7 Benefits of a Physical Therapy EMR System

Physical therapy is administered to individuals experiencing injuries, surgeries, or bodily pain that hinders their ability to perform daily activities. These interventions are conducted by physical therapists, targeting conditions that limit mobility and functionality.

Physical therapists tailor a treatment plan to assess the condition based on a patient’s physical examination and medical history. Primarily, physical therapy is beneficial for individuals recovering from surgeries or accidents or those managing pain.

Let’s discuss in detail What the EMR system is, how EMR helps in Physical therapy, and the top benefits of a physical therapy EMR system.

What is an EMR System?

An Electronic Medical Record system is a health information technology solution through which healthcare providers can streamline their workflow by reducing the repetitive manual work.

Sounds Interesting. Right? How is it even possible?

Using a platform where providers can record all patient diagnoses and treatments is possible. In other words, it is a digitalized version of paper medical charts of patients’ diagnoses and treatment. It includes past medical history, diagnoses, medications, immunization dates, referrals, and the billing management process.

The pandemic’s impact on demand for the telehealth option also increased PT’s geographic reach. As a result, traditional mobile sessions are prompting its popularity. Just like in-clinic visitors, physical therapy practices can schedule these remote appointments. The EHR will automate turnkey administration for therapists’ appointments.

Role of EMR in Physical Therapy

EMR plays an essential role in Physical therapy practices. It increases practice efficiency as the healthcare staff can electronically schedule patients’ appointments with physical therapists using secure communication channels (audio and video calls and messaging).

The EMR provides customized templates that help practice staff document patient details and encounter notes efficiently, which saves time. It also helps Physical therapists manage the billing process as it suggests the diagnosis and procedural codes per the treatment given. This enhances billing accuracy and reduces claim denials.

EMR helps billing by suggesting the diagnosis and procedural codes per the treatment. This enhances billing accuracy and reduces claim denials. Worried about the security of patient and provider details? Provider details and patient health information are secured as the EMR solution follows specific regulations and compliances like HL7, FHIR, and HIPAA.

Benefits of a Physical Therapy EMR System

Physical therapy EMR benefits practices in different aspects, such as

1. Patient Record Accuracy

A patient visits a physical therapist remotely whenever they have injuries or surgeries that affect their functional activities in daily operations. While encountering the patient, the PT can use customizable templates to take subjective, objective notes, which include pain level and muscle strength notes.

The provider assigns some exercise or therapy sessions to improve the patient’s health. These patient records can be stored securely in EMR software as the software follows HIPAA regulations. The physical therapist can view the past and current patients’ medical records, which helps assess the patients.

Moreover, the physical therapy EMR software can also help track the patients’ progress by constantly contacting them and checking if they are following the exercises assigned to them to improve muscle strength and flexibility.

2. Streamlined processes

Physical therapists can share the patient record with other providers, which improves care coordination and patient care. In addition, EMR software helps the billing process by suggesting accurate diagnosis and procedural codes, enhancing accurate billing, and reducing claim denials.

3. Appointment Checkin Kiosk

The kiosk feature allows patients to register themselves if they visit for the first time. Before the appointment, they can fill in their personal and insurance details. This reduces the waiting time in waiting rooms for encounters.

Once the appointment is scheduled, the provider can complete the check-in process. This reduces the waiting time for encounters. The physical therapy EMR fetches the patient’s details by entering the patient’s name and automatically adds the patient to the physical therapist‘s queue.

During the check-in, the software provides payment options, requesting them to pay to the co-pay. This helps in collecting the amount from the patient before the appointment.

4. Patient Record Accessibility

To improve patient care, the physical therapist can view real-time patient medical data and track the progress. This helps in providing clinical treatment/advice to their patients.

Since the EMR software provides an interoperability feature, it allows healthcare providers to share patients’ medical records, adherence to scheduled sessions, and progress/improvement in their health.

5. Better Analytics

Physical therapy EMR offers an analytical dashboard that shows statistical representation associated with physical care practice. Moreover, it provides the list of patients undergoing physical therapy treatment and the number of scheduled appointments whose encounter is to be done.

It also shows the percentage of assignments the patient completes as suggested in the treatment plans, showing the patient’s health progress. In addition, it provides data on the number of patients whose sessions are scheduled and completed. Moreover, it creates a graphical representation of revenue generated per month and year.

Better analytics helps physical care practices to manage their business and daily operations. It also helps in tracking reimbursement amounts from insurance companies and claims denials.

6. Physical therapy via telehealth

Telehealth promotes real-time communication with physical therapists and saves transportation costs and time. It helps patients who are immovable or unable to attend in-person visits due to injury or surgery. This allows physical therapists to encounter patients and assess the disease remotely. With video conferencing, physical therapists can examine the patient about problem statements, symptoms, muscle strength, and flexibility. While encountering, physical therapists can take subjective and objective notes.

7. Physical therapy services reimbursement billing

The physical therapy reimbursement billing depends on International codes for diseases called ICD codes. Currently, the 10th revision of codes is being used for billing.

Physical therapy EMR allows integration with billing software. Once the encounter is done, the physical therapist provides procedural and diagnosis codes as per the therapy and signs the encounter. The system suggests accurate diagnosis and procedural codes for the treatment provided. The biller checks the accuracy of codes and charges. The clearinghouse verifies the services provided to codes.

The claim can be submitted electronically, and claim status can be tracked through the EMR system.

Frequently Asked Questions