Originally posted by Jonathan Bassett on Advance for Occupational Therapy, July 2, 2012
Hospital therapy departments and private practice offices are readily moving from paper to digital for their scheduling, coding, billing, staffing and management functions. But the home care sector has been slower to adapt, given that many home care visits are provided by smaller agencies and part-time or contract therapists, and often take place in smaller communities. For many of these practice owners, paper remains preferred.
Yet proponents of digital practice solutions maintain that this setting can perhaps benefit most of all from the advent of computerized record keeping. Submitting notes electronically, keeping in close contact with a fleet of field therapists, and handling last-minute scheduling conflicts is more streamlined with real-time communication than with traditional methods.
ADVANCE spoke with Cynthia King, PT, a home care therapist at Baptist Memorial Home Care, Memphis, TN, to learn more about the benefits of using software-based systems in this practice area.
ADVANCE: How has using a software-based documentation system improved your efficiency as a home care therapist?
King: A software-based practice management system saves time by allowing me to complete documentation in a timely manner and with immediate access. It lets me check any previous work that’s been completed by other therapists and in other disciplines, without delay. Efficiency is also improved because I’m not shuffling papers (something that previously took time away from the patient). And because I’m freed up, the quality of the time spent with patients is higher as well.
Another area of greater efficiency is the scheduling portion of the system, which makes creating a paper schedule unnecessary. Immediate assignments are made based on the frequency ordered, and placed on the point-of-care device. This allows the therapists to better group patients according to routes; they can also see scheduled communication with staff when there are changes made based on physician appointments, etc. You are able to see a month at a glance, which helps us to plan more efficiently.
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