Which statement best describes the approach to differential diagnosis in physical therapy?

• A. PT should diagnose patients definitively in all cases.
• B. PT should perform differential diagnosis to determine referral needs.
• C. PT should only consider differential diagnosis after physician involvement.
• D. PT should not perform any differential diagnosis.

Answer: (B)

In direct-access physical therapy, evaluating a patient includes performing a differential diagnosis to decide whether the presentation is suitable for PT or requires medical referral. This process uses history, systems review, and focused tests to generate a list of possible causes and to identify red flags that point to conditions outside PT scope. The goal isn’t to label every disease definitively, but to triage safely and ensure the patient gets the right care at the right time. This approach protects patient safety and supports timely referrals when needed. Waiting for physician involvement before screening would delay important decisions, and not performing any differential diagnosis would miss signs that warrant referral.