Adding a Physical Therapist to the Health Care Team in an HIV Clinic Increases Physical Therapy Referrals and Reduces Opioid Prescriptions Provided for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain in Patients Living With HIV

摘要

Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is common in people living with HIV (PLWH). Health care providers sometimes prescribe opioids to control pain, which may lead to opioid misuse. An interdisciplinary approach that includes physical therapy has been successful in managing MSK pain in various health care settings. Therefore, we sought to find the impact of recruiting a physical therapist (PT) on the number of opioid prescriptions and physical therapy referrals made by physicians in training to manage MSK pain in PLWH.