Electronic Physical Therapy Documentation for Flow Sheets
Flow sheets are one form of documentation used by physical therapists in the daily notes for patient care. They provide a format for documenting exercises, repetitions and weights.
In Chart Links’ Rehabilitation Software, flow sheets provide electronic management of clinical data entry and review of patient progress over time. Flow sheets can accommodate multi-disciplinary documentation requirements and may be linked to progress notes and charges.
Visit the Chart Links website for more information about electronic physical therapy documentation.
National Physical Therapy Month to Focus on Obesity
According to the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), October is National Physical Therapy Month and its focus is on our national obesity epidemic.
For the nearly 100 million Americans who are overweight or obese, physical activity must be a crucial component to weight loss and better health. According to a recent study conducted by the Trust for America’s Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention, obesity rates continued their climb in 31 states last year. Health officials say the latest state rankings provide evidence that the nation has a public health crisis on its hands. Last year, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cited evidence that found that more than 22 percent of Americans did not engage in any physical activity in the previous month.
Physical therapists develop fitness plans for both adults and children that promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. For those who are overweight or obese, physical therapists balance the progression of the exercise prescription with the need for joint protection and safety during exercise.
Consumers can find information about National Physical Therapy Month, whose theme is “Physical Therapy: The Science of Healing. The Art of Caring,” by visiting APTA’s newly designed and easily navigable Web page for the month-long celebration at http://www.apta.org/nptm.
Physical therapists are health care professionals who diagnose and treat individuals of all ages, from newborns to the elderly, who have medical problems or other health-related conditions that limit their abilities to move and perform functional activities in their daily lives. PTs examine each individual and develop a plan of care using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. Physical therapists also work with individuals to prevent the loss of mobility by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles.
The American Physical Therapy Association (http://www.apta.org) is a national organization representing 70,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students nationwide. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapist education, practice, and research. Consumers can access “Find a PT” to find a physical therapist in their area, as well as physical therapy news and information at http:// www.apta.org/consumer.
2009 Physical Therapist Productivity Report
Now available from the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) for its members is the 2009 Physical Therapist Productivity Summary Report. The report provides actual data on the number of patients seen by PTs versus previous reports on productivity dealing with “expectations” of patients seen.
Move Forward Video from APTA
Watch the video published by the American Physical Therapy Association entitled “Move Forward: Physical Therapy Brings Motion To Life (APTA).”
The video supports the APTA’s new brand launch to depict the physical therapist as the provider of choice for helping patients restore motion and improve mobility in their lives.
Impact of Stimulus Bill on Physical Therapy
“We will rebuild, we will recover, and the United States of America will emerge stronger than before.” These are the words of President Obama in his speech to the U.S. Congress last night where he called for comprehensive healthcare reform this year. The President talked about the cost of healthcare on families and businesses, indicating that reform work would begin as early as next week.
What kind of impact does Obama’s recently-passed Stimulus Bill have on physical therapists? PTProductsonline.com published this article titled “Stimulus Bill Includes Many Provisions for PTs.”
John Barnes, APTA CEO, Discusses PT Profession with EHM
Executive Healthcare Management magazine recently spoke with John Barnes, CEO of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA), about the effects of advances in technology and changes in health care needs on the physical therapy profession.
In the article, Mr. Barnes responds to questions like
- What have been some of the biggest developments in physical therapy practice over the last few years?
- What effect will the aging population have on the need for physical therapy?
- What challenges exist for entering the PT profession?
Chart Links was fortunate enough to advertise in this edition of Executive Healthcare Management magazine and encourages you to read the full article.
Version 5 of Outpatient Rehabilitation Software Released
Chart Links has launched version 5 of its outpatient rehabilitation workflow management and clinical documentation product. The therapy software release includes features like flow sheet documentation, a fresh user interface, enhanced time tracking and patient appointment reminders.
“We’re proud to release technology that further enables medical rehabilitation practitioners to improve patient care, measure clinical outcomes and be more efficient,” says Ron Miller, M.D., President and Chief Medical Officer of Chart Links. “We’re committed to developing comprehensive solutions that meet the complex and cross-disciplinary workflows of outpatient rehab care.”
Chart Links Rehabilitation Software is used in charting patient progress for physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology and audiology. It handles the entire outpatient rehabilitation workflow including scheduling, insurance authorization, referral management, treatment documentation, charges, outcomes, reporting and compliance.
Read our press release about Version 5 of Chart Links Rehabilitation Software.
Version 5 to Launch in June
Chart Links is advancing its product offering. With a new management team in place and a renewed focus on software enhancement, our interface will be fresh, our workflow management capabilities broader, and our rehabilitation-specific content deeper.
The new version will better meet the demands scheduling, documenting patient care, driving revenue and reporting outcomes for multi-disciplinary therapy care in an outpatient setting.
Features of the new therapy software will include:
- flow sheet documentation
- a new user interface
- enhanced Medicare Time Tracking features
- automated patient appointment reminders
Watch for a release in the coming month.
California Pacific Medical Center Implements Chart Links Software
To gain greater efficiency and increased regulatory compliance, outpatient rehabilitation facilities across four campuses of California Pacific Medical Center, a Sutter Health Affiliate in San Francisco, have implemented Chart Links electronic documentation software.
“Our partnership with Chart Links helps fulfill the vision of allowing clinicians in our physical, occupational, hand and speech therapy programs to document electronically,” says Tami Chin, Director of Rehabilitation at California Pacific. “The software streamlines operations and electronically prompts our therapists — during patient documentation — to ensure greater compliance with Medicare CCI edits, modifiers and time tracking. These elements are essential to running an efficient and profitable department.”
Chart Links Rehabilitation Software automates the therapist’s documentation of daily progress notes including evaluations, plans of care, flow sheets, patient education, and charge capture. By automating this and other aspects of the patient management process, rehabilitation facilities realize greater efficiencies in the areas of turnaround time, physician approvals and therapist productivity. The software also helps to reduce overdue documentation and ensure greater compliance with regulatory requirements.
“Large multi-campus institutions like California Pacific cannot afford to remain paper-based,” says Ron Miller, M.D., Chart Links President and Chief Medical Officer. “Computerized scheduling, documentation, compliance and workflow management enable strong management teams — like the one at California Pacific — to improve operational and financial inefficiencies. In addition, our solution is driven by major accreditation and rehabilitation professional standards to help ensure regulatory compliance.”
To read about more customers, like California Pacific Medical Center, that use Chart Links Rehabilitation Software, visit the customer page of our website.