Holy Autonomy, Batman! It’s Compliance!

Today’s post comes from WebPT copywriters Charlotte Bohnett and Erica Cohen.

Autonomy, direct access, and respect. We all know the fight—in fact, at this point these three words have become more like a rehab therapist mantra. But we get the sneaking suspicion that not everyone really understands what these words means. Today, let’s tackle autonomy.

For a dictionary definition, autonomy means: “independence or freedom, as of the will or one's actions: the autonomy of the individual.” There’s no question as to whether or not autonomy is deserved—we all know it is. However, there are questions as to how we should use autonomy: for good...or not-so-good, for things that require hard work or the easiest route possible. To phrase superhero style: with great power comes great responsibility, and autonomy is definitely power.

Keeping the superhero train a-movin’: Compliance may, at times, seem like a complete villain, masquerading about your clinic and striking fear into the hearts of your staff. As a super therapist, though, it’s your duty to save the day or at least make sure your practice is remaining wholly complaint. After all, compliance is a necessarily evil, to protect the good citizens in distress—your patients. And it’s more than your patients hanging in the balance. We’re talking your processes, your credentials,  your money, and ultimately, your name and license. So just like how you treat patients, take responsibility and pride in compliance, too. You want autonomy? Prove it. Be compliant, and show that you can handle everything that comes with health care independence. You are a doctorate-level practitioner, after all.

And if you ever need a trusty sidekick, a Robin to your Batman, look to us. We got your back. In fact, there is a lot of technology out there that can aid in compliance—things that can make Medicare and HIPAA easier—but these tech tools are just that: tools. They can’t be the actual Batman. That’s your job.

We don’t think any sidekick, no matter how trusty, should dictate how you run your practice, diagnose your patients, collect your reimbursements, or document your notes. We think you’re better than that. We know you got this. We have absolute faith in you and your knowledge to always do what’s right—not just for your patients, but for your practice, your staff, your profession, and your self. 

We’re here as your reliable resource, not a whip-wielder. That’s why WebPT doesn’t mandate that you document in a specific and strict way. You can customize your initial evaluations to meet your needs, while staying compliant. We support the entire rehab community; a community of therapists with different practice models, specializations, patients, and workflows, so we get that no super therapist wears the same cape. Sure, we’ll occasionally alert you when your Batmobile slightly waivers; for instance, when Medicare requires certain language before they’re willing to pay. And we’ll make it easy for you to stay HIPAA compliant by providing you and your staff unique usernames and passwords as well as controlled access. Plus, we’ve always got you covered when it comes to the education you need to excel in business—a techy Alfred-the-Butler, if you will. But we can’t and won’t do it all (read in Michael Caine accent for full effect). In short, we do not believe that full Clinical Decision Support is the answer.

What do you think about Clinical Decision Support? Would you want someone telling you how to run your practice? Tell us in the comments.