Investing in a tablet-based EMR can do a lot for your practice. Although it is not a requirement to have tablets in your practice, doing so will make the physical therapy documentation process a lot faster. Nitin Chhoda explains the benefits of having a tablet in your practice in further detail.
Tablet computers are everywhere these days. They are used as educational tools, as the fast and easy replacement for a laptop, and as a way to improve informational exchange.
Tablet-based EMRs and physical therapy software really are making the job of a physical therapist more flexible and successful.
But the improvements come with a lot of changes, and for many, those changes will be challenging. So why should you consider spending a lot of money on new tablets and an integrated physical therapy software tablet-based EMR?
The easy answer is that in the long run it will save you money and make your practice more efficient.
But that may not feel like a fair answer. How can a small physical therapy private practice really make up for a big expense like fancy tablets?
The Costs Aren’t What You Think They Are
First of all, it turns out that purchasing tablets for your physical therapy software and practice will not be the overwhelming expense you expect it to be. Tablets can be just a couple of hundred dollars each when you buy them as a consumer.
If you do some research and communicate with tablet manufacturers, you may find that you can get an even better deal on a large purchase.
You can get close to wholesale prices if you are buying for your practice, and as a health care provider and physical therapy software user, some companies will give you great discounts. The tablets will not be the biggest capital investment you make, but they will make implementation and adoption of an EMR much more fun, exciting, and interesting for your staff.
And if your staff is truly on board with the big changes that will come from physical therapy software adoption, then the entire process will go more smoothly.
You can expect some difficulties, as with any change in the way people do their jobs.
But if you make implementation the priority and introduce the software and hardware together, you may find that your staff will be more interested and excited to learn new things.
Starting Out Slow: Some Good, Some Bad
If you do adopt physical therapy software without tablets, at least at first, you may not get the full benefit of the programs. Clinicians will still need to get back to their desk to make the notes they need to make.
Or they will continue to carry paper and pens around, which is one thing you’d be better off eliminating entirely. Of course there is also a good side to taking things slowly. Naturally, your bottom line will have more time to adjust.
It’s Better to Start Sooner Than Later
You can make the changes to your physical therapy software scheduling and billing that come up and improve efficiency before you invest in tablets. With the improvements you and your staff see, everyone might be eager for more improvements.
The process of implementing physical therapy software should be considered carefully. What will work best for your staff?
Some practices take it slowly and things work out just fine. But other practices implement a fully integrated, tablet-based physical therapy software system and find that the way things work is dramatically changed for the better.