The Impact of Point-of-Care Documentation On Patient Outcomes

Many of the finest therapists in our industry catch up on notes at night and on weekends because they worry about the impact of point-of-care documentation on their patients’ recovery and satisfaction. Systems4PT believes you should spend your evenings and weekends with friends and family instead of catching up on documentation, and we know you agree!

“I want to spend my time with patients treating, not typing!”

“The patient isn’t here to look at the top of my head while I write notes.”

“I don’t want a computer between the patient and me. And neither do they!”

However, treating patients 9 hours each day only to document for another 2 or 3 hours can quickly become an unsustainable and toxic workload. Systems4PT is here to show you how it’s possible to give your patients the attention and time they deserve and complete your documentation all before the patient’s visit has ended.

Physical therapists leverage Systems4PT’s intuitive interface to easily document patient progress at the point of care, instead of at home, by utilizing features such as customizable templates for assessments and treatment plans, real-time data synchronization across devices, and built-in coding assistance for accurate billing. This comprehensive system integrates seamlessly into clinical workflows, empowering therapists to efficiently record assessment findings, treatment interventions, and progress notes while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements.

The average Net Promoter Score (NPS) for patients treated at Systems 4PT practices in 2019 was 83.9 points. We’ve never seen higher customer satisfaction numbers anywhere in outpatient rehab! (For reference, the average nationwide NPS for healthcare patients is 30 points. NPS ranges from -100 to +100. A “positive” score of 1 and above is considered “Good. ” An NPS of 50 is “Excellent” and a score above 70 is considered “World Class.”)

Systems4PT analyzed over 660,000 dates of service. The patient population whose notes were documented at point of care experienced the same progression as the patients whose notes were documented at home. Point-of-care documentation did not lower clinical quality or patient outcomes.

The 2019 Medicare Final Rule Gives us “permission” to document less in daily notes. As part of the CMS’ “Patients Before Paperwork” initiative, the CMS details what needs to be documented in each daily note (and it’s a lot less than the book you’re writing on nights and weekends). A typical Systems 4PT daily note takes 90 seconds to 2 minutes to complete. Of course, there are exceptions, but most Systems 4PT therapists document at the point of care.

We are confident that PTs can find between 90 seconds and 2 minutes during most daily visits to document at the point of care.

Compliance is greater when daily notes are documented at point of care.

Documenting at point of care, while objective data and your clinical thoughts are fresh in your mind, will always be more accurate and complete than a note written over the weekend. You’re a better therapist when you’re fresh and recharged! Treating patients isn’t the cause of therapist burnout. You LOVE your job! But 11-hour days, late nights, lost weekends, and documentation homework cause therapist burnout.

When you have time to recharge your clinic can deliver treatment that is:

• Best-in-class patient satisfaction!
• Best-in-class patient progression!
• Best in class compliance!

Don’t spend another evening or weekend catching up on patient documentation. Contact Systems4PT today for your free demo or to learn more about how our clinics outperform themselves after switching to Systems4PT!