Clinician perception of the impact of deployed physical therapists as physician extenders in a combat environment

Physical therapists (PTs) serve as physician extenders performing direct access evaluations for musculoskeletal conditions. The previous war-time mission of PTs was limited to level III medical care. Recently PTs began providing care at levels I/II with brigade combat teams (BCTs). Purpose: Determine the sentiment of battlefi eld providers at levels I/II regarding the operational impact of PTs. Methods: Surveys were provided to BCT medical providers. Results: There were 107 responses (response rate of 51%). According to the responses, PTs made a signifi cant impact on overall mission accomplishment (97%) and patient prognosis (83%) and were considered local experts in musculoskeletal pathology (92%), including the ordering of radiographs (79%). Their presence was thought to signifi cantly decrease medical evacuations within theater (68%) and out of theater (73%). Conclusion: There was a positive sentiment toward PTs in the BCT, suggesting they are highly valued. Future studies need to clarify further operational, medical, and fi scal implications.