Predicting the number of physical therapy visits and patient satisfaction in individuals with temporomandibular disorder: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) can be challenging to manage for clinicians and patients alike. It is unclear which factors are associated with prolonging conservative care and patient dissatisfaction with treatment outcomes. OBJECTIVES: To examine factors collected during a physical therapy (PT) evaluation in a cohort of individuals with TMD to determine factors associated with an increased number of PT visits and reduced patient satisfaction. METHODS: Records of 511 patients referred to PT over 18 months were reviewed to extract 27 variables to develop a predictive model. Outcomes were patient satisfaction following PT and number of PT visits. Linear and zero inflated negative binomial regressions were used, and a multivariate regression model was built for both outcomes. RESULTS: Two factors were associated with both lower patient satisfaction and an increased number of PT visits: higher patient rated functional neck disability and a greater number of healthcare professionals seen. Other factors associated with patient satisfaction were duration of symptoms, subluxation, and referral from an oral surgeon. Only patient rated functional neck disability score was a significant predictive factor in the multivariate model. Factors associated with number of PT visits were gender, educational level, time between initial visit and discharge, number of pain areas, bruxism, biopsychosocial factors, dizziness, pain rating, and presence of neck pain. In the multivariate model, gender, number of healthcare professionals seen, and resting pain rating were significant predictors of number of PT visits. CONCLUSION: Considering key factors on initial evaluation, specifically functional neck disability and the number of prior healthcare professionals seen before starting PT, can help to predict a higher number of PT visits and reduced patient satisfaction with outcomes.