Documentation Software For Physical Therapy is commonly used to manage patient information and submit claims to insurance companies. Physiotherapy Documentation Software can assist as you return to work, manage billing for your practice and help reduce administrative time.
In this guide, we review the aspects of Documentation Software For Physical Therapy, physical therapy software companies, occupational therapy documentation software, and physical therapy rehabilitation information management system.
Documentation Software For Physical Therapy
Documentation is an important part of any healthcare job. Many physical therapists use a software program called PT Pro to keep track of their patients and make sure they’re getting the best care possible.
What is Documentation Software?
We’ve talked a lot about the importance of documentation and how it is essential to providing the best care possible. Documentation software can help you do just that.
Documentation software provides a way for physical therapists to document patient information and treatment plans. It creates an organized digital system that allows you to store, share, update and access your records from anywhere with an internet connection. In addition, it gives you the ability to create accurate billing statements for payment by patients or insurance providers.
What Are The Benefits of Documentation Software?
Documentation software is a solution that offers many benefits to the therapist and their practice. The following are just a few of the many ways that it can help you.
- Reduces paperwork – The main benefit of documentation software is that it reduces paperwork by allowing you to store patient records electronically, which makes them easy for other staff members to access when needed. This also helps save time because data entry becomes faster and more accurate since there are fewer chances for mistakes due to typing errors and page flipping. You can also use templates for common procedures so that entering new information into your system isn’t too tedious or difficult for yourself or others in the office who may not be familiar with its use yet (for example, if one therapist wants copies made from another’s notes).
- Improves efficiency – Another benefit of using this type of program is increased efficiency when recording information about each patient visit because everything will be stored digitally rather than having multiple paper copies floating around at any given time; this means less clutter at home as well! When used alongside other technologies like electronic medical records (EMRs), which are designed specifically for storing diagnosis codes along with other relevant data such as allergies etcetera, these two platforms work together seamlessly
Who Uses Documentation Software?
You may be wondering who all uses documentation software. The answer is that it’s used by many different types of people in many different settings.
Physical therapists use this type of software to document treatment plans and progress, as well as to record the details of their sessions with patients. Occupational therapists also use this type of software to track their patients’ progress and make sure they’re following up with them on a regular basis. Speech language pathologists can use documentation software to keep track of everything from patient evaluations to billing information, making things much easier for everyone involved in the process! Audiologists can use the same kind of digital recordkeeping for their hearing aid fittings or other hearing devices as well – there are countless options out there that can help streamline your office process!
How to use Documentation Software for PT Documentation
- Start by downloading the software and installing it on your computer.
- Sign up for a free account and create a profile with your name and email address.
- Open or launch the software, then navigate to its “New Patient” menu option by selecting it from its drop-down menu at the top of your screen.
- Enter information about your patient into each required field (name, date of birth, etc.) as prompted during this process—but don’t worry about completing any other sections until later!
- When you’re done entering details about new patients into your database: click Save Changes at the bottom of their entry window; then click back over to its main screen where all recorded sessions are listed (see Figure 1).
- You can now start using this feature called “Notes” while taking notes during physical therapy sessions with patients who have been added previously through steps above mentioned above in order similar manner as explained below:
- To record notes during PT sessions: first select which type
Learn about the benefits of using documentation software for physical therapy.
The benefits of using documentation software for physical therapy are numerous. Here are just a few:
- Reduce paperwork. Some of the most common documents you will be required to fill out as a physical therapist include progress notes, discharge summaries and incident reports. With documentation software that is designed specifically for PTs, you can easily keep track of all of these documents in one place rather than having them scattered across multiple paper files or notebooks.
- Save time. When your documentation system is automated and easy-to-use (so you don’t have to waste time entering data), you’ll find yourself with extra hours in the day–time that can be spent doing something else!
- Save money on printing costs by having everything digitally stored so it’s available at any time from any device with an internet connection or wireless connection (like tablets). You won’t need to worry about running out of ink either because there’s no printing involved!
physical therapy software companies
HENO is a PT EMR company that owns (2) Physical Therapy Clinics in Orlando, FL. We are actively treating patients, and both of our clinics are run and managed on HENO’s EMR. So, we know a thing or two about running PT clinics and we live with the pros and cons of using physical therapy EMR. When we launched our clinics, we searched far and wide for the right EMR. All the Electronic Medical Records companies told us they built their EMR just for Physical Therapists, but we didn’t really trust what they were saying because their PT Software all seemed to be built for MDs and just modified for PT. They didn’t seem to actually understand how therapists think.
Looking back, we were not satisfied with the demonstrations we saw because they all looked the same to us. We just had the feeling each system was actually designed by a software developer who didn’t treat patients or understand Physical Therapy.
So, after reviewing 20 or so of the Top EMRs, we gave up the idea that we would ever find a true Physical Therapy EMR. We finally decided we might just need to build our own EMR. How does the saying go? Sometimes, if you want something done right, you’ve gotta do it yourself? So, what you’ll find on this page are some potential mistakes to avoid when buying your new EMR, and a free, impartial review of the top PT EMRs. If any of the EMRs below look familiar, please take time to post a review of any software package you’ve used before.
Considering Your Options
When it comes to adopting the right physical therapy EMR for your practice, you have many options on the market to choose from. And, while having options is a good thing, it can also be confusing. Investing in new software is a big decision and the last thing you want to do is select a system that you’re going to hate over the long haul. So, we created this guide to help you select a system that you love by giving you some criteria you can use to review vendors, and even letting you see what other Physical Therapists just like you are saying about the Top 7 PT EMRs.
At HENO, we understand that it can feel overwhelming to choose between the top physical therapy EMRs when all the vendors are telling you essentially the same thing such as we’re easy to use and designed specifically for PTs. You may not know what to look for — or how to choose the option that makes the most sense for your physical therapy practice. You may even get vendor blur which is a side effect of talking to several EMRs and not being able to notice a single difference between them
Because there’s a lot to consider, we think it’s helpful to look at side-by-side physical therapy software reviews in one place. That way, you can compare features, prices, system requirements, and other key elements that may influence your decision.
Choosing the right EMR software for your needs is the key to success.
Top 7 Mistakes to Avoid When Selecting a New Physical Therapy EMR
1. Thinking Only About Documentation.
We get it, we’re PTs too. You’re a busy therapist treating lots of patients, so it’s natural for you to want to find the best Physical Therapy documentation software on planet earth. We’re not saying ‘don’t get an EMR that has great Physical Therapy documentation’, but remember that there’s a risk of being a PT who buys new software because your bias for good documentation software may subconsciously downgrade the importance of other parts of your new EMR such as billing, collections, reporting, and general business management.
There’s a risk that you, as a PT, might disproportionately prioritize the importance of the documentation section of your new PT EMR over all of the mission critical business sections within the EMR. PT Clinics need a myriad of different functions in an EMR with documentation being just one of them. If you have a great documentation module in your new EMR, but the claims always get lost, then your business will fail. So, to help keep yourself honest just remember that cash keeps the lights on, and you need to look at the big picture.
2. Buying an EMR Interfaced to Other Billing Software.
The rule of thumb is: Don’t buy an EMR that has a data interface with Medical Billing Software that has a different name. Note, we said if the EMR & the Billing Software have different names, avoid it because it will create lots of hassles for you and your team, and maybe even cause you to lose thousands of dollars in revenues. Run fast when you hear the word interface because it will hurt your PT clinic. Unfortunately, many PT EMR programs build data interfaces with Medical Billing Software programs. These data interfaces are very risky, even when the EMR company owns both EMR and Medical Billing Software.
Why are they risky? Fair question. EMRs that interface with separate, external medical billing software often require the user of the software to remember a long list of potential landmines or rules they need to avoid, or adhere to respectively, in the software. For example, one large PT EMR company recently acquired a billing software, and they published a list of (7) dos and don’ts that look like a complicated map of landmines the user must avoid. Busy PT Clinics don’t have time to memorize long lists of interface problems between their EMR and medical billing software company- it completely defeats the purpose of buying digital software to improve the practice. Just remember to run for the hills, and fast, when you hear interface.
Here are some of the risks Physical Therapy EMRs cause when they develop EMR and medical billing software data interfaces:
Additional risks include:
3. Buying EMR that requires you to buy many other software platforms.
We get it, it’s difficult to run a PT practice without many different business systems and Physical Therapy EMR is only one of them. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Try to find an EMR that covers 90% of your practice needs so that you don’t have to work with 10 different software companies.
If you can, try to find a PT EMR vendor that has EMR, Billing, Documentation Scheduling, Retail & Cash Pay Features, Product Inventory Features, Credit Card processing, Online Patient Appointment Scheduling, eFaxing, HIPAA compliant 1-1 patient texting, and PT Clinic Marketing. The fewer vendors you have to deal with, the more simple your life will be.
4. Clearinghouse Enrollment Forms Problems.
Make sure you understand the complexities of switching to new PT Billing Software. Your PT Clinic cannot afford to lose tens of thousands of dollars due to your new vendor making mistakes with your clearinghouse enrollment forms. Many Insurance Companies like Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Anthem, and others require you to fill our Electronic Claims Clearinghouse Enrollment Forms and Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) Clearinghouse Enrollment forms.
Approval for these forms can range from 1-4 weeks depending on the Insurance Carrier because these forms are required for Physical Therapy Billing. So, if you are switching systems, be ready to do so at least 2-4 weeks in advance. Ask your vendor for specifics about how long it will take to complete the new forms.
5. Forgetting to Budget Duplicate Fees.
If you are switching from one Physical Therapy EMR & Billing Software to a new one, make sure you have adequate budget to pay two companies for 3-4 months minimum. The reason for this is because you’ll need to run (2) concurrent Medical Billing Software programs simultaneously in order to work down the old Accounts Receivable in your previous Medical Billing Software while entering all of your new patient demographics and claims in your new Physical Therapy Billing Software. This is typically done by establishing a cut-over date.
For example, you may decide that on December 1st you will enter all new patient demographics, appointments, and claims in your new PT EMR and Billing Software, and from that day forth, you will only use the old software to work down the old Accounts Receivable balance for all outstanding Insurance A/R and Patient A/R. Your old Medical Billing Software company will most likely continue to charge you access fees while you work down your old Outstanding Medical Claims by doing A/R Follow-up.
6. Buying PT EMR Due to Brand Name Recognition.
In the business world, there was this old saying in the 90’s: ‘Nobody ever got fired for choosing IBM’. The meaning of that saying was that it’s better to choose the safe company which, in the case of IBM, was safe because they were large and reliable. No doubt, sometimes when you choose a large company’s products, there is safety because they have a large number of customers, but sometimes you may follow the pack right off the edge of the cliff.
The problem with buying from mega-large PT EMR companies is that their marketing budgets are so large they can use them to mystify potential new PT buyers who don’t understand all the problems associated with the company’s products. We’re not saying it’s a mistake to buy from a company just because they’re well known, but we are saying don’t let that be the only reason you buy from them because it may just mean you’re suffering with tens of thousands of other customers unaware that there is something better they could be using.
7. Using PT EMR That Doesn’t Have A Retail & Cash Pay Platform.
Today’s PT Clinics want to run hybrid clinics. Insurance Reimbursements are shrinking, becoming more laden with challenging compliance requirements, and the cost to run a clinic is going up, so PT Cash Pay Software is becoming a more important thing. If a Physical Therapy Clinic wants to run a cash pay clinic, they need to setup a retail management platform that allows them to do the following things:
The Criteria for Our 2022 Physical Therapy EMR Reviews
Before reviewing any software, we wanted to define our criteria for each review. There are many metrics we could use to measure the quality of our 2022 top PT EMR reviews. We have rated each one of the 7 EMRs here according to the following criteria.
PT Centric Platform
There are a lot of EMRs out there but most have not been created with physical therapy practices in mind. You shouldn’t have to use an EMR built for MDs when you’re running a PT Clinic.
Ease of Use
Investing in a physical therapy EMR won’t do you much good if it’s not easy to use. We think you should be able to implement the software you choose in two to four weeks at the most. Anything longer could put your practice’s efficiency and patients at risk.
occupational therapy documentation software
As an occupational therapist, you devote yourself to helping people overcome obstacles, so that they can move through their lives more easily and efficiently. Occupational therapy professionals understand the importance of giving patients the tools they need to handle their day-to-day activities, so that they can survive—and thrive—in today’s world. But who can help YOU accomplish your critical daily tasks with greater ease and productivity?
OT templates and other therapy-specific features created in collaboration with many occupational therapists.
The answer is ClinicSource.
Created by therapists and perfected by years of practical feedback and improvements, ClinicSource is the integrated EMR and occupational therapy practice management software that lets you to spend more time with patients and less time with paperwork.
Saving Time Through Better Organization and Smarter Workflow
Since ClinicSource occupational therapy practice management software was designed by therapists, specifically to help therapy practices, it’s both intuitive and user-friendly. ClinicSource is ONC Certified, HIPAA compliant, and cloud-based, which means you can use it anywhere, from any online device.
Empowers you to spend more time with patients and less time with paperwork.
Occupational therapy practice management software by ClinicSource saves time by integrating all of your occupational therapy scheduling, documentation and billing, making sure that your occupational therapy practice can maximize productivity.
Therapy-Focused Features Designed for You
Relevant sections for occupational therapy are available to quickly insert into the Evaluation Template, including Fine Motor, Range of Motion and Strength, Gross Motor, Sensory and more.
The OT templates and other therapy-specific features in ClinicSource occupational therapy practice management software was created in collaboration with many NBCOT-certified occupational therapists and several esteemed members of AOTA. During extensive research, we found that therapists and clinic staff alike were confounded by the lack of a single occupational therapy software system that could do everything they needed in their therapy practices. Indeed, many available programs are only capable of handling scheduling, or just do billing. But ClinicSource does it all.
As an occupational therapist (OT), you work hard to provide high quality interventions for your patients. ClinicSource occupational therapy management software allows occupational therapists and therapy assistants to tackle documentation efficiently.
ClinicSource occupational therapy practice management software was designed with the busy OT in mind. From helping children with disabilities to supporting older adults following a functional deficit, there is no denying that OTs have a broad scope of practice. From sensory integration to ADLs to fine motor skills to visual perceptual skills, OTs are tasked with helping patients across the lifespan. With such a diverse range of patients that you encounter, ClinicSource templates help save time and money. ClinicSource offers scoring grids for popular screenings and assessments, including the PDMS-2, Beery VMI, M-Fun, QNST-3 and many more. Scoring grids allow clinicians to enter parameters that are important to them, including standardized scores, percentile ranks, and age equivalencies.
I have been with ClinicSource since its inception – years ago. Our company has continued to be pleased with the evolving features and excellent customer service that ClinicSource offers. This platform has proved to be very scalable, allowing our company to grow. I would highly recommend this program.
While standardized assessments have their place in daily practice, occupational therapists often rely on less formal measures to document patient progress or patient deficits. When identifying abnormalities in tone, joint flexion/extension, attention and functional mobility, clinicians benefit from utilizing dropdown menus instead of having to enter their findings by hand. Additionally, ClinicSource offers occupational therapists the flexibility to create their own informal checklists and assessments within any domain to expedite documentation.
After completing skilled assessments and observations, occupational therapists and assistants can plan treatment sessions by easily selecting modalities and procedures from checkboxes. If a preferred modality isn’t in the preloaded template, OTs can easily add items to ensure a seamless transition from assessment to treatment. Further, OTs can plan skilled interventions using ICD-10 codes that will automatically populate, allowing therapists to spend less time searching for diagnostic and billing codes and more time documenting the positive impact they have on their patients’ progress and functional independence through ADLs and IADLs.
Information Appears Automatically, Everywhere It’s Needed
The comprehensive occupational therapy progress note templates allow you to insert relevant observations and interventions, along with reporting on each goal’s progress.
ClinicSource occupational therapy practice management software features customized reporting for pediatric and adult occupational therapy patients. Automatically-flowing information from the other software components appears in the therapy-specific SOAP notes, so your reporting is virtually effortless. Occupational therapy SOAP notes allow for interventions to be reported for any given goal, and for reporting on assistance type, level, percentage achieved and mastery.
The information then flows instantly to progress summaries and discharge summaries, so you can easily track patient progression via data on what percentage each goal was accomplished, and to what degree.
The seamless flow of information continues throughout the entire ClinicSource occupational therapy practice management software system, including the therapy scheduling area, where the data will already be loaded when booking future appointments. All patient and session information also flows through to the billing component, dramatically reducing time spent on claims and invoicing. You’ll never have to re-key your occupational therapy CPT codes, diagnoses, modifiers or session details.
With just two clicks, all occupational therapy claims can be created in batch for all sessions waiting to be billed.
Flexible claims processing lets you handle your occupational therapy billing however you need to, including batch processing sent electronically, or printed, or both. The ClinicSource occupational therapy billing software is fully customizable by patient, provider and insurer. ClinicSource also processes secondary claims, and supports courtesy billing as well. And the billing software interfaces directly with multiple clearinghouses.
ClinicSource occupational therapy practice management software offers an integrated solution to case management and documentation requirement tasks. Because information, such as patient history, diagnostic codes, and procedures flows freely from assessment to plan of care to SOAP notes, occupational therapists spend less time recording information and observations, and more time producing effective treatment planning and productivity.
More Than an Occupational Therapy EMR
You can easily synchronize your ClinicSource therapy schedule with Google Calendar or export to Outlook or iCal, and view from any web-enabled device.
ClinicSource is a powerful occupational therapy electronic medical record product, but it’s so much more: it’s a complete occupational therapy practice management software system that totally integrates all of your therapy documentation, scheduling and billing in one easy-to-use platform.
ClinicSource Rocks! They did a great job with our transition of data (about 600 clients) and have EXCELLENT support and training! They listen and are responsive with our emails for help and feature requests – they actually come through! Overall, I am very pleased with ClinicSource.
The ClinicSource occupational therapy practice management software system was developed by a licensed therapist, and it’s been fine-tuned over years of working with a diverse range of industry professionals to make the best software for therapy practices of all types, not only Occupational Therapy (OT), but also Speech Therapy (ST), Physical Therapy (PT), Mental Health (MH), Pediatric Therapy and Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
Since customizable occupational therapy templates, reporting features developed specifically for therapists, and unparalleled levels of customer support would greatly benefit you and your practice, you need ClinicSource: the ONC Certified, ICD-10 ready, HIPAA-compliant software that lets you spend more time with patients and less time with paperwork.
physical therapy rehabilitation information management system
Operating a physical therapy (PT) private practice and caring for patients requires management of multiple functionalities. The separate workflows can lead to multiple software platforms to cover care and compensation. Can both patient file documentation and reimbursement billing be done with a single system?
Thankfully, it can. Here are five of the most appreciated capabilities of physical therapy electronic healthcare records (EHR) systems. These include convenience and cost savings benefiting everyone involved in PT care.
Patient Record Accuracy and Accessibility
EHR solutions contain complete, real time patient information, available at the point of care. Rehabilitative therapists benefit from this single-repository system. This enables them to take notes in treatment flow sheets within three minutes during an encounter, with visibility of each patient’s complete health records. Ultimately, the outcome supports more treatment time and less repetitive administrative tasks.
This helps practice owner’s grow beyond manual, file-based paper records and multiple physical therapy software systems. Eliminating duplicate file creation and management is a practical advantage of records-sharing EHRs. They’re an all-in-one tool, created to enable progressive rehabilitation and recovery, while reducing data entry and non billable costs.
Patient DIY Records Access
EHRs with a secure, HIPAA-compliant online patient portal provide people with access to their own patient records, to track their progress. This also reduces staff admin time by having customers complete and sign their necessary patient forms and update personal and insurance information. Additionally, it allows them to schedule appointments with available physical therapists online.
The patient portal is fully integrated with a practice’s EHR software, for seamless transmissions between patient, practice, and provider. Patients can make cash or copayments or for treatments sessions and communicate directly with practice staff.
Appointment Check-In Kiosk
Providers spend 17-24 minutes per patient encounter, while the wait time averages 18 minutes. Everyone – patients and providers – loses with this this math. Automating check-ins increase therapist availability, and billable hours.
An EHR feature that PT staff and patients appreciate is self-service check-in for their appointments. New patients can register in the clinic’s office, with existing patients able to update their personal and insurance information onsite before their appointment. Integrated with EHR-housed records, and accessible through any hardware device, a practice can see patients quickly and efficiently.
Patients can view their health information, medication, and any injury complications to discuss treatment options with their PT.
Check-ins are fast for patients, while noticeably reducing excessive admin staff interaction. Expediting patient flow can allow therapists to treat more people, particularly on slower-traffic days.
Physical Therapy via Telehealth
For patients who are immobile or unable to attend an in-person appointment, online PT is also facilitated through EHR. Telemedicine software allows remote encounter invitations, scheduling, billing, and guided therapy, all through a single, HIPAA-compliant platform integrated with a patient’s files.
With the pandemic’s impact on demand for the telehealth option, it also increased PT’s geographic reach. Reduced travel compared to traditional mobile sessions is prompting its popularity. Just like with in-clinic visitors, physical therapy practices can schedule these remote appointments. The EHR will automate turnkey administration for therapist’s appointments.
PT practices also benefit from reduced cancellations, by providing this convenient care option.