EMR vs Paper Medical Records for Your Physical Therapy Practice

If you are still using paper records to maintain your practice, it might be time to consider making the switch to an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Paper records have been the standard documentation system for so long, and change can be hard. Rest assured, you’re not alone. PtEverywhere has your back. In this article, we review the differences between EMR and paper records, and go over why transitioning to an EMR benefits your practice, improves patient care, and saves you time. If you’re curious about the tools and solutions available to physical therapy practices today, understanding the benefits of EMR is the first step.

The Role of Record-Keeping in Successful Physical Therapy Practices

As you well know, an accurate record keeping system is essential for any physical therapy practice. Accurate records ensure each provider has access to a patient’s evaluations, treatment plans, progress notes, and goals. Administrative tasks such as scheduling, billing, and insurance claim processing all require accurate and accessible records for each client. 

Chances are, if you’re still maintaining paper records, you’re working a thousand times harder than you need to. Relief is here, and it is an easier switch than you might think.

What is EMR for Physical Therapy?

EMR in physical therapy stands for Electronic Medical Record (sometimes also called Electronic Health Record, or EHR). It's a digital system that physical therapy clinics and healthcare providers use to store, manage, and access patient information electronically. The transition from paper charts to EMRs has become standard practice in many physical therapy clinics, driven by both efficiency benefits and healthcare regulations requiring electronic documentation.

What are Paper Medical Records in Physical Therapy?

While experienced physical therapists may find these explanations silly, new practitioners may benefit from an explanation. Think of it like explaining cassette tapes to someone born in the 2000s.

Paper medical records in physical therapy usually include patient information that is handwritten and stored in physical folders. These could include intake forms, evaluation sheets, treatment plans, progress notes, and insurance paperwork. Paper records are organized in file cabinets alphabetically or by patient number, using color-coded folders and sign-out systems. While some smaller PT clinics may still use paper systems, most have transitioned to electronic records.

Key Differences Between EMR vs Paper Medical Records

Medical documentation has evolved over millennia, with more modern systematic approaches such as paper records only developing in the last few centuries. Certain digital advancements began as early as the 1960s, but only more recently have those approached what we think of as EMRs. There are key distinctions between EMR and paper medical records:

Accessibility and Storage

EMRs provide instant access from multiple locations simultaneously, while paper records require physical retrieval and can only be accessed by one person at a time. A major perk of electronic systems is that they require much less physical storage. What might fill entire rooms can now live effortlessly in the cloud.

Documentation and Efficiency

EMRs speed up data entry through templates and dropdown menus, while paper records require manual writing, which is time-consuming and often difficult to read. Studies have shown that illegible handwriting has significantly reduced medical record effectiveness and negatively affected patient outcomes since the early 1900s. Digital documentation makes this a non-issue.

Data Sharing

Electronic records allow healthcare providers and facilities to immediately share patient information. Paper records must be physically transferred, copied, or faxed, creating delays and potential loss. Plus, we all know how frustrating it is as a patient to have to wait for care due to bureaucratic delays. EMR records remove a major cog in the wheel.

Search and Analysis

With EMRs, physical therapists can rapidly search patient histories and population health analysis, while searching paper records instead require time-intensive search by hand techniques. EMRs allow for quick and efficient targeted application of new and updated research. The patients benefit from the improved treatments, and the practitioners benefit as more patients report more successful outcomes.

Compliance

EMRs can help with regulatory compliance through automated audit trails, standardized documentation templates, and built-in alerts for required fields. They simplify HIPAA compliance with encryption and access controls. On the flip side, paper records require manual compliance monitoring, making it harder to track access, and maintain consistent standards.

Cost and Security

Paper systems have lower upfront costs but higher long-term expenses for storage and staff time. EMRs require an initial investment because there is often a learning curve, but often quickly cut down operational costs. Electronic systems offer encrypted storage and automatic backups, while paper records are vulnerable to fire, flood, or theft with no backup copies.

Easily Navigate EMR for Physical Therapy with PtEverywhere

The switch from paper to electronic medical records is a huge change in how a physical therapy practice operates. The paper systems served the profession for decades, but the documented challenges and the exciting new technologies make a compelling case for modernization. EMR systems address the historical pain points of paper records and introduce new capabilities that were previously impossible. The ability to instantly share patient information, conduct population health analysis, and maintain automated compliance trails will help you run the practice you’ve always dreamed about.

However, successful EMR implementation requires choosing the right platform. It should be designed specifically for rehabilitation professionals and address the unique workflows of physical therapy practice.

Transform Your Practice with PtEverywhere

PtEverywhere combines the efficiency benefits of modern EMR technology with a deep understanding of physical therapy workflows. Our all-in-one platform integrates scheduling, documentation, messaging, video home exercise programs, billing, telehealth, and reporting into a single web and mobile solution.

Founded by physical therapists who experienced firsthand the administrative burdens which limit patient care time, PtEverywhere was built to free practices from the stress of inefficient operations, improve patient outcomes, and deliver better patient care.

Book a Demo Today and see how the right EMR platform can transform your physical therapy practice. 
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Resources:

https://www.apta.org/your-practice/documentation  
https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines10102594  
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1279250/