Written by the Summit Professional Education Team, experts in continuing education for healthcare and allied professionals
Leveraging Technology to Scale Your Practice: A Deep Dive into Telehealth & More
For years, technology in outpatient rehabilitation was treated as a peripheral consideration—nice to have, but not core to care delivery. That changed in 2020. Suddenly, virtual visits, patient portals, and cloud-based EMRs weren’t futuristic enhancements—they were survival tools.
Now that the dust has settled, the question is no longer whether to use technology, but how. How do physical and occupational therapy practices leverage digital tools not just to maintain operations, but to scale them—intelligently, ethically, and sustainably?
This blog explores that question through a different lens. Rather than treating technology as a cost-saving shortcut, we frame it as a relational amplifier—something that, when done right, can expand access, improve continuity, and free up clinicians to do what only humans can do: care deeply and adapt wisely.
The Promise and Peril of Telehealth
Telehealth exploded during the pandemic, and for good reason. It enabled continuity of care, reduced travel burden, and protected vulnerable populations. But its rapid adoption also revealed limits—especially in hands-on disciplines like PT and OT.
The key insight from high-performing practices? Telehealth isn’t a replacement. It’s a complement.
Clinics that thrive in this hybrid model use telehealth for:
– Evaluations that focus on movement, behavior, or education
– Check-ins between in-person sessions to reinforce progress
– Discharge planning and follow-up accountability
– Family training or environmental modifications at home
They don’t force telehealth into every scenario. Instead, they assess clinical appropriateness and patient preference—and use digital delivery as a strategic tool.
Digital Home Exercise Platforms: Beyond Printouts
Another area where technology is reshaping therapy is in home programming. Traditional paper printouts are static, generic, and often ignored. Modern digital platforms allow for customization, video demos, reminders, and tracking—all of which increase adherence.
More importantly, they create a feedback loop. Patients can report pain levels, progress, or barriers directly through the platform. Therapists can adjust programming in real-time. This dynamic interaction turns home care from a passive task into an active extension of therapy.
The best systems also integrate with your EMR or workflow, reducing documentation time and increasing visibility.
EMR Optimization: Doing More With the Tools You Have
Electronic medical records are often viewed as necessary evils. But when optimized, they can be powerful allies. Most clinics use only a fraction of their EMR’s potential. A targeted audit can reveal features that reduce double-documentation, flag risk trends, or automate reporting.
Start by asking:
– Are your templates aligned with your most common visit types?
– Are there redundancies that could be removed?
– Can common recommendations be stored as quick notes or smart phrases?
Bringing in clinical staff to co-design these improvements ensures that your system reflects how care is actually delivered. That alignment is where efficiency and quality intersect.
Patient Engagement Tools: Connection at Scale
Scaling a practice often means increasing volume. But scaling *experience* requires increasing connection. That’s where patient engagement technology comes in.
This includes:
– Automated check-in surveys to flag concerns early
– Two-way texting for appointment reminders or follow-ups
– Satisfaction surveys that go beyond net promoter scores to ask meaningful questions
– Portals where patients can access notes, ask questions, or pay bills
Used well, these tools reduce administrative burden and create touchpoints that build trust. But they must be used carefully. Automation should never replace empathy. Every message should feel personal—even if it’s pre-written.
Technology and Talent: A Retention Strategy
There’s another benefit to strategic tech use: clinician satisfaction. Burnout in PT and OT is often logistical—too much time charting, too little support. When technology reduces clicks, clarifies priorities, or automates routine tasks, clinicians feel the difference.
This matters in recruiting too. New grads increasingly expect digital fluency. Practices that offer modern tools signal that they value efficiency, growth, and professional development.
Additionally, learning management systems (LMS) or CE platforms that are integrated into the workflow make ongoing education frictionless. This reinforces a culture of learning and keeps staff on the cutting edge—without pulling them off the floor.
Barriers to Adoption—and How to Overcome Them
Despite the promise of digital tools, adoption can falter due to:
– Staff resistance or tech fatigue
– Poor training or unclear ROI
– Incompatibility with existing systems
The solution? Start small. Pilot tools with champions who are eager to test. Collect feedback and adjust before scaling. Focus on high-friction pain points—where even a small win feels big. And communicate not just the “how” but the “why” behind every rollout.
Leadership buy-in is critical. So is patience. Technology changes culture, and culture takes time.
Conclusion: Scaling Through Relationship-Driven Tech
Scaling a practice doesn’t mean replacing people with platforms. It means using technology to extend their reach, reduce their burden, and elevate their impact.
Done well, digital tools can:
– Increase access without sacrificing quality
– Improve outcomes through better follow-up and data
– Reduce clinician burnout and turnover
– Create patient experiences that feel modern and personal
The question is not whether to digitize. It’s how to do so in a way that serves the deepest goals of therapy: healing, learning, and human connection.
In this reimagined framework, technology is not the driver—it’s the vehicle. And with the right strategy, it can take your practice further than you imagined.
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About Summit Professional Education
Summit equips Physical Therapists, Occupational Therapists and SLPs with better continuing education courses that provide CEUs while impacting patient outcomes. Find high-quality on-demand CE along with the largest offering of live options — including live webinars, live streams, and in-person courses. Want to deep dive on a topic? Summit offers hundreds of 6-hour courses for the most in-depth learning!
