopedic surgeons, and physical therapists. By providing an appropriate treatment plan, rehabilitation physicians help patients stay as active as possible at any age. Their broad medical expertise allows them to treat disabling conditions throughout a person’s lifetime.” On the other hand, the NYSED Office of the Professions defines a Physical Therapist as: “…a licensed health care professional who examines and evaluates a patient’s condition and then plans and administers treatments to promote optimal health. Physical therapists seek to relieve pain, improve the body’s movement and function, maintain cardiopulmonary function, restore, maintain and promote optimal physical function; and limit disabilities resulting from injury or disease.” The physiatrists we work with, based on their expertise in rehabilitation medicine, will provide us with a medical diagnosis. From there, we evaluate a patient and create a “PT diagnosis” which encompasses the patient’s functional limitations resulting from their physical impairment. An example would be a medical diagnosis of Athetoid Cerebral Palsy and a PT diagnosis of motor incoordination resulting in gait abnormalities and inability to negotiate even/uneven surfaces.  Another example would be a medical diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and a PT diagnosis of lower extremity weakness leading to inability to transition from floor to standing independently. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) states that “the purpose of the diagnosis is to guide the physical therapist in determining the most appropriate intervention strategy for each patient/client. In the event the diagnostic process does not yield an identifiable cluster, disorder, syndrome, or category, intervention may be directed toward the alleviation of symptoms and remediation of impairments in body structures and function, activity limitations, or participation restrictions. If the diagnostic process reveals findings that are outside the scope of the physical therapist’s knowledge, experience, or expertise, the physical therapist should then refer the patient/client to an appropriate practitioner.”