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articleSep 22, 2017 | 10 min. read
The Rehab Therapist’s Guide to Facebook Advertising Success
A couple of months ago, I explained steps for optimizing your Facebook page . Since then, you’ve (hopefully) steadily improved your page’s performance. You’ve created your page, completely filled out your profile, begun building your reviews, and started posting and engaging on a regular basis. Now, it’s time to take the next step: running Facebook Ads. Facebook Ads provide a cost-effective way for you to reach a super-targeted audience. It might sound complicated, but don't be intimidated. …
articleSep 20, 2017 | 9 min. read
5 Things Small Practices Need to Know about HIPAA
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 —a.k.a. HIPAA—does not distinguish between large and small practices. Fortunately, regulators do. While the law imposes the same requirements upon solo practitioners and large rehab hospitals, the manner in which those requirements are applied may depend upon your practice size. Contrary to what many providers believe, the onus of HIPAA’s requirements won’t hamper your clinical practice. In fact, I’ve found that they actually do the opposite: HIPAA provides …
articleSep 20, 2017 | 5 min. read
Medicare and Direct Access
As of 2005, per the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual (Publication 100-02), Medicare beneficiaries may seek physical therapy services without seeing a physician or obtaining a referral. Sounds pretty straightforward, right? Well, we know it wouldn’t be Medicare if it was truly that straightforward. Here’s how the plot thickens: According to the APTA , “a patient must be ‘under the care of a physician,’ which is indicated by the physician certification of the plan of care.” Confused? Me …
articleSep 19, 2017 | 6 min. read
Second That Emotion: How Emotional Intelligence Creates Loyal Patients
If you’re a fan of “The Office,” you’re undoubtedly familiar with Michael Scott’s cringe-inducing behavior. While his awkward, emotional outbursts make for great comedy, if you had to work with someone like Michael, you probably wouldn’t stick around very long. And if that person were a rehab therapist, his or her patients probably wouldn’t stick around very long, either. That’s because—as funny as Steve Carell's iconic character is—Michael is impetuous and emotional (and not in a good …
articleSep 18, 2017 | 8 min. read
D’Oh! 3 Major Physical Therapy Marketing Fails
Homer Simpson introduced the catchphrase “d’oh!” on the long-running cartoon sitcom, The Simpsons, in 1989. It’s arguably one of the most recognizable catchphrases in American pop culture. So much so, in fact, that the Oxford Dictionary of English added the word in 2001. Defined as an informal exclamation “used to comment on a foolish or stupid action, especially one's own,” “d’oh” is the most fitting—and safe for work—reaction to committing a major fail. “D’oh” is even more …
articleSep 15, 2017 | 6 min. read
Bigger and Better: How to Improve Patient Experience in Your Large Therapy Practice
Think back to the scrappy, bootstrapped start-up era of your practice. If I had to guess, I’d bet those early days were infused with optimism, enthusiasm, and healthy dose of anxiety. But with a lot of hard work—and maybe a little luck—word spread about the quality of your patient care, and your budding clinic flourished into a strong, healthy business. Perhaps you even added another location or two—or more. And at that point, you probably realized that—as …
articleSep 14, 2017 | 6 min. read
The Healthcare Provider's Guide to HIPAA-Compliant Marketing
In 1966, US Congress passed the Health Information Portability and Accountability ACT (HIPAA). And as we explained here , this “dense piece of legislation...has serious implications for virtually all medical professionals, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists.” Specifically, all HIPAA-covered entities—and that includes providers, payers, and business associates—“must follow certain rules governing the way patient protected health information (PHI) is collected, shared, and used.” And consequences for HIPAA breaches can be severe. While you may …
webinarSep 12, 2017
Top of Mind, Top of Search: 4 Ways to Help Patients Find Your PT Practice Online
Where there are people, there’s also a demand for goods and services. And even in the age of the Internet, people still need brick-and-mortar establishments to meet their demands. That’s especially true with rehab therapy—arguably the most hands-on form of health care. But, just because people seek out physical businesses doesn’t mean they’re not using the Internet to find them. For this reason, rehab therapy practices must ensure that prospective patients can discover their services and find …
articleSep 12, 2017 | 10 min. read
5 Things I Wish I had Learned in PT School
I am not one of those people who bounded out of physical therapy school, brimming with confidence and ready to take on the world. I didn’t lead any groups or clubs during school. I made absolutely no effort to network. And I wound up spending the first two years of my PT career bouncing around a bit, trying to find my footing in the physical therapy industry. While I had a really solid clinical education in PT …
articleSep 8, 2017 | 4 min. read
PTs Heard 'Round the World: Celebrating World PT Day 2017
One day each year, the whole world comes together to celebrate physical therapy and its impact on patient health—and that day is today. So, happy World PT Day 2017. According to the World Confederation for Physical Therapy , World Physical Therapy Day “is an opportunity for physical therapists from all over the world to raise awareness about the crucial contribution the profession makes to keeping people well, mobile, and independent.” While every year focuses on “Movement …
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