Physical therapy is proven to be an effective treatment in improving your overall function, movement as well as general wellbeing. The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) considers physical therapy as “the safer way to manage pain.” By observing October as National Physical Therapy Month (NPTM), this Association encourages everyone to raise awareness of physical therapy as a safe, effective alternative route to medication such as opioids for treatment of even chronic pain conditions. The goal of NPTM is to raise awareness about the importance of physical therapy in helping people find relief from pain, improve mobility, and live healthier lives. EHR-integrated medical transcription services in U.S. are of great support for busy physical therapists in maintaining accurate patient records and clear transcripts.
The treatment covers a range of different interventions, including manual therapy, ice/heat therapy, ultrasound and traction therapy. During this National Physical Therapy Month, physical therapists and PT clinics are encouraged to engage their communities in many activities to promote healthy lifestyles among patients and to raise awareness of the importance of this non-invasive treatment. To spread awareness, APTA recommends physical therapists to consider sharing resources from “ChoosePT.com” which includes conditions guides, health tips and podcasts; getting their ChoosePT shirts and accessing handouts or updating the Find a PT profile, which would make it easier for consumers and other health care providers to locate you for the purposes of seeking care.
Though it was started as Physical Therapy Week in June 1981, it became National Physical Therapy Month and was moved to October in 1992 so as not to conflict with the American Physical Therapy Association’s annual conference and exposition held each June. Practices can also take part in the Day of Service October 12, 2019 that brings together thousands of volunteers such as PTs, PTAs, students, and physical therapy staff from over 50 countries that gives back to the community.
Documentation is the most time-consuming task for such specialties. Physical therapy practices are now widely using EMR software to meet their documentation tasks, billing requirements and to improve clinical reporting capabilities. According to the Physical Therapy Board of California, patient records must be maintained for at least seven years following the discharge, except the records of unemancipated minors must be maintained for at least one year after the minor reaches the age of 18.
Medical records that a physical therapist handles also include films and tracings from diagnostic imaging procedures such as x-ray, CT, PET, MRI, ultrasound and more. Comprehensive physical therapy transcription services provided by reliable medical transcription companies help practices get accurate transcripts of diverse reports such as consultation notes, procedure notes, letters, and discharge summaries.
