Today’s blog post comes from David Straight, PT, DPT, OCS, and President of E-rehab 

Millions of Americans search for solutions to their movement disorders every year—and most don’t even consider physical therapy an option. Physical therapy, in most states, is still a referral-based business. In fact, a recent article in Spine stated that less than ten percent of the 32,000 back patients studied actually saw a physical therapist. However, physical therapy websites have seen a steady increase in traffic over the last few years.  As healthcare costs increase, it only makes sense that consumers will continue to look for more affordable treatment options, and high quality physical therapy, in many cases, is a more affordable treatment than surgery or injections.

With this in mind, it’s imperative that your website not only stands out, but also drives online traffic into your clinic. Here are seven tips you can implement to make your website a success.

Today’s blog post comes from Ann Wendel, PT. Ann is the owner of PranaPT, a member of WebPT, and an active social media participant (@PranaPT). Thanks, Ann!

In keeping with this month’s theme of marketing physical therapy as a profession, I wanted to share the three things that I believe lead to success with any endeavor. There are many different ways to market, but if you want your campaign to have impact, you need to connect, inspire, and assist.

Let’s consider the first principle: connect. Before people will listen to what you have to say, you must connect and build a relationship. These days, the Internet (and social media in particular) makes it easier than ever to reach people with your message. However, the key to success isn’t what you say, but how you say it. Messages and advertisements bombard us all day, every day. In order to survive, we have learned to tune out much of this noise.

So how do we cut through the noise to reach our audience? When we have the goal of marketing a profession, business, or product, we must command the attention of the audience we want to reach, and the best way to do this is by building relationships with our target audience. The most successful campaigns are launched through conversations. Social media is a very effective way to connect and build relationships; yet, many people forget this step and go right to direct marketing. However, if you only use social media to push your products or services, most people will tune you out. There has to be a balance.

Today's blog post comes from Geoff Elledge, WebPT Billing Specialist. Thanks, Geoff! 

One of the primary reasons medical providers depend on certified coders is for their ability to maximize practice revenues. To do so, certified coders must understand how and when to use modifiers—and there are lot—from the common sides of treatment, like right (RT) and left (LT), to the more challenging modifier 59. 

The CPT Manual defines modifier 59 as the following:

“Under certain circumstances, the physician may need to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other services performed on the same day. Modifier 59 is used to identify procedures [and/or] services that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. This may represent a different session or patient encounter, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same physician. However, when another already established modifier is appropriate, it should be used rather than modifier 59. Only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used."

Got that? Yeah, we know. It’s a bit dense and doesn’t seem the most relatable. But that’s because modifier 59 is intended mainly for surgical procedures, so the definition leans a great deal that way.

So how does modifier 59 come into play in the therapy setting? If you’re providing two wholly separate and distinct services during the same treatment period, it might be modifier 59 time! The National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) has identified procedures that therapists commonly perform together and labeled these “edit pairs.” Thus, if you bill a CPT code that is linked to one of these pairs, you’ll receive payment for only one of the codes. It’s therefore your responsibility as the therapist to determine if you’re providing linked services or wholly separate services. This will determine whether modifier 59 is appropriate.

Today's blog post comes from WebPT copywriters Charlotte Bohnett and Erica Cohen.

A dose of healthy competition never hurt anyone. In fact, it can be exactly the motivation you need to be better in business; better in school; just better. But there’s a monumental difference between setting yourself apart from your competitors and entering into a features race. If we’re all on a mission to elevate the profession and positively alter perceptions about rehab therapy, then we should be focusing on the benefits of our own practices rather than throwing elbows at our fellow professionals. Here are six ways to set yourself apart professionally and successfully. 

1.) Identify Your Differentiators

Choose your words carefully—and we’re not just talking about obvious professionalism. Craft your story then tell it, and do so without clichés. It’s really easy to get into a “we’re #1” race with your competitors (a la Verizon and AT&T). But it takes strength, creativity, and a strong understanding and appreciation of what sets you apart to market yourself in a new way (a la Apple). Avoid words like “best,” “unique,” and “top” and focus on the substance behind this language. Why do you do what you do? What do you believe? How do you fulfill what you believe? What do you offer that’s different? How will your patients benefit? What do you want to provide (even intangibly) that no one else has even thought of yet? For a little more inspiration, check out Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle TED Talk below.