The number of skilled nursing facilities physiotherapists is expected to face a sharp decline over the next 12 years, the new report revealed.
In 2022, U.S. nursing homes suffered a shortage of 12,070 full-time PTS, with the number expected to expand significantly to 19,700 by 2027. A survey by the American Physiotherapy Association found that by 2037 there were only a few jobs, representing a 3.3% shortfall.
Approximately 8.9% of skilled nursing physiotherapists said they plan to retire or quit their occupation next year, the researchers said. This is only for 9% of therapists working in home care settings.
Overall, 5% of survey respondents (nearly 240,000 US physiotherapists) said they would either leave the sector or retire soon next year. An additional 25% of current PTSs will reach retirement age within the next 10 years.
Furthermore, the expected demand for physiotherapists in nursing homes will increase by 40% over the next 12 years.
The impact of shortage
The authors warned of some of the possible effects that could be attributed to the widening PT gap. They provided several possible solutions that could help close.
“Without strategic interventions such as increasing the number of physical therapist alumni and implementing policies to improve retention, patients in many fields may continue to face challenges in accessing timely or adequate care,” the author writes. “Dealing with these issues is important to ensure a growing demand for physiotherapist services, especially as populations increase in age and prevalence of conditions requiring physical therapy.”
Stagnant salaries were also seen as contributing to burnout, the association said.
Without proper access to therapists, nursing homes may struggle to provide residents such as Sabrena McCarley, vice president of regulatory issues in acute patients, clinical reimbursement and transitional care management, with the level of care needed for a safe and efficient recovery.
This can lead to longer stays in the hospital and lead to bottlenecks in the health care system.
McCurley said the shortage of physical therapists is growing concern and certainly affects patients' ability to access timely care.
She briefly mentioned interventions that could require support from the provider.
“Telehealth was one of the effective solutions we used to close this gap and ensure continued access to physical therapy services,” McCurley said. “However, unless Congress takes action to expand it, the current telehealth expansion is set to expire on March 31, 2025.
Without a critical extension of telehealth flexibility that once helped residents maintain access to essential care during the pandemic, McCurley fears that patients will face significant delays in receiving the treatment services they need.
Preparation program
Several geographical imbalances are also mentioned in the report. Virginia is expected to have the most therapists by 2037, while Michigan is expected to have the largest supply loss compared to demand, for example. However, the authors said regional differences are likely to decrease by 2037.
Organizations and institutions across the country have already been successful in preparing more individuals for careers in PT.
KFF Health News previously reported that the University of Southern California had added a hybrid learning model in which students engage in online PT training, then travelling to campus for a week, for practical instruction and practice.
This brings USC capacity from 100 students per year to 150.
James Gordon, the university chair of the Biological and Physiotherapy department, said many of the professional skills of hybrid students are indistinguishable from those of campus students.
The authors of the APTA previously have likely continued, and have further exacerbated access to care challenges, unless measures such as those mentioned above are implemented, unless they increase the number of physical therapists participating or re-entering the workforce.
