With the advent of computerized medical documentation systems, much has changed in how things might be done in the average physical therapy practice. How patient records are maintained and accessed has changed considerably. When a digital version of patient care documentation is fully in place, the need for those long rows of filing cabinets disappears. For most employees of any physical therapy practice, that is indeed good news.

Along with the changes to how patient data is collected and stored, the possibility of being able to access a patient's medical records via wireless handheld devices changes how the therapist interacts with the patient as well. Handheld electronic medical records allow the therapist to quickly open a patient's file virtually anywhere, rather than having to depend on the availability of paper-based patient documentation.

In general, the move toward computerized PT practice management documentation has much to offer the therapist, the staff of the practice and even the patients. However, It is prudent to consider the negatives that may be part of moving toward handheld electronic medical records along with the positives that you know about when the system is promoted to you by its advocates.

An initial concern about moving toward a wireless documentation solution is patient privacy and security. Wireless systems are typically less secure in many cases, so it is important to be assured that access to patient records is tightly controlled. The responsibility for assuring that data available to a handheld electronic medical records device is invulnerable to "hacking" or unauthorized access lies with the supplier of the computerized practice management documentation system. However, it is the responsibility of the buyer to ask the right questions and be insistent that security questions are answered and that patient data is 100% safe even in a wireless world.

The safety of your patient data is a priority and one that must not be downplayed. If the data repository for the system being considered is a local server, you have to wonder what will become of that invaluable patient data base if that server is damaged or if it is unavailable for a period of time because of technical interruptions. If the data retention is done remotely and access is granted via the Internet, both the security and data integrity is still pertinent even if the data is not being stored locally.

The benefits of moving toward a handheld electronic medical records system are many. Gone will be the time when the therapist is delayed in serving the needs of a patient because paper records are not quickly available. Any updates to the patient records made during a consultation will be dynamically stored in the patient record, so there are fewer opportunities for error than when changes are done by hand or via notes written on slips of paper.

For a manager of a physical therapy practice, the integration of patient data, including details about each specific treatment with billing and other facets of practice management, mean a tremendous leap forward in efficiency. Not only will the PT practice run more smoothly, there will be numerous economic benefits from cost savings to improved billing and collections that can be realized.

As a PT practice manager, be mindful of the security and patient record integrity issues and ask the right questions before investing in a costly handheld electronic medical records system. Do not let the provider get away with answers to your questions that are too technical. By being insistent that your concerns are addressed, you will be rewarded with a high sense of confidence when you select a computerized patient records documentation system for your practice. That confidence will more than justify the effort you made to "get it right the first time" when making this jump to the digital world.

"Prior to WebPT everything in our office was handwritten, often with poor quality and difficult to read. Many of our staff never used a computer before and they have adapted well. Records are cleaner now and we have less questions from payers."  Bob Bacci, Bacci & Glinn PT