The Future of Physical Therapy Documentation Software

There is no denying that good physical therapy documentation and EMR software, with meaningful investment by the client during the implementation process, can positively affect the entire business and, most importantly, reduce the risks associated with compliance in healthcare practices.

Take time to tailor your PT EMR to YOUR workflow

At TheraOffice, we have always felt that, out of the box with our PT EMR software, you can get a practice up and running quickly, but taking your time and making the software “yours” can be a game-changer. The key is understanding workflows and how they can be reproduced in the software to save time, reduce errors, and create efficiencies in the business. 

If therapists have issues with documentation times in your current PT EHR software, streamlining templates and dropdowns can turn minutes into seconds and speed up the whole process. As a clinic owner, I want to use my most valuable assets (our people) to work on challenging things and keep them engaged in their careers and practice.   

The healthcare landscape is constantly changing

We get it; nobody likes to document. I guess it has always been the bane of our existence as providers. One of the main issues is that the standardization of clinical documents has always had exceptions. Work Comp needs this, Medicare needs that, and BCBS of IL needs something slightly different, and this means that you’ll need to train your providers in the specifics of each one, or implement a PT EMR system that does this heavy lifting for you. 

We may all know what medical necessity means when we are standing and looking at a patient but proving that with words can become a problematic moving target and is wide open for interpretation, though our physical therapy documentation software does take strides to hit this ever-shifting target.     

How do we solve theis problem of PT EMR compliance together?

The next phase of PT EMRs will utilize technology and data to improve patient health and wellness. The only way this can begin is to continue to increase the ability to share meaningful data across the healthcare continuum, with practices of all kinds. Patients need to be the center of the data universe, with healthcare services connecting to them as they navigate the system. Utilizing artificial intelligence and other advanced computer algorithms to determine the care and value shows promise, but we will need to create guard rails to create balance and equity in the system.

All PT EMRs will need to connect in meaningful ways to continue to improve all aspects of healthcare. Healthcare providers and support staff need to continue to work with software vendors on features that will make documentation more specific, streamlined, and, most importantly, of value to other providers who will participate in a patient’s care. 

Optimizing and improving care by utilizing connected data sounds pretty good to me.    

– Dan Morrill, PT, DPT, VP & General Manager, TheraOffice at Netsmart