The Foundation for Physical Therapy recently awarded a $300,000 high-impact research grant to Jean Mitchell, PhD, to investigate the influence of physical therapy referral characteristics and practices on quality, cost effectiveness, and utilization.

The purpose of Mitchell's project will be to investigate the effects of physician self-referral arrangements on the provision of physical therapy services. Data from multiple sources will be analyzed to determine whether the initiation of physical therapy differs for physicians who have established self-referral arrangements compared with those who do not self-refer, whether the composition of physical therapy treatments differs between these 2 groups, and whether there is a higher overall cost associated with physical therapy self-referral arrangements.

Mitchell, a professor of public policy at Georgetown University, received her PhD in economics from Vanderbilt University. Her health policy research has been published in refereed journals such as Health Affairs, Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, and Medical Care, and her work has been funded by sources such as the National Institutes of Health National Institute on Aging.

This high-impact study focusing on a profession-deemed, high-priority research area was made possible by funding from APTA and its Private Practice Section, Orthopaedic Section, and Florida Chapter; the Institute of Private Practice Physical Therapy; the American Academy of Orthopaedic Manual Physical Therapists; Evidence in Motion; and the Physical Therapy Business Alliance.