The Impact of Point-of-Care Documentation On Patient Satisfaction and Progression

Let’s talk about spending your springtime weekends having fun instead of catching up on documentation.

Many of the finest therapists in our industry catch up on notes at night and on weekends because they feel that point-of care-documentation sacrifices the quality of the patient care they deliver. We know what you’re probably thinking:

• “I want to spend my time with patients treating, not typing!”
• “The patient isn’t here to look at the top of my head while I write notes.”
• “I don’t want a computer between the patient and me. And neither do they!”

However, treating patients 9 hours each day only to have to document for another 2 or 3 hours can quickly become an unsustainable and toxic workload.

Is Point-Of-Care Documentation Good For The Patient?

1. Every day, most Systems 4PT daily notes are documented at point of care instead of at home.

2. The average Net Promoter Score (NPS) for patients treated at Systems 4PT practices in 2019 was 83.9 points. We’ve never seen higher customer satisfaction numbers anywhere in outpatient rehab!

(For reference, the average nationwide NPS for healthcare patients is 30 points. NPS ranges from -100 to +100. A “positive” score of 1 and above is considered “Good. ” An NPS of 50 is “Excellent” and a score above 70 is considered “World Class.”)

3. Systems 4PT analyzed over 660,000 dates of service. The patient population whose notes were documented at point of care experienced the same progression as the patients whose notes were documented at home.

Point-of-care documentation did not lower clinical quality or patient outcomes.

4. The 2019 Medicare Final Rule Gives us “permission” to document less in daily notes.

As part of the CMS’ “Patients Before Paperwork” initiative, the CMS details what needs to be documented in each daily note (and it’s a lot less than the book you’re writing on nights and weekends). A typical Systems 4PT daily note takes between 90 seconds and 2 minutes to document. Of course there are exceptions, but most Systems 4PT therapists document at point of care.

5. You can find between 90 seconds and 2 minutes during most daily visits to document at point of care.

6. Compliance is greater when daily notes are documented at point of care.

Documenting at point of care, while objective data and your clinical thoughts are fresh in your mind, will always be more accurate and complete than a note written over the weekend.

7. You’re a better therapist when you’re fresh and recharged!

Treating patients isn’t the cause of therapist burnout. You LOVE your job! But 11-hour days, late nights, lost weekends, and documentation homework are what cause therapist burnout.

You can deliver:

· Best in class patient satisfaction
· Best in class patient progression
· Best in class compliance

AND recharge during nights and weekends, doing the things you love!

Ask about our Stress-Free Installation™ and take your life back

Treat More, Type Less™