Kick Your Physical Therapy Practice Into High Gear

The one-on-one, multi-session nature of physical therapy makes it a unique care setting. Referrals, scheduling, documentation, progress tracking, patient education, and third-party billing are all more complex for physical therapists than other providers.

This post is the first in a series that will take an in-depth look at how practice management software can ease the burden of documentation and administration for physical therapists, letting them spend more time with patients while the business runs like a well-oiled machine.

We’ll provide a broad overview of physical therapy software in this post and go into more detail in subsequent ones. Here are the three essential components of practice management software:

1. Front office (scheduling and authorization)
2. Encounters and patient-centric modules (customizable documentation templates, patient tracking, and patient education)
3. Back office (billing, payment tracking, and reporting)

Front office

Working with patients is paramount, but a profitable, efficient practice starts with the front office. Robust practice management software gives patients a variety of ways to schedule and reschedule appointments (patient portal, email, text, phone) and automates the appointment-reminder process. Just as important, it streamlines eligibility so patients never arrive for a PT session without prior authorization. Finally, patient documentation and treatment plans should flow smoothly from the referring physician.

Encounters

The most important aspect of the module used during encounters is customizability. Each practitioner follows his or her own process during a session and should be able to adjust the software to match. Software created for physical therapists makes precise documentation easy and helps them quickly find the correct ICD-10 code for billing. Next, a customizable dashboard helps physical therapists keep track of patients, including which have missed appointments, which are not progressing as hoped, and which bills require additional documentation. Finally, the software helps practitioners organize and pass on all necessary educational materials to patients.

Back Office

Submitting bills to private payers, worker’s comp insurers, and government agencies is complex and time consuming. A strong practice management system connects authorization and encounter documentation to ensure bills are complete and correct, increasing the chance they’ll get paid the first time they’re submitted. These systems also make it simple for patients to pay bills online, help back-office staff query practitioners for missing information, keep track of overdue patient payments, ensure bills can be quickly resubmitted when necessary, and automate reporting on physical therapy outcomes to Medicare.

The most modern practice management software for physical therapists helps patients shift efficiently through the process, from making an appointment to paying the bill. It also minimizes wasted time due to missed appointments, lost documents, lack of documentation, ICD-10-related mistakes, and duplicated effort. In short, these sophisticated systems let physical therapists concentrate on patients, knowing the practice is running smoothly.

Sources:

1. “What is Physical Therapy Software?” Software Advice, accessed 19 October 2021. https://www.softwareadvice.com/medical/physical-therapy-software-comparison/#buyers-guide
2. Ibid.