SpectraSoft User Review: Therapeutic Associates, Inc.
By Todd Gifford, PT, MSPT, Director of Information Systems
Having the right practice software can make or break a rehabilitation clinic. SpectraSoft's integrated system, which includes AppointmentsPRO and DocuPRO, has helped our company improve efficiency and increase company profitability for almost 12 years.
TAI operates over 55 physical therapy clinics throughout California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. With our number of facilities and users, it's critical to have an easy-to-use appointments and documentation system.
AppointmentsPRO is intuitive, which allows us to train new employees to use the system immediately. And the system offers features that are designed specifically for physical therapy. For example, if we need to book a patient for recurring appointments with multiple practitioners and resources, AppointmentsPRO searches and finds all available options in seconds. A patient can choose the most convenient option, which reduces no-shows and increases retention.
DocuPRO also comes with 40 report templates, from initial evaluations to discharge summaries. Each template displays data from the case in an attractive, easy-to-read format that has garnered very positive reviews from our referring physicians.
Another PT-specific benefit of the system is the detailed patient intake screen. With this feature, we can note the referring physician, primary physician, responsible party and insurance coverage. The system tracks and displays the number of a patient's authorized visits after each new appointment is scheduled.
Patient communication also runs smoothly with AppointmentsPRO. A therapist, office manager or receptionist can schedule a pop-up note to alert the appropriate person when an item is "open," such as a co-pay or progress note that's due at the next visit.
The information collected by the scheduling system is available in 100 different reports. We can track referrals by physician or zip code, analyze reasons for patient no-shows or cancellations, monitor resource usage and review daily activity trends. These reports have helped us spot negative trends and correct them before they become problems.
AppointmentsPRO also features one-click access to TAI's outcomes database. The database contains more than 22,000 outcomes submitted quarterly by 575 rehab facilities. This data allows TAI to compare information with clinics nationwide so we can market to referring physicians and payers, evaluate quality of care, and identify opportunities for improvement.
Since AppointmentsPRO integrates with SpectraSoft's DocuPRO rehab documentation system, we can streamline workflow. The two programs share the same database, so once patient information is entered at the front desk, it's available to therapists.
Every patient scheduled in AppointmentsPRO for the current day automatically appears in DocuPRO, along with a workspace to complete documentation. By clicking on a patient's name, a therapist can see a patient's details, including past charts.
Since TAI began using DocuPRO, our average charge per visit grew 47 percent, while collections per visit grew 25 percent.
Once the patient is seen, the visit remains in the therapist's queue until notes are completed and electronically signed. This guarantees that our patients are seen or rescheduled, and their visits documented.
DocuPRO features more than 150 body-specific templates, which consider most physical therapy scenarios. Using branching logic, the templates allow therapists to complete documentation tasks by clicking on a series of pick lists. The system's flexibility affords therapists the luxury of matching their documentation style to a treatment style. At the same time, TAI knows that all steps in the treatment and documentation process will be completed properly.
The pick list selections and therapist notes produce organized daily notes, which can generate comprehensive care plans or status reports for referring providers. The templates follow accepted physical therapy protocols, tests, measures and norms, with language from the APTA's Guide to Practice Terminology.
Clicking selections from pick lists is almost as fast as dictation. Therapists can also cut- and-paste information from previous notes to reduce repetitive data entry and ensure consistency. And by eliminating the lengthy process of transcription, referring physicians receive up-to-date information on patients.
DocuPRO comes with 40 report templates, from initial evaluations to discharge summaries. Each template displays case data in an easy-to-read format, which has garnered positive reviews from our referring physicians and insurance companies.
In addition, DocuPRO generates a summary of billing codes directly from the documented activity, which eliminates inaccuracies. Having consistent, compliant, legible and detailed documentation that matches billing has resulted in a significant drop in our claim denials. Since TAI began using DocuPRO, our average charge per visit grew 47 percent, while collections per visit grew 25 percent. DocuPRO helped standardize our charge capture process and promoted consistent application of documentation and coding rules in all locations. From our perspective at TAI, we're glad we chose SpectraSoft's integrated software system.
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