72% suffered revenue losses above 50% during the initial pandemic.
It’s been an extremely slow process of recovery. Physical therapy has moved forward because of the pandemic. Your clinic will be more competitive if you are aware of these five key trends in physical therapist.
Telehealth Services are on the Rise
38 times more people used telehealth than before the pandemic. 55% of patients claimed that they were happier with telehealth/virtual appointments than with in person appointments.
Telehealth is great for physical therapy because it allows patients to have more options. Patients don’t have to drive to the clinic or arrange childcare. Telehealth makes it easier for them to access their treatment options. Telehealth gives PTs more flexibility to schedule appointments that are convenient for their patients and allows them to be more flexible with their patients. All you need is a device capable of recording and capturing audio and Wi Fi access.
Physical therapists can use a smartphone or tablet to show patients exercises and guide them in the correct way. To enhance telehealth consultations, apps, wearables and in-home hardware can all be combined. This technology provides accurate feedback to PT practitioners on the progress of patients.
Virtual physical therapy is not possible so PTs must establish trust and communicate empathy. Telehealth can create disconnects and stresses that are difficult to overcome by empathizing.
Physical therapists must pay attention to and respond to nonverbal cues and verbal cues when expressing empathy via video sessions. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement recommends SAVE as a mnemonic to express empathy via Telemedicine.
– S for Support – I am here to answer any questions.
– A acknowledgment of appreciation – I understand that this is a challenging task for you. What can I do to help?
– V to validate – This was a hard one. It was a great job.
E stands for emotion name – You seem nervous. Please help me to understand what you are feeling right now.
Patient engagement needs to be pushed more
Patients have become more personalized over the years. A study has shown that patient engagement can lead to better patient experience, economic outcomes, and higher quality of life.
Personalized engagement was a key element of the COVID-19 epidemic. Patient-focused design is essential for a successful transition to a post-pandemic environment.
To better engage and connect with patients, one way to do this is to collect feedback from them. You could send out a questionnaire to your patients via email or post it on the website or app. Or send them a link so they can it after having completed a video consultation.
You can ask patients to rate their experience, such as “How would you rate it today?” To allow them to comment directly, you can use both text and rating boxes. Also, a satisfaction questionnaire is a great way for patients to give feedback on their experience with physical therapy.
Overall, patients’ feedback can be used to gain insight into their values and needs.
Home-based care is on the rise
Between 2017 and 2022, the average annual growth rate of the U.S. Home Care Providers business sector was 4.9% per annum. McKinsey research also shows that consumers are more likely to prefer to receive care in their own homes than they are at facilities.
Home care is a way for physical therapists and other health professionals to get to know patients better than in a standard examination room. You may find important clues that will help you create a better treatment plan. A patient’s workspace can be assessed to help find the best solutions. You can also develop home stretching and fitness programs to target specific parts of your body.
A patient’s home is the best place for elderly care therapists to evaluate their mobility.
The therapist is able to identify and eliminate fall hazards in the home and prevent them from happening.
Although home-based services can have their benefits, they can be challenging to manage. You need to ensure that you have the correct documentation and hire the right staff. The American Physical Therapy Association provides extensive guidelines that will help you provide home physical therapy. It contains information on how to train a physical therapist, schedule home visits and evaluate patients.
Increased attention to staff burnout
The industry has suffered from burnout for many years. Prior to the pandemic, 34% said that their patients were negatively affected by burnout. The pandemic caused burnout in PTs in South Korea and Poland. The pandemic stressors for physical therapists were the same as all other people. They also had to cope with safety concerns and provide practical care.
Physical therapists can become exhausted and overworked, so it shouldn’t surprise. If a PT becomes burnt out and decides to stop working, you will need to put in the effort to find a replacement.
For your staff to determine their mental health levels and burnout levels, use a checklist or self testing tool such as this MindTools check-list. You can use the results to help reduce burnout.
Advanced technology is increasingly being used
Rehabilitation and physical therapy are constantly innovating thanks to new technologies (like augmented reality and AI).
Recent promising studies have shown that Augmented Reality can be used to aid in hand rehabilitation as well as improve balance among older people. AR can be used to gameify routine and mundane activities and make them more engaging and fun. An AR-based exercise in physical therapy could include displaying floating boxes on a screen to encourage patients to reach higher than the boxes to complete the motion.
Physical therapy is being transformed by artificial intelligence (AI). AI-powered apps are able to perform programmable tasks such as measuring movement and mobility accurately, guiding patients during rehabilitation exercises and sharing data with PTs. There are many benefits, including improved pain management and long-term patient adherence. Physical therapists can enjoy a reduced workload by eliminating tedious tasks.
Advanced technology can be confusing for people who aren’t tech-savvy. Exer Health is easy to use for patients and PTs. It can also be used from any device that has a camera. The device uses artificial intelligence and cameras for accurate measurements of the patient’s motion. It also helps with recovery exercises. The dashboard displays the real-time results and provides easy-to read information.
Stay ahead
The fact that there is no one constant in life has been reaffirmed over the past few years. You can’t foresee the future but you can prepare for unexpected and unsettling changes. Staying current with these trends will ensure your physical therapy practice is competitive.
