Why Physical Medicine Clinics Need Customizable EHR Solutions
A customizable EHR for physical medicine clinics plays a vital role in streamlining care for patients dealing with musculoskeletal injuries and chronic pain—common issues that many face daily. Your physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) clinic is a cornerstone of their recovery, but one of the biggest challenges remains: care coordination.
When physicians, physical therapists, chiropractors, and other specialists aren’t on the same page, patients can become overwhelmed by redundant tests and unclear treatment paths. These inefficiencies often disrupt the recovery process and lead to patient frustration.
Such gaps in communication can leave patients feeling disconnected from their own care. The solution lies in adopting a holistic approach supported by a customizable EHR tailored to the unique needs of PM&R clinics. This not only improves collaboration but also ensures that patients receive a more connected, effective, and empowering recovery experience.
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Challenges Faced by Physical Medicine Clinics
When patients feel disengaged, they’re less likely to stay in touch with specialists. They would skip therapy sessions that are critical to recuperating from conditions like back pain, stroke, or fibromyalgia.
This lack of engagement usually stems from inefficient care, driven by factors such as:
- Disjointed Care Coordination
PM&R patients face the heavy burden of having to communicate their needs and recovery goals to multiple specialists. Without an integrated system for secure communication, they struggle to align fully with their treatment plans, leading to confusion and frustration.
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Non-Standardized Processes
Different practitioners may use varying diagnostic systems and coding methods. This fragmentation complicates information sharing and can result in incomplete or inaccurate patient histories.
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Fragmented Data Sources
Physiatry often involves various therapies and interventions, each potentially generating separate records. Integrating these diverse sources into a cohesive patient record is challenging.
Benefits of EHRs in Physical Medicine
From appointment scheduling to tracking rehabilitation progress, a specialized EHR solution poses limitless potential in helping your team coordinate care. Its advantages include:
Simplified Patient Management
- Appointment scheduling leverages integrated tools to easily book patient appointments, follow-ups, and therapy sessions.
- Automated coding with an ICD and CPT code database for your specialty to ensure accurate coding and maximized reimbursements.
- Document management tools to quickly upload and manage referral letters and imaging results.
Reinforced Practitioner Communication
- Centralized records in EHRs equip you with a complete view of a patient’s medical history, including previous treatments, medications, and therapy notes. This vast data is vital for making informed decisions about ongoing care for chronic conditions.
- Real-time access to up-to-date information from the physical medicine EHR facilitates timely adjustments to care plans and reduces redundancy in lab orders or prescriptions.
Optimized Data Management and Tracking
- Progress tracking of patient progress over time and based on specific goals, such as performing daily tasks or restoring the full function of a body part. Includes visual aids like graphs or charts to illustrate improvements.
- Detailed patient histories to capture and manage extensive patient histories, including past treatments, surgeries, and rehabilitation progress.
- Population health management is made easy by analyzing aggregated data of multiple patients. This approach helps clinicians identify broader trends and inform public health initiatives related to chronic disease management.
Key Features to Look for in an EHR for Physical Medicine
The Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute is leading the way in using state-of-the-art, computer-integrated equipment. These advanced technologies enable physical therapists to accurately track injury data and monitor recovery progress for athletes and non-athletes alike.
Thinking about upgrading your PM&R clinic? It’s more achievable than you think! Here’s a quick guide to the essential EHR features you’ll need.
Interoperability Among Specialists
- Interdisciplinary collaboration through the EHR platform facilitates seamless information sharing among clinicians, assuring consistent treatment approaches across disciplines.
- Integration with other systems enables your clinic to connect with other specialist’s systems (e.g., imaging centers, labs) for smooth data sharing.
- Referral management tools simplify referrals to other specialists and track their outcomes.
Customizable Templates
- Customizable evaluation forms you can autogenerate for assessments, including functional capacity evaluations and treatment plans.
- Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan notes for streamlining the documentation of thorough clinical notes.
Integration With Other Health Technologies
- Patient portal allows patients to access or view their records, schedule appointments, and communicate with specialists.
- Remote consultations through EHR-telehealth integration allow virtual visits and remote monitoring of chronic conditions. This flexibility is essential for patients in remote areas or struggling with mobility.
A Doctor’s Journey: Finding a Long-Term EHR Partner
“With the IMS system, I am now able to place all of my nutritional supplementation and extensive patient information in my notes without typing them. Using the touch screen is easy and quick. The software conforms to what I need. It creates templates for all kinds of cases, so I don’t have to say the same thing over and over again. Not only did it provide an extensive neuromusculoskeletal examination with subluxations and joint fixation for the extremities, but also internal examination notes so I could examine the patient’s heart, lungs, and other organ systems. I even customized my kinesiological examination along with the appropriate treatment. I don’t dread taking notes anymore. Most of all, customer support is there for me. They are friendly, courteous, and willing to help in any way they can. I highly recommend 1st Provider’s Choice for your office.“
Dr. Philip C. Agrios, DACBSP
Tinton Falls, NJ
Tap Into Our Expertise
As PM&R clinics work to tackle the growing number of mobility issues and injuries brought on by lifestyle and long-term conditions, they face a major hurdle. Without standardized processes and better care coordination, specialists struggle to provide personalized therapies or keep up with patient progress.
Enhance your multidisciplinary team’s ability to deliver comprehensive care with tailored templates, telehealth support, and advanced interoperability features. 1st Provider’s Choice physical medicine EHR software also offers:
- • Mobile Accessibility
- • Meaningful-Use Dashboard
- • Worker’s Comp Forms
- • Attorney Portal
- • Labs and Diagnostics
Take your practice to the next level! Dial 480-782-1116 now to empower your team and improve patient outcomes.