Therapy computer programs

Popular Physical Therapy Documentation Software Comparisons

Buyers Guide

Here’s what we’ll cover:

What Is Physical Therapy Software?
Benefits of Physical Therapy Software
Common Features of Physical Therapy Software
Market Trends to Understand

What Is Physical Therapy Software?

Physical therapy electronic medical record (EMR)/electronic health record (EHR) systems offer very different functionality from software programs geared towards primary care and related specialties, although some features are similar.

For example, like programs intended for use by primary care physicians, the core features of EMRs for physical therapy also include the ability to track progress notes, treatment plans and assessments for multiple patients being seen on a regular and recurring basis.

Therapist dashboard screenshot in Practice Pro

However, physiotherapists often will not require all of the same features as primary care doctors. For example, physical therapy practices and other therapy groups, such as speech therapy, typically require robust documentation management solutions.

Benefits of Physical Therapy Software

Physical therapy software offers many benefits that increase the overall efficiency and productivity within a medical practice. Some of them are:

Enhanced record keeping. Physical therapy and documentation software solutions allow easier upkeep of patients’ medical records. Whether the prescription is for checking a single body part or for a rigorous physical therapy regimen, the solution maintains records in an organized manner.

Makes it easier to read. As most of doctors are infamous for their illegible handwriting, a digital physical therapy software would help patients, helpers and staff easily understand the doctor’s notes.

Faster billing. As billing is not considered to be the most glamorous job in a medical practice, this physical therapy solution enables practitioners to perform quick billing, and hence, minimize the overall time to complete a job.

Complete documentation. Since a lot of notes and thoughts are involved in a patient’s single visit, it is important to document all the details accurately. A physical therapy solution helps in correctly filling all the minute details and makes the properly organized files readily available to medical staff at all times.

Automation of tasks. A physical therapy software solution automates several tasks (such as prescription management and documentation) that otherwise consume too much time if manually done by the staff. The solution streamlines all the procedures and processes of the medical practice so as to enable the staff to provide high-quality care to patients.

Faster sharing of records. Paper records are sent and received through a photocopy in the mail or via fax to and from another location. On the other hand, electronic records and other digital information can be shared in a much faster and simpler way by using a physical therapy software.

Better quality control. A physical therapy solution helps manage the overall quality of service in medical practices. The solution also enhances clinical efficiency by supporting physical therapists in the diagnosis procedure and improving the quality of patient care. Avoids loss of records. Since paper records always face the risk of getting damaged, misplaced or lost, a physical therapy solution helps securely store all the information online.

Easy scheduling management. When all the records are stored digitally, all scheduling tasks become simpler to manage. With a physical therapy solution, medical practitioners can easily track and manage all their patients without being concerned about complex-to-navigate paper records.

Enhances decision making. As the physical therapy solution serves as an excellent source of information, it augments the decision-making process during patient assessments. Physical therapy solutions offer best-practice approaches and prescriptions based on the patient’s key symptoms and complaints.

Common Features of Physical Therapy Software

Import legacy documents from referring physicians	Since most PT patients come from physician referrals, a PT-specific EMR should be able to interpret scanned documents, faxes or PDF files and/or plug directly into EMRs from referring physicians to automate and expedite the new patient intake process.
Integrated exercise flow sheets	Document your patients’ daily exercise routines and carry over patient information from visit to visit, allowing easy tracking of patient progress. Incorporate programs with iPad or other mobile devices as desired, increasing efficiency at the point of care.
Physical therapy treatment guidelines	A physiotherapy EMR program should include protocols for the hundreds of diagnoses and treatments performed, providing support where needed and facilitating the overall workflow.
Integration with PT laboratory tests and diagnostic and treatment devices	Any EMR designed for a physiotherapy practice should import X-rays, MRIs, other diagnostic images and laboratory results and tie them to the patient record. In addition, advanced EMRs may coordinate with electrotherapy devices to track treatments given.
Automated billing & reporting	Reporting on certain physical therapy outcome measures provides a boost in Medicare payments of 1 percent. Automated reporting of these measures and incorporated codes results in drastic cuts in billing time and costs.

The size of the practice, existing technology, connectivity and patient demographics may also play an important part in the decision-making process. Of course, therapists will often seek more cost-effective solutions.

Market Trends to Understand

Software as a Service (SaaS). SaaS, or cloud computing, is prevalent in healthcare because of its ease of implementation, overall use and immediate record availability. Web-based solutions save practices the sometimes costly investment of on-site installation, and offer modern interfaces that look like Web browsers.

Mobile device support. The use of mobile devices is becoming more and more commonplace in medicine, whether that be iPads, iPhones or Android devices. As this demand increases, vendors are quickly developing applications and tools for mobile devices, allowing physicians the ease of data accessibility both on and off-premise. Entire encyclopedias of critical information can be accessible instantly via mobile apps.

ONC-ATCB certification. In 2009, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health is a large part of this act offering a $19 billion incentive for medical offices who transition to EHRs. In April 2012, proposed criteria for Meaningful Use Stage 2 was released proposing a rule that require all Certified EMR Technology “to include, at a minimum, support for the achievement of "meaningful use" by eligible health care providers beginning with the EHR reporting periods in FY/CY 2014.” However, that requirement has been extended through 2016 for eligible health care providers who began the program in 2011 or 2012.

What to Consider When Choosing Therapy Software

Therapists and mental health professionals don’t have to worry much about their jobs being replaced by technology. In the practice of mental health, the element of human connection is essential.

However, the latest tech tools can definitely make a big difference in mental health offices in other ways. The right kind of software can make office administrative tasks run more smoothly, help attract more patients to a practice, and make patients’ visits more pleasant when they do arrive.

Software tools aren’t just for big practices or institutions. They can be just as helpful for small therapy offices or solo practitioners as bigger operations.

Here are a few software features that can improve the delivery of your mental health services.

Patient Scheduling

Scheduling takes a surprising amount of time. Therapists benefit from outsourcing it to software and using that time for other tasks.

Plus, scheduling is especially important to get right because of its critical role in the client experience.

Scheduling mishaps can result in late cancellations or no-shows, which can have a big impact on cash flow if there’s no strict cancellation policy in place. Perhaps more importantly, scheduling confusion and error can disrupt the sense of ease and trust that many therapists strive to establish around their visits.

All of this can typically be avoided with the use of a simple appointment scheduling app.

Patient scheduling feature by iCouch

Appointment scheduling apps may allow patients to choose from available appointment times, schedule recurring appointments, and send appointment reminders by text and email automatically at specified intervals before the appointment.

More robust systems may also have reporting features that can help therapists analyze patterns around no-shows, cancellations, and the popularity of appointment days and times.

Appointment scheduling features are often included as part of comprehensive therapy software, but there are also plenty of standalone scheduling apps that can work well for professionals in any industry.

Client Portal

Modern therapy software is also making it easier for therapists to communicate with their clients by giving them access to their account details through web-based client portals.

With a client portal, patients can log in from any internet-connected device and see things like their upcoming schedule and their payment details. Some programs include the ability to send secure messages back and forth, replacing email or chat with a more private option.

Some therapy software even makes these accounts available with a smartphone app, which can make for an even simpler and more streamlined experience.

Client portals can also be very helpful for streamlining client intake. Therapists can go paperless by directing their patients to the portal to fill out their enrollment and medical history forms. These documents are then securely stored and easy to access, attached to the client’s account.

Every service that comes in contact with your client’s information has to be HIPAA compliant — your email, your online practice forms, and your e-signature solution (a simple solution for this is Adobe Sign, although it comes with a few downsides when it comes to HIPAA compliance).

Patients will appreciate the ease of online forms, and therapists can eliminate paperwork headaches like filing and digitization.

Paperless client intake by Simple Practice

Documentation

Some therapy software makes it especially easy for therapists to digitally attach notes to patient accounts.

They can digitally create, upload, store, and review things like treatment plans, medical history, and notes on a patient’s progress.

Some programs, such as Therapy Notes, let users choose from a variety of note templates to suit their needs. When therapists create a new note, it automatically pulls details from the current appointment into the note. This eliminates errors and speeds up the task. Because the templates are compatible with speech-to-text software, therapists can even dictate notes instead of using the keyboard, speeding up the process further.

Such features don’t just eliminate paper-related problems (such as getting lost or damaged), they also allow providers to quickly get a sense of a client’s entire history and relationship at a glance.

Plus, because these note-taking apps were designed for mental health professionals, they may already comply with insurance requirements and handle sensitive information separately from the client’s medical records. They often feature helpful tools such as industry-specific spell-check and diagnostic code suggestions to prevent errors.

Quicker data input and better organization saves hours and hours of administrative work over time. #receptionistapp Click To Tweet

Note-taking features can come bundled in with more comprehensive systems, but some are available as standalone apps.

Billing and Payments

Many therapy software programs come fully equipped with everything you need to collect payments from clients or from insurance companies.

This includes accepting credit card payments directly from clients and making charges on an automatic, recurring basis. It also includes simple ways of submitting claims to insurance companies, and then easily seeing those claims’ status (from submitted to approved).

Therapy software can usually create and send invoices, statements, and superbills. It also often comes with a robust reporting system that allows therapists to easily find the information they need, or run reports on payments and revenue, invoices, etc.

Teletherapy Tools

Giving therapy over the internet isn’t for everyone. However, many therapists have found that with the right software and a reliable internet connection, teletherapy can be helpful for both therapist and patient.

In fact, teletherapy (sometimes referred to as “telehealth”) can open up a completely new market for some practices. It allows therapists to reach a large group of people who otherwise would have found it difficult or impossible to come to their physical office.

Patient privacy regulations such as the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, commonly known as HIPAA, may affect your choice of teletherapy software. Legal requirements of video conferencing tools may include specific encryption and security protocols. Make sure to choose a program that’s compliant with all local laws and regulations.

Because starting therapy for the first time can be anxiety-inducing, you want the tools to work smoothly for patients. Choose an easy-to-use program, especially if patients aren’t particularly tech-savvy. Some programs can run through web-based software without any extra logins, downloads, or apps necessary, relying on secure links to begin each session. Search for a program that handles group conferences easily, especially if you specialize in couples therapy or family therapy.

Session details are integrated directly with the software’s other features, so you can switch back and forth from the patient’s schedule, notes, and documents easily.

Visitor Management Software

Many therapists have found that putting patients at ease leading up to their session is an important part of improving their experience with your clinic.

As we wrote in our post 6 Best Visitor Management Practices for Therapy Clinics, therapists should pay attention to how their office lobby feels and sounds to create an environment where visitors feel safe and at ease. That includes putting a check-in system in place that doesn’t require patients to state their personal information out loud or write it down for other people in the lobby to see. It also means ensuring that visitors are never left waiting alone in a lobby with no way to contact their therapist or admin staff.

Two-way communication in the lobby by The Receptionist visitor management software

For these reasons, therapy practices such as Chicago Compass Counseling have invested in visitor management software that allows visitors to sign quietly and privately via tablet. The software sends notifications via SMS or email to the therapist the visitor is scheduled to see.

If the original therapist doesn’t respond, the system can notify backup contacts to ensure that in the case of a mixup or confusion, the visitor still receives prompt attention. Because visitor check-in notifications are sent to therapists’ cell phones, they can get them even when they’re not in the office.

Plus, admin staff can set up visitor management software to automatically delete visitor records at specified intervals, which is another easy way to protect patient privacy.

If you’d like to try visitor management software for your therapy clinic, we invite you to try The Receptionist. We offer no-obligation, customized demos to show you how it could work for your office, and a free 14-day trial.

Share this Post

The best programs for doctors in Russia

Business coach Alexander Konstantinov saved his friend from blindness by barely calling her doctor at night to find out what kind of anesthesia she was given during a recent operation. Then he created a single database with information about patients, so that he could receive it instantly on occasion. This is how the ONDOC service appeared. Today he is not the only one. We studied mobile applications and IT products in the field of medicine and described the most useful ones in this article.

I. Medical Information System (MIS)
II. CRM system
III. Medical reference books
1. Physician's reference book
2. ICD-10
3. Anatomy 3D-atlas
IV. Online services and telemedicine
1. ONDOC
2. Best Doctor
3. Logoderm
4. Online Doctor
5. SberHealth

Medical Information System (MIS)

obliges all medical institutions of the country to implement the Medical Information System (MIS) in order to switch to electronic document management and registration. The order contains clear requirements for the program:

The order applies to both public and private clinics. Professional programs for doctors will eliminate many errors associated with routine paperwork.

Today many computer programs for doctors have been developed in Russia, and it is difficult to figure out which one is better. We studied HIA reviews and compiled a short list of the most popular ones:

HIAs are more focused on managing the internal administrative affairs of a hospital. With the help of them, you can keep records of patients, electronic cards, online consultations, and make some reports. nine0005

But she does not "catch" requests from the site and social networks, does not send information to customers about promotions and does not remind them of receptions, does not generate contracts and invoices according to templates. But this is all the CRM system can do. Moreover, it even meets the requirements for MIS.

CRM-system

Forbes magazine cites survey figures from research company BCG: Russian doctors spend 80% of their working time filling out documents. Because of this, they have no time to properly examine the patient.

A CRM system will help you avoid this statistic. Specially developed software for medical centers generates all paperwork automatically. But this is only one of the functions, because the program is able to perform dozens of tasks for a doctor. How the software works, we will show on the example of S2 CRM. nine0005

1. The entire medical history with appointments and consultations of the doctors visited by the patient is stored in one client card . Even the results of the analyzes are entered into CRM, which means there is no risk of losing them in a pile of other papers.

2. Patients are registered electronically. nine0047 Doctors see their schedule in an interactive calendar and know their workload in advance. In addition, all appointments are automatically taken into account by the system, so reports on the number of clients, the cost of appointments, and others are generated in one click.