EMR software is an absolute must-have for all modern healthcare providers - physical therapists included. However, the wrong EMR software could actually hinder your practice, rather than help it. In this post, we’ll help you choose great physical therapy EMR software that’s intuitive, comprehensive, and will support your business as it grows.

What is physical therapy EMR?

EMR stands for Electronic Medical Records. EMR software is a modern way to manage all your paperwork - including patient notes, billing information, insurance forms, and more. Knowing how to use physical therapy EMR software makes it easy to stay organized and provide a great service to your patients. 

But remember, not all physical therapy EMRand billing systems are created equal. Slow, difficult to use, or inconvenient software can severely limit your practice’s growth. In contrast, a scalable and intuitive option that meets all your practice’s needs could be the key to your success.

How EMR software can help physical therapists grow their practice

When you’re choosing Electronic Medical Records software, look to the future. You probably have some big goals for your physical therapy practice. You may want to grow your patient list, set yourself apart from your competitors with innovative treatments and technologies, or even open a new location someday. 

The perfect physical therapy  EMR software is one that meets all your practice’s current needs, but also has the capability to grow alongside your practice. Some EMR software is designed for huge multidisciplinary clinics, and others are only really suitable for small practices. While a basic, affordable platform might be good enough for now, it may end up limiting your growth.

If you pick an EMR system that’s scalable, you’ll be able to focus on your business without getting hit with a huge spike in overhead costs when you eventually need more capabilities. When you’re taking exciting steps to grow your practice, your EMR system should be the last thing on your mind. 

What to look for in physical therapy EMR software

Scalability is important, but there are many other key things to look for when choosing EMR software. You want to make sure your EMR system is used in physical therapy, meets all your needs, is easy to use, and generally makes your life easier. Look for software that is:

Designed for a physical therapy practice

A lot of EMR software is designed for a broad range of medical specialities. This means they may not cover the requirements that are unique to physical therapy. For instance, you probably use a lot of imaging tests in your daily work. Make sure that your software is compatible with a range of these technologies, such as MRIs and X-rays. It should also be easy for you to track a patient’s progress as they move through a treatment regimen. Plus, you may find that specialized PT EMR software offers a few unexpected benefits, such as access to physical therapy forms.

Cloud-based 

Make sure your data is securely stored online, so it can be viewed on smartphones, tablets, and different computers. This makes it simple for you, or your team, to work at home or quickly go over a patient’s notes before an appointment.

Integrated with other services

Choose physical therapy EMR software that integrates with your billing system and practice management software. If you don’t, the best case scenario is that you’ll often have to enter the same data twice. A worse scenario is that you’ll lose or corrupt claim forms or patient notes - which can be very stressful to get sorted.

Easy to use 

If your Electronic Medical Records system requires hours of training to use, then it’s probably not right for your practice. Your system should be intuitive, so that even the least tech-savvy people can enjoy its benefits. It’s also a good idea to make sure the software guarantees good customer service, so you can get any support you need.

Secure

It goes without saying that you need to look for an EMR software that ensures full HIPAA-compliance. This will allow you to rest assured, confident that you’re meeting all your obligations. 

Healthie offers scalable EMR software

Healthie offers the best EMR software for physical therapy practices, entirely integrated with our comprehensive practice management platform. This software is designed to meet the needs of all physical therapists, from solo practitioners to multi-provider organizations. With Healthie, you can: 

• Add unlimited team members, support staff, and patients.
• Use all features, including calendar and billing, as a solo practitioner or across a large organization.
• Enjoy features designed specifically for physical therapists - such as unlimited access to our free physical therapy forms library. Or, build your own custom patient forms, and share them with patients through our secure portal. 
• Choose a plan that meets your current practice needs, and easily upgrade as you grow your business.