Medical Screening and Referral in Physical
Therapy Exam Questions and Answers with
Verified Solutions | Latest Updated 2026
What is Medical Screening? -Detection before an individual would
normally
seek care
-Rules out, doesn't make the diagnosis.
-Examples: yearly physicals,
mammograms
What is screening for medical -Process of determining whether the
referral? individual has
a condition that can be addressed by the
PT, and
whether or not medicine needs to be
involved.
-Examples: cancer, lung/heart pathology
What is differential diagnosis? -Differential diagnosis is a systematic
process used
to identify the proper diagnosis from a
competing
set of possible diagnoses
-Diagnosis is one of many necessary
components
during the clinical decision-making process
, What is the diagnostic process? -The diagnostic process involves
identifying or
determining the etiology of a disease or
condition
through evaluation of a patient history,
physical
examination, and review of laboratory data
or
diagnostic imaging and the subsequent
descriptive
title of that finding.
How do PTs contribute to the -Patients are commonly referred to PT by
diagnostic process for systemic primary
disease as opposed to MDs? care
-Average MD visit time 17.4 minutes with
an older
adult
-Lack depth in MSK diagnostic training
-High burnout for MDs >50%
-Opportunity for substantial collaboration
What are PTs screening for? -Side effects of medications.
-Comorbidities. 1
-Visceral Pain Mechanisms.
What is a delayed diagnosis? -They don't get better with your care
-They get better...initially...then worsen
-Other associated signs and symptoms
eventually
develop
Therapy Exam Questions and Answers with
Verified Solutions | Latest Updated 2026
What is Medical Screening? -Detection before an individual would
normally
seek care
-Rules out, doesn't make the diagnosis.
-Examples: yearly physicals,
mammograms
What is screening for medical -Process of determining whether the
referral? individual has
a condition that can be addressed by the
PT, and
whether or not medicine needs to be
involved.
-Examples: cancer, lung/heart pathology
What is differential diagnosis? -Differential diagnosis is a systematic
process used
to identify the proper diagnosis from a
competing
set of possible diagnoses
-Diagnosis is one of many necessary
components
during the clinical decision-making process
, What is the diagnostic process? -The diagnostic process involves
identifying or
determining the etiology of a disease or
condition
through evaluation of a patient history,
physical
examination, and review of laboratory data
or
diagnostic imaging and the subsequent
descriptive
title of that finding.
How do PTs contribute to the -Patients are commonly referred to PT by
diagnostic process for systemic primary
disease as opposed to MDs? care
-Average MD visit time 17.4 minutes with
an older
adult
-Lack depth in MSK diagnostic training
-High burnout for MDs >50%
-Opportunity for substantial collaboration
What are PTs screening for? -Side effects of medications.
-Comorbidities. 1
-Visceral Pain Mechanisms.
What is a delayed diagnosis? -They don't get better with your care
-They get better...initially...then worsen
-Other associated signs and symptoms
eventually
develop
