Healthcare Insights
Top occupational therapy procedures
Occupational therapy helps individuals regain their independence following periods of injury, illness, or aging. By working with an occupational therapist, patients can improve the skills they need to function well in daily life.
We analyzed data from the Definitive Healthcare’s Atlas All-Payor Claims and compiled a list of the top 10 occupational therapy procedures by occupational therapists in 2022.
| Rank | CPT code | Description | % of procedures for all occupational procedures | Explore dataset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 97110 | THERAPEUTIC EXERCISES | 34% | Explore |
| 2 | 97140 | MANUAL THERAPY 1/> REGIONS | 22% | Explore |
| 3 | 97530 | THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITIES | 17% | Explore |
| 4 | 97112 | NEUROMUSCULAR REEDUCATION | 5% | Explore |
| 5 | 97035 | ULTRASOUND THERAPY | 4% | Explore |
| 6 | 97014 | ELECTRIC STIMULATION THERAPY | 3% | Explore |
| 7 | 97010 | HOT OR COLD PACKS THERAPY | 3% | Explore |
| 8 | 97162 | PT EVAL MOD COMPLEX 30 MIN | 2% | Explore |
| 9 | 97161 | PT EVAL LOW COMPLEX 20 MIN | 2% | Explore |
| 10 | 97016 | VASOPNEUMATIC DEVICE THERAPY | 1% | Explore |
Fig. 1 Data is from the Definitive Healthcare Atlas All-Payor Claims product for calendar year 2022. Claims data is sourced from multiple medical claims clearinghouses in the United States and is updated monthly. Data accessed March 2023.
What was the top occupational therapy procedure in 2022?
CPT code 97110, therapeutic exercises, came in first with a significant lead, accounting for 34% of procedures by occupational therapists. In second is code 97140, manual therapy 1/> regions, with 22% of procedures. Following this code was code 97530, therapeutic activities, capturing 17% of procedures.
What is the difference between occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT)?
A main difference between OT and PT is the type of motor skills each address. OT improves fine motor skills, while PT improves gross motor skills. Gross motor skills tend to involve large muscles used in activities such as walking, standing, and sitting. Meanwhile fine motor skills involve smaller muscles, typically in the hands, fingers, and wrist, used in activities such as holding a pencil, buttoning a coat, and brushing teeth.
Beyond fine motor skills, OT focuses on skills related to:
- Cognition
- Visual-perception
- Sensory-processing
In addition to gross motor skills, PT focuses on:
- Pain
- Endurance
- Strength
- Joint range of motion
Overall, both OT and PT help improve patients’ quality of life.
What does OT do for mental health?
Not only can OT greatly improve physical health, but it can also improve mental health. Since OT helps patients with daily living activities, such as bathing and dressing, it greatly improves feelings of independence.
OT also improves patients’ coping skills so that they can manage their physical or mental illnesses. Last, OT helps patients develop healthy behaviors.
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