Using definite article with "total"

Question

Should I use definite article before "total"?

Prior context: rehabilitation, describing patients' used physical therapy hours

Sentence in the middle of this work:

In contrast, total received post-acute PT changed only in four counties.

In contrast, the total received post-acute PT changed only in four counties.

Answer 1

Presumably the PT concept has already been introduced; thus, the definite article would be used. Additionally, "only" is best placed directly before the word it modifies:

In contrast, the total received post-acute PT changed in only four counties.