Nitin Chhoda describes the many uses of electronic medical record system, and how it can help streamline the entire documentation process. Starting with the patient’s first appointment, down to the compliance requirements for Medicare.

electronic medical records Medical records are a critical part of any medical practice. It ensure that patients are given the right medications at the right time or that a physical therapy schedule is being followed accurately.

There are very specific rules about how medical records are kept, and in that past all medical records were kept on paper.

But today more and more medical offices, from dentists to physical therapists and physicians, are using electronic medical records or EMR.

Streamline the System

Electronic medical records for physical therapy services is one way to streamline the entire system of tracking patients. Physical therapy electronic medical records is making offices more efficient by decreasing the amount of paper records being printed and the amount of storage space needed to track patient progress.

With a growing and evolving set of physical therapy documentation software options, physical therapists are able to carefully track each patient in a quick and efficient manner.

Specific Benefits of Physical Therapy EMR

One major benefit of electronic medical records for physical therapy is that it maximizes the time that physical therapists can spend focused on their patients. Physical therapy documentation software makes it quick and easy to update a patient record and can make certain documentation as quick as hitting a button or tapping a check box on a laptop or tablet.

PT documentation software is portable, as long as you have an Internet connection and a device that you can access the web from.

Another benefit that will help patients immensely when using electronic medical records is the fact that it is easy to share information between offices when using physical therapy documentation software.

As a physical therapist, this can make your job easier and more efficient. If you have a patient who is in physical therapy due to an injury and they visit their doctor, too, your office and the doctor’s office can transfer pertinent information in an instant if you both use electronic medical records.

electronic medical records usesAnd finally, electronic medical records for physical therapy services make compliance with programs like Medicare simple and fast.

You can incorporate all kinds of alerts and schedules into your electronic medical records system so that when it’s time to report outcomes, your “paperwork” is set and ready to go.

PT documentation software offers a lot of scheduling solutions, including billing and reimbursement reminders. Plus the federal Electronic Health Records deadline from the HITECH Act is fast approaching, and getting electronic medical records for physical therapy services is a great way to transition starting right now.

Ease of Use is Key

While there are a lot of reasons to physical therapy documentation software, including the fact that you’ll save money, if it’s not easy to use your physical therapy electronic medical records system, it will feel more like a headache than relief.

Every change requires a transition period, and it might feel difficult while your office is learning to use the PT documentation software. But in the long run, everyone wins. Patient information in an electronic medical record system setting is more readily accessible to all health care professionals who care for them, which makes it easier to do your best for your patients.