Glossary of Physical Therapy Terms

American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)

The AOTA is a U.S.-based organization representing more than 63,000 member occupational therapists, occupational therapy assistants and students. The AOTA publishes the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, the premiere publication for occupational therapy research. The organization also hosts the annual AOTA Conference & Expo.

American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)

The APTA is a U.S.-based organization representing more than 100,000 member physical therapists. This association advocates on behalf of the profession and for issues that impact the health and well being of our society. The APTA also holds two annual conferences and publishes the Physical Therapy Journal, which is the leading international journal for research in the physical therapy field.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)

ASHA is an international organization with nearly 200,000 member speech-language pathologists, audiologists and speech, language and hearing scientists from around the world. ASHA's mission is to promote the interests of and provide the highest quality services for professionals in audiology, speech-language pathology and speech and hearing science. The group also advocates for those with communication disabilities.

Bill Pay

Bill pay refers to payment processing platforms that allow patients to pay their bills via online, mobile and telephone banking. Many of the systems also send patients automated balance alerts and keep them engaged throughout the billing cycle. Bill pay systems help therapists increase their collections as well. Learn more about StrataPT's Mobile Bill Pay solution

Source: Strata PT

Business Metrics

Business metrics, also called KPIs (key performance indicators) display a measurable value that shows the progress of a company’s business goals. Business metrics that physical therapists should be consistently tracking are sales revenues, gross margins, monthly profit/loss, overhead costs, cancellation percentages, clinical productivity, monthly website traffic and conversion percentage. Learn more about how StrataPT can assist you with gaining full transparency into your business metrics

Source: Strata PT

Electronic Health Record (EHR)

Similar to electronic medical record (EMR), which is used by clinicians primarily for diagnosis and treatment, however 'health' covers a lot more than medical. Health refers to the condition of being in sound body, mind and spirit. It can mean freedom from disease or pain. Thus, EHRs can cover a lot more information than EMRs. Learn more about the difference between EMRs and EHRs

Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

EMRs are a digital version of all the information that you would typically find in the paper charts found in a clinician’s office. This information may include medical history, diagnoses, medications, immunization dates, allergies, lab results and physician notes. Learn more about the difference between EMRs and EHRs

Source: Strata PT

Electronic Visit Verification (EVV)

EVV is a system that verifies the occurrence of home-based, or community-based, service visits. EVV identifies the time that the service provision begins and ends to ensure accurate disbursement. It also ensures that the authorized beneficiaries get the expected care they are entitled to. EVV helps to combat fraud, eliminate billing data entry mistakes and reduce costs related to paper billing and payroll. Learn more about Electronic Visit Verification (EVV) for physical therapists

Source: Strata PT

In-Home Physical Therapy

Like mobile physical therapy, in-home PT is outpatient therapy that is performed in the patient’s home rather than at an outpatient therapy clinic. In home physical therapy is for anyone that may have a limitation of the ability to attend treatment sessions at a clinic due to physical limitations or transportation issues. Learn more about solutions for In-Home Physical Therapists

Source: Strata PT

Mobile Physical Therapy

Like In-home physical therapy, mobile PT is outpatient therapy that is performed in the patient’s home rather than at an outpatient therapy clinic. Mobile physical therapy is for anyone that may have a limitation of the ability to attend treatment sessions at a clinic due to physical limitations or transportation issues. Learn more about solutions for Mobile Physical Therapists

Source: Strata PT

Part A

When you qualify for Medicare, you are usually enrolled in Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. Part A is hospital insurance (compared to Part B which is medical insurance) and generally covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing care, hospice care and limited home health care services.

Source: Strata PT

Part B

Medicare Part B is medical insurance (compared to Part A which is hospital insurance) and generally covers doctor office visits, physical therapy, preventative services (tests, screenings, etc), flu and pneumococcal shots, mental health care, chemotherapy and durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, etc). In most cases, under Part B, the Medicare patient will be required to pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for each item or service, plus deductible, if any. Learn how to seamlessly start or transition your practice to Part B 

Source: Strata PT

Patient Engagement

Patient engagement refers to the level at which patients are actively involved in the decisions regarding their health, wellness and care. The higher the patient engagement, the more the patient is empowered to ask a question and request information about their treatment plan. Patients who are engaged as decision-makers in their care tend to be healthier and experience better outcomes. Learn how to enhance the relationship with your patients

Source: Strata PT

Patient Experience

Patient experience is defined by the sum of all interactions, shaped by an organization’s culture, that influence patient perceptions across the continuum of care. The patient experience begins with the first impression that an office staff member makes with the patient and continues until the very last interaction. Learn more about how to improve the patient experience in your practice 

Source: Strata PT

Revenue Cycle Management (RCM)

Revenue cycle management is the administration of financial transactions that result from the medical encounters between a patient and a provider. RCM tracks the revenue from patients, from their initial appointment to their final payment of the balance. These transactions include billing, collections, payer contracting, provider enrollment, coding, data analytics, management and compliance. Learn more about Revenue Cycle Management

Source: Strata PT

Robotic Process Automation (RPA)

Sometimes referred to as software robotics, RPA is an application of technology, governed by business logic, aimed at automating business processes. Just like people, RPA can perform tasks like understanding what’s on a screen, complete the right keystrokes, navigate systems, identify and extract data as well as perform a wide range of defined actions. However, RPA can do these tasks much faster and more consistently than people. Learn how your practice can benefit from robotic process automation

Source: Strata PT