Rheumatologists who leverage the skills and knowledge of complementary healthcare providers, such as physical therapists, can streamline patients’ access to care, open up their schedules to see more patients, and give people living with rheumatic disease more control over their lives.
In the session Innovative Models of Integrating Physical Therapists Into Rheumatology Care: Lessons From Emerging Clinical Pathways, three experienced clinicians will explain how a partnership between rheumatologists and physical therapists can help improve patient care. The session will take place on Tuesday, November 10, from 1–2:30 p.m., in Room W311EF of the Orange County Convention Center.
Physical therapists’ training and knowledge base put them in a strong position to identify and evaluate musculoskeletal diseases and disorders, making them natural working partners for rheumatologists, said Laura Passalent, BSc, PT, MHS, Clinician Investigator at the Schroeder Arthritis Institute, University Health Network, and Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, Canada. Canada offers training to increase those competencies through “extended-scope programs.”
“An extended-scope practitioner is an experienced healthcare professional, usually a physiotherapist, with advanced training to independently assess patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases, help determine the right diagnosis and treatment plan, and ensure patients get timely access to the care they need,” Passalent said. “[Their extended training] provides the skill sets beyond the normal scope of practice that a physio would have. That’s where we build the toolbox to really triage patients in order to identify rheumatic disease earlier.”
Extended-scope programs showcase the interdisciplinary, collaborative team approach and its impact on access and quality of care, she noted.
Many adults with rheumatic conditions could benefit from physical therapy (PT) or exercise. Once patients learn that physical rehabilitation is an option, they often wish it had been recommended earlier in their treatment, said Louise Thoma, PhD, DPT, Assistant Professor in the Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Health Sciences, at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“The patients really wanted to learn what else they could do to help them live with their disease, in addition to their medications, and they wanted to learn these options soon after their diagnosis,” she said.
But short appointment windows and rheumatologists lacking an efficient way to determine which patients would benefit most from PT or exercise mean those options are not offered as often as they might be.
So, Dr. Thoma and fellow researchers developed a brief survey that rheumatologists can use to identify which patients would best benefit from rehabilitation. The questionnaire can be sent to patients ahead of their office visit, saving valuable time. During her presentation, Dr. Thoma will discuss the results of their trial.
“It was largely successful,” she said. “We got a lot more referrals—and people who used PT—out of it than had been done previously in this clinic. Patients and rheumatologists felt like the patients were primed to talk about exercise and rehabilitation during their visit by completing the survey. And rheumatologists thought having those conversations was easier because people had been thinking about how challenging activities were in their daily life.”
Jonathan D. Jones, MD, Rheumatologist with Samaritan Health Services in Corvallis, Oregon, will explain the yearlong pilot program he has run in partnership with a physical therapist to give patients a greater sense of autonomy with their disease. In eight weekly two-and-a-half-hour group medical appointments, he and the therapist guide 12 to 16 patients through improved disease understanding and awareness of behaviors that may impact their wellbeing.
“The goal is to help patients learn principles of lifestyle medicine so that they can improve their quality of life,” Dr. Jones said. “We want them to understand many of the principles of care and take ownership so that they make those behavioral changes that are meaningful to them.”
During Tuesday’s session, he will describe the logistics, challenges, and successes they’ve had over the last year so that other rheumatologists can set up similar models.
“There have been so many benefits from this,” Dr. Jones said. “A big part has been that many patients finally feel like they’re not alone. Many of them have talked about how refreshing it is to hear other people have the same experiences, the same struggles and the same challenges, and that alone really empowers patients.”
THERE’S STILL TIME TO JOIN US
If you haven’t registered for ACR Convergence 2026, you can still register on-site at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, through November 11. All registered participants receive on-demand access to scientific sessions through September 30, 2027.
