Editors' note: Utilization of rehabilitation therapy services in Parkinson disease in the United States

Abstract

In “Utilization of rehabilitation therapy services in Parkinson disease in the United States,” Fullard et al. analyzed 174,643 Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of Parkinson disease (PD) in 2007 and followed them through 2009. They found based on claims data that only a minority of individuals with PD had obtained physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy. They concluded that rehabilitation therapy utilization among older patients with PD in the United States is lower than reported for countries with comparable health care infrastructure. They also found that neurologist care is associated with rehabilitation therapy use; provider supply is not. Commenting on the article, Drs. Bryant and Protas share the results of their own retrospective study using data from electronic medical records at the Veterans Administration, a non-fee-for-service system, which yielded similar results. In “Utilization of rehabilitation therapy services in Parkinson disease in the United States,” Fullard et al. analyzed 174,643 Medicare beneficiaries with a diagnosis of Parkinson disease (PD) in 2007 and followed them through 2009. They found based on claims data that only a minority of individuals with PD had obtained physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech therapy.