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H. Jannenga1
1WebPT, Phoenix, United States
Background: In 2020, despite border closures and a near-nationwide shutdown, COVID-19 cases in the United States climbed. While the situation impacted all professions, healthcare providers were either called to the front lines to support those in need or relegated to the sidelines, working to preserve care continuity while mitigating the virus’s spread.
Purpose: Our purpose was to better understand the impact that the pandemic—and subsequent shutdowns—had on physiotherapy providers and outpatient clinics. We analyzed the data to forecast and understand:
We hope this information helps physiotherapists across the world prepare, should a similar situation arise again.
- legislative reform
- new business and care delivery models
- overall climate
We hope this information helps physiotherapists across the world prepare, should a similar situation arise again.
Methods: WebPT is a clinic management software serving more than 85,000 rehab therapy professionals. To assess the impact of the pandemic on practicing PTs, we:
- Reviewed claims data to assess new patient volume (via initial evaluations as a percentage of all visits) and patients per therapist per day.
- Evaluated the number of telehealth sessions.
- Tracked declines in WebPT user licenses and user activity.
- Monitored the impact of new healthcare legislative measures.
Results: At the pandemic’s beginning, 30% of the therapists weren’t seeing any patients. About one month into the US shutdown, the national average of patients seen per day per therapist was 6 (down from 8.8 prior to the pandemic). By June, as some states re-opened, this number rose to 6.9.
Concurrently, initial evaluations made up only 5% of appointments, a 3.8% drop from prior to the pandemic. By June, this ratio was steady at 10%, signaling a rise in new patient volume.
Prior to the pandemic, almost all patient visits were performed in-person; by mid-April, 7% of all patient visits were conducted via telehealth. In some of the hardest-hit regions, we saw telehealth account for up to 60% of total visits. As states began easing lockdown restrictions, telehealth visits declined to under 4%
Within WebPT, the average distinct weekly users decreased to about 69% of pre-pandemic levels at the lowest point, indicating that significant staffing changes took place. We also saw a drop in clinician licenses of about 13.5% during the same time.
Concurrently, initial evaluations made up only 5% of appointments, a 3.8% drop from prior to the pandemic. By June, this ratio was steady at 10%, signaling a rise in new patient volume.
Prior to the pandemic, almost all patient visits were performed in-person; by mid-April, 7% of all patient visits were conducted via telehealth. In some of the hardest-hit regions, we saw telehealth account for up to 60% of total visits. As states began easing lockdown restrictions, telehealth visits declined to under 4%
Within WebPT, the average distinct weekly users decreased to about 69% of pre-pandemic levels at the lowest point, indicating that significant staffing changes took place. We also saw a drop in clinician licenses of about 13.5% during the same time.
Conclusion(s): The pandemic severely impacted US physiotherapy, and we have a long way to go before most providers return to pre-COVID capacities. As a result of financial hardships, some have closed for good. Providers also are still grappling with contradictory regulatory changes and technological adaptations to care.
We intend to run this analysis again in 2021 to understand if—and how—the situation normalized. We will combine this data with our annual industry report to better assess the lived experience and aftermath of this crisis on PTs in practice.
We intend to run this analysis again in 2021 to understand if—and how—the situation normalized. We will combine this data with our annual industry report to better assess the lived experience and aftermath of this crisis on PTs in practice.
Implications: Our industry must advocate for increased autonomy in care delivery models, enhanced technology access, and improved business preparedness training.
While telehealth is currently available to US PTs, it may not be after the emergency period ends—unless physiotherapists unify to bring about permanent adoption. A hybrid model of in-person and telehealth appears to be the future of our industry.
While telehealth is currently available to US PTs, it may not be after the emergency period ends—unless physiotherapists unify to bring about permanent adoption. A hybrid model of in-person and telehealth appears to be the future of our industry.
Funding, acknowledgements: N/A
Keywords: physiotherapy, pandemic, telehealth
Topic: COVID-19
Did this work require ethics approval? No
Institution: N/A
Committee: N/A
Reason: No human subjects or identifiable data is included
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
