Hi Kaci,
This is a great discussion topic. I would suspect that in most states, PTs would need to go through the child’s PCP or another specialist involved in the child’s care. For the purpose of exam questions, I would interpret a referral question less literally, such as who the child would benefit from seeing for a consult, and not literally that you would make the referral. The exception would be a question asking directly about the PT’s scope of care and legal requirements. In our practice questions, we are probing to see if you understand clinical characteristics that indicate a specific diagnosis/condition/clinical problem needing further examination by another professional. Being able to determine when a patient’s problem is beyond the scope of a PTs knowledge and competence for care is an important clinical practice competency. We teach it in DPT education, it is a part of the new Competency Based Education framework, and is included in Direct Access legislation in many states (and also practice acts). I hope this helps!
Helen
