PT productivity software suite

by Hank Lin

Context: Modern technology has revolutionized productivity for a lot of industries. Healthcare, particularly in the physical therapy realm, still has a lot of improvements needed to empower the professional and not let paperwork and administrative work take time away from doing what's important.

Challenge: As a physical therapist, certain workflows and processes that can be automated are very tedious manual work that exponentially increases with the number of patients or the complexity of surrounding circumstance with a patient (insurance disparity, lack of documentation, etc).

Current solutions (implications):

  • Work long hours outside of patient interaction schedule windows (may lead to burnout)
  • Schedule tedious administrative work to be done within patient interaction schedule or business hours (less chance of burnout, opportunity cost)

Possible solutions (pros/cons):

  • All encompassing PT software suite solution built from ground up
    • Pro:
      • Most customizable and streamline options can be tailor made
    • Con:
      • Expensive, time consuming to make, not generic enough to help all health professionals
      • Hard to get approval from upper management on big software shift
  • Individual programs for incrementally improving each step of a physical therapist's workflow
    • Pro:
      • Easier to develop
      • More chance of individual solutions for a smaller workflow being applicable to more physical therapists
      • Requires less leap of faith
    • Con:
      • Not a one stop shop solution from the ground up

Solution chosen (why)

  • Individual programs for incrementally improving each step of a physical therapist's workflow (it is the fastest way to get quick workflow enhancement out with maximum impact)

Business impact

  • Consumer win:
    • Less time and work requirement for PT to see increasing number of patients
    • Reduce possibility of PT burnout
  • Business win:
    • Able to implement complete end to end workflow of creating technological solution from inception, design, to implementation and support
    • Add to portfolio for resume
    • Enhance skills in using new and latest technology stack
  • Everyone win:
    • Enhance and bring light to possibilities on productivity enhancing technologies for healthcare workers
    • More efficient processes for patients