OPA Advocates for More Physiotherapists in Primary Care Teams

July 11, 2025

First contact roles for physiotherapists, who independently diagnose and manage musculoskeletal conditions, have demonstrated effectiveness in improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Despite their effectiveness in primary care, many primary care teams in Ontario do not have physiotherapists on staff.  

• Approximately 20-30% of primary care visits are for musculoskeletal conditions 

• Based on clinical experience in physiotherapy in primary care settings and suggested attachment rates for physicians, OPA estimates that a physiotherapist on an interprofessional primary care team can increase attachment rates by approximately 250 active patients, or 425 total rostered patients (on average). 

Why This Matters 

Physiotherapists are critical members of interprofessional primary care teams, and increasing the number of primary care physiotherapists in Ontario is an essential step towards improving health system capacity and bringing comprehensive and convenient care to more people in Ontario.   

It also means that more physiotherapists will be able to work to their full scope of practice while spreading awareness among healthcare teams and communities about the role and value of physiotherapists. 

How OPA Advocates 

We are collaborating with primary care organizations and advocacy groups, which looks like:  

• Supporting proposals to help make the case for PTs joining the team 

• Supporting primary care organizations with recruitment and retention strategies 

• Collaborating with  

• the Primary Care Action Team 

• Ontario Health Teams 

• the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario 

• the Alliance for Healthier Communities 

We are also: 

• Engaging directly with the Ontario Medical Association and the Nurse Practitioners Association of Ontario 

• Adding useful materials to the Alliance of Healthier Communities Toolkit: Interprofessional Primary Care Team Expansion 

Other supports from OPA at all points of development include: 

• Free educational modules to support PTs in primary care, developed through evidence-based and consensus processes – Preparing PTs for Team-based Primary Care 

• Consultation on applications to the Primary Care Action Team 

• Resources and individualized support for recruitment and retention, including job descriptions, compensation reports, interview guides, and free job postings. 

What is Going on Now 

In April, the Primary Care Action Team announced a call for proposals to fund expansion of existing primary care teams or new teams in needed geographical areas. The goal of this funding opportunity is to connect more people in Ontario to primary care teams, ultimately to have every person connected within 4 years. 

OPA’s support will continue through future cycles of funding, as having physiotherapists as part of the interprofessional primary care team is an essential step towards improving capacity and bringing connected and convenient care to more people in Ontario.