WebPT in the Classroom

Educational Challenge

In conversations with his PT students, Dr. Hamdy Radwan, PT, MS, PhD found that most intern facilities were using an EMR and students were struggling with the learning curve. Instead of benefiting from the practical experience students were spending a considerable time learning how to use an EMR. Plus using paper documentation in the classroom and to ensure his students are prepared for real- clinical world, Dr. Radwan decided on WebPT to be used for documentation at the community care, pro bono clinic run by the department of physical therapy at WSSU and for classroom training on EMR.

Solution

Students at Winston-Salem now love WebPT. Given that all Winston-Salem DPT students are given iPads, they really like the mobility and intuitiveness of the system. In a basic skills and professional issues course, students are taught about the SOAP note format and other forms of documentation. They are able to use WebPT in the classroom as well as in the community clinic. In the clinic, students are able to complete initial exams that they send to an advisor for feedback and coaching.

It’s a valuable tool for the total learning experience. Dr. Radwan is planning to use WebPT in a group case study in every clinical course he teach. He plans to track all the documentation completed by students in the clinic from initial exam through discharge. He’s especially interested in watching how students craft their own patient goals and track patient progress using WebPT.

Most of the workers in the community clinic are local volunteers. The first time they saw documentation by the Winston-Salem students using WebPT, they were particularly impressed! The volunteers still only use paper documentation. The quality and professionalism of the physical therapy notes makes the students proud. And the physicians love it, too!

 The easy accessibility, matching the goals of what we need to teach our students, and the professional level of reporting are what make WebPT a great tool. - Dr. Hamdy Radwan, PT, MS, PhD, Winston-Salem State University 

Benefits

WSSU has benefited greatly from integrating WebPT into their curriculum. Key benefits include:

• Faculty can add and modify users with ease
• Students get alerts and reminders of work to be completed
• Clean, professional documentation
• Students gain real-world using an EMR system