Cathy Schmidt, PT, DPT, MS, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy
MGH Institute of Health Professions
Boston, Massachusetts

Dr. Cathy Schmidt is an Assistant Professor and health services researcher in the Department of Physical Therapy at MGH Institute of Health Professions, Boston, MA. She has over 14 years of clinical experience providing physical therapy care to patients with musculoskeletal conditions
including 9 years of managerial experience for a private outpatient practice. Dr. Schmidt’s research focuses on evaluating the utilization of physical therapy as an initial intervention as opposed to interventions that impose higher medical risk and cost to the healthcare system for older adults with musculoskeletal conditions. Dr. Schmidt completed a two-year health services postdoctoral fellowship through the Center on Health Services Training and Research (CoHSTAR) at the Center for Gerontology at Brown University, RI. During that time Dr. Schmidt conducted a retrospective cohort study evaluating the utilization of physical therapy and the likelihood for the subsequent utilization of health care services such as opioid use, surgery, advanced imaging and hospitalizations for a cohort of Medicare Beneficiaries with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis. Additionally, Dr. Schmidt explored initial interventions such as physical therapy, opioids, spinal injection and spinal surgery and their association on healthcare outcomes for Veterans with low back pain. Currently, Dr. Schmidt’s research evaluates the association of initial treatment approaches on changes in pain and healthcare utilization for older adults with osteoarthritis among patients within the Partners Healthcare system. She will also explore physician referrals to physical therapy and barriers/facilitators to patient adherence to referrals. Dr. Schmidt has advanced experience in data management and analyses of large data systems, procedure coding related to musculoskeletal conditions and extensive clinical knowledge in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders.

Presentation(s):

• Understanding Geriatrics Rehabilitation Research Through the Continuum of Care (845713)

  Saturday, October 24, 2020
  10:00 AM – 11:15 AM EST