APTA Endorses Primary Care Physical Therapy: HODS Leads With Advanced Diagnostics Integration

APTA’s new advisory highlights Primary Care PT. HODS advances this model through diagnostics that elevate patient outcomes and practice growth.

ASTORIA, NY, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) has officially issued its Practice Advisory on Primary Care Physical Therapy (September 30, 2025), defining the emerging role of physical therapists as frontline providers who deliver comprehensive wellness, triage, diagnostic, and management services within the primary care team.

This groundbreaking advisory underscores the evolving role of physical therapists as musculoskeletal experts capable of providing early diagnostic evaluation, treatment, and referral, especially in areas facing provider shortages. APTA emphasizes that this model improves patient outcomes, enhances healthcare access, and reduces overall costs through early intervention and system efficiency.

For more than a decade, Hands-On Diagnostics (HODS) has pioneered this model, empowering physical therapists nationwide to perform Electrodiagnostic Testing (EMG/NCS) and Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Imaging (MSKUS) as part of comprehensive, patient-centered care. By integrating diagnostics into clinical practice, HODS has created a proven pathway for physical therapists to become true primary care providers for neuromusculoskeletal health.

“Primary care physical therapy cannot exist without diagnostics,” said Dr. Dimitrios Kostopoulos, DPT, MD, PhD, DSc, ECS, Co-Founder of Hands-On Diagnostics. “When PTs use EMG and ultrasound testing as part of their evaluation, they make faster, more accurate decisions—improving patient outcomes, enhancing collaboration with physicians, and supporting value-based care.”

The timing of APTA’s advisory aligns with the 2025 HODS Symposium, themed:
🎯 Primary Care Physical Therapy: Mastering Diagnostics, Manual Therapy, and Advanced Interventions
💡 Master the Science. Apply the Skill. Transform Your Practice.

The symposium will take place October 18–19, 2025, at APTA Headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia, and will feature sessions designed to help clinicians and practice owners:

Build and scale diagnostic testing programs within their PT practices.

Integrate EMG and MSK ultrasound into primary care physical therapy pathways.

Navigate billing, compliance, and reimbursement for diagnostic services.

Align their practices with value-based and outcome-driven models.

Differentiate through clinical excellence and operational efficiency.

“The HODS Symposium has always prepared PTs for the future,” said Dr. Konstantine Rizopoulos, Co-founder of Hands-On Diagnostics. “APTA’s new recognition confirms what our members have been building for years—a profession that leads the way in accessible, diagnostic-based primary care.”

The HODS Symposium will also include discussions on APTA’s forthcoming Board Certification in Primary Care Physical Therapy, expected to launch in 2028. With this certification, PTs can formally demonstrate advanced competencies in primary care delivery, triage, and diagnostic decision-making.

As healthcare transitions toward outcomes-driven reimbursement models, Hands-On Diagnostics continues to bridge the gap between physical therapy, diagnostics, and primary care—strengthening the PT’s role as a vital first-contact provider in the U.S. healthcare system.

About Hands-On Diagnostics (HODS)

Hands-On Diagnostics is the nation’s leading network of physical therapy practices specializing in advanced diagnostic testing, including Electromyography (EMG/NCS), Musculoskeletal Ultrasound (MSKUS), and Vestibular and Evoked Potential Testing. Founded in 2013, HODS provides education, certification, and business systems that help PTs integrate diagnostic testing into practice—enhancing patient outcomes, clinical credibility, and financial performance.

Dimitrios Kostopoulos
Hands-On Diagnostics
+1 9175382242
dimi@handsonemg.com
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