Study Looks at PT's Role as Cost-Driver in Claims

Opioid use, comorbidities and attorney involvement are often looked at as warning signs that a workers’ comp claim is on a costly trajectory. But another factor — 15 or more physical therapy visits — is an even stronger predictor of a high-cost claim, according to a study published in the August edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, or JOEM. “As the number of physical therapy visits increased, so did total medical costs,” wrote the authors, who included Nina Leung and Dr. Edward Bernacki from the Dell Medical School at the University...