Abstract
This Dissertation in Practice examines how licensed physical therapists describe theirleadership experiences when advocating against restrictive prior authorization and
utilization management policies. Prior authorization and utilization management are
insurance processes that have created widespread delays, denials, and administrative
burdens within healthcare, and physical therapists remain largely absent from the broader
literature on health policy advocacy. The purpose of this study is to explore how physical
therapists experience and describe leadership within their advocacy efforts, including
what motivates their involvement and how they navigate systemic barriers created by
insurance policy. This study used a qualitative phenomenological design, which is suited
to understanding participants' lived experiences and the meaning they assign to them.
Data were collected through semi-structured virtual interviews with licensed physical
therapists practicing in the United States. Participants were recruited through snowball
sampling and targeted outreach within professional advocacy networks. Interview data
were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis approach. This document is organized
into three sections: a literature review and research proposal establishing the need for this
study, a submission-ready manuscript prepared for publication, and a practitioner
recommendation plan that translates the study's findings into guidance for physical
therapy education and professional advocacy organizations, alongside the researcher's
reflections as a practitioner-scholar.