Embedding Physical Therapy in the Pediatric Primary Care Setting: Qualitative Analysis of Pediatricians’ Insights on Potential Collaborative Roles and Benefits

The growing need for collaborative healthcare teams to meet complex health challenges has led to physical therapists (PTs) being embedded in adult primary care settings for many years now. However, this model of care has not been found in pediatrics. This qualitative study sought to gain insights from pediatricians on the potential of embedding pediatric PTs in primary care. Participants were nine pediatricians practicing in both urban and rural, hospital-based and private settings. Semi-structured interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via thematic analysis per published methods, assuring trustworthiness. Three overarching themes emerged: pediatricians' priorities aligned with the Quadruple Aim of Healthcare, embedded PTs could fill multiple roles in pediatrics, and they could see a wide variety of patients, highlighting real potential benefits in primary care. Participants endorsed in-office focused treatments, screening to determine optimal care pathways, and ongoing patient follow-up as potential PT roles in this setting. Providers thought that PTs could help manage care for musculoskeletal complaints, high-risk infants, medically complex children, autism, and obesity. An advanced-trained PT having attributes of confidence, adaptability, and open-mindedness was desired. All participants endorsed pediatric primary care PTs as having potentially high value in their practice. This is the first known study on the potential of embedding a PT in the pediatric primary care setting, offering valuable insights from pediatricians to be leveraged in implementation planning.