As the need for physical therapy grows you most likely will start to see your clinic's patients numbers grow. In order to allow your clinic to grow and retain new and old patients, staying organized is key. One of the best ways to keep your records and clinics data organized is by streamlining your records with a physical therapy EMR software. 

Going paperless may seem daunting, but with the help of physical EMR softwares it is a sure way to ease the transitioning process and get your records streamlined as soon as possible. This will decrease time spent on everyday operations (scheduling, billing, documentation) and increase patient care time, retention rates, and overall revenue.

We want your clinic to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. Below we highlight common, special features of physical therapy EMR softwares and the benefits that streamlining your records with a physical therapy EMR software can have on the overall success of your clinic.

What is physical therapy EMR software?

Knowing what an EMR softwares is and what it can offer are essential in choosing the software that is best for your clinic. To start, EMR stands for electronic medical records and is essentially the digital version of medical charting found in clinics. They can include patient information; diagnoses, past medical history, medications, treatment history, etc. Having folders filled with different papers, prescriptions and charts for each patient can be alot to manage in addition to making sure that all of these charts are in a secure HIPAA compliant location. 

Organizing the charts and spending money on getting locked cabinets is an additional cost of time and money that may be decreasing the efficiency of your clinic. By utilizing a physical therapy EMR software you can upload all documents to one HIPAA compliant location. The physical therapy EMR software allows you to customize how you want to organize the documents and information for easy access. 

They also act as a direct line of communication between providers and other health providers, insurance companies and their patients. Long gone are the days where you have to flip through multiple forms to find the information of the patients referring document. With physical therapy EMR software, that information can be obtained from the click of a button. 

PT EMR integration with practice management softwares 

In addition to keeping your patients information organized and in one location, physical therapy EMR softwares also have features that integrate provider treatment essentials as well. Below is a list of a few key features that physical therapy EMR softwares streamline in one location for physical therapists to use in their daily operations.  

Physical therapy EMR softwares and practice management integration include features such as:

• Scheduling: Knowing the type of insurance and visit can have an impact on the length of the treatment session. Having this information in one system can improve overall scheduling efficiency. With EMR/Practice management systems physical therapists can schedule patients at the appropriate times for optimal care. EMR/Practice management systems can help decrease scheduling errors and increase the amount of patients seen daily/monthly/yearly.
  

• Billing: With EMR/Practice management softwares an essential feature is having the link between documentation and billing. Providers can document the services or number of units provided, and with a click of a button can send the information to the insurance companies for reimbursement. Having a system that keeps your information and data organized can help decrease billing errors and increase chances for reimbursement. 
  

• Documentation: In terms of documentation, physical therapy EMR/Practice management systems have the ability to notify you with type of insurance, type of visit and can link you to the billing so that  you can easily input time spent on the session and link them to CPT codes. Having access to previous notes and plans can help you build upon your treatment program and track the success of your patient. It will also help you stay organized and in compliance with insurance regulations. 
  

• Home Exercise Program (HEP): Being able to easily send a HEP through a patient portal, or HIPAA compliant emailing system has the potential to increase compliance with HEP success. Uploading/storing pictures and videos as well as adding cueing and feedback can reduce the time spent on writing out programs by hand or paying for an additional program that is not integrated with your EMR system. 
  

• Patient Portal: Teamwork between patient and provider is a key in the success of a person's physical therapy journey. By utilizing physical therapy EMR/Practice management software that includes a patient portal feature gives you the opportunity to increase patient engagement and reinforce pt goals. Patients could connect with you via a HIPAA compliant messaging system; giving the opportunity for providers to continue to give feedback and recommendations to their patients even when the patient is not physically in the clinic with them. The patient portal feature can guide in helping patients stay informed and accountable for their physical therapy journey. 
  

Practice management platforms, like Healthie, have the ability to connect your EMR with physical therapy features to ultimately streamline all of your patient and provider information into one efficient system. By having your patients information and your provider essentials (documentation, billing, etc.) on one software, providers can easily reference information and make updates without having to go through multiple drawers and filing cabinets. More time can be spent on patient care and less time on paperwork, leading to increases in patients, patient referral, patient retention and overall revenue. 

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The benefits of using physical therapy EMR software

Decreased time spent on PT billing

‍Billing can be a time consuming task that takes away from direct patient care for physical therapists. Mistakes made on paper billing can also result in physical therapists having to shred documents and start over on new forms. All of the time spent on billing and fixing mistakes and errors on paper can lead to a decrease in income for a practice. 

By using a digital electronic medical record (EMR) billing system that includes drop down menus and auto filling information, physical therapists can spend less time on billing. Some EMR systems will even highlight when a large enough error is made, to help guide physical therapists prior to submission to insurance companies. Digital billing for physical therapy can decrease the time spent on billing and increase patient treatment time that can ultimately increase the financial status of a physical therapy practice. 

Improved organization 

‍By using a digital system for billing all of a physical therapy practice’s documents can be located in one place. EMR systems have organizational tools to separate documents to their according location and make it easy for physical therapists to go back and access the documents that they may need. Providers can decrease the amount of space they use for filing cabinets and improve overall organization of their practice. ‍

Improved security of document and records 

‍Many EMR systems are HIPAA compliant and offer security for the protected health information and documents that you upload into it. By keeping all of your practices information on one of these systems you decrease the risk of exposing information when moving papers throughout your practice. With password protected capabilities, physical therapists do not have to worry about accidentally leaving a paper out or misplacing a document. All of the information for their practice will be in one place. Telehealth systems can offer options for screen lockdown after someone has stepped away from the computer for a certain amount of time, that way a stranger walking by can not access the information. By having a secure digital billing system, physical therapists can continue to be HIPAA compliant and organized. 

Ability to utilize multiple services that come with EMR systems

‍EMR systems like Healthie offer multiple services besides digital billing that providers can capitalize on to improve their practice. Healthie offers multiple services on top of billing that includes a client management portal, charting, intake forms, blogs, e-books and guides, scheduling, HEP’s and so much more. To learn more about Healthie and how to start your free-trial today check out our main website here. Ultimately, providers can promote their business while also managing their practice.

Healthie

Healthie offers a cloud-based EHR and telehealth platform that is quick to implement while supporting compliance with HIPAA regulations — while being customizable to meet your business needs. In addition, the Healthie platform integrates with insurance billing tools, so that you can quickly create Superbills and CMS 1500 claims, send invoices, and collect payments for out-of-pocket services. 

Here’s what you gain when working with your physical therapy or occupational therapy clients via Healthie: 

• Insurance Billing
• Online scheduling
• Anatomical Charting and document library 
• Patient Engagement
• Reporting and KPI tracking
• And much more

We have seen physical therapists and occupational therapists find success using Healthie within their practices. Whether you’re a solo practitioner or part of a multi-provider group or organization, our flexible membership plans adapt to meet your business needs. Let us help you launch your practice.