Reducing admin and scaling care without compromising outcomes (RTS Newsletter #2)

Welcome to Rehab Tech Stack, your biweekly dose of cutting-edge insights on technology and innovation in rehabilitation therapy. We deliver practice-transforming content tailored for forward-thinking clinicians and practice owners.

By day, we’re building world-class technology at Indie Health to enhance patients' and providers' quality of life. Our mission is to improve access to quality rehabilitation services worldwide.

Join our growing community of innovative professionals. Subscribe now to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving world of rehab technology:

Stay informed, stay innovative.

First, a laugh 🤣 

Community Spotlight: Hiral Khatri, OTD, OTR/L 🚀

❋ Why are you excited about the Rehab Tech Stack newsletter and community?

Hiral: I'm excited about the Rehab Tech Stack newsletter because it brings together like-minded rehab professionals who can share and learn from each other. It is a great platform for staying informed about the latest advancements, discovering new technologies, and gaining insights into how others are integrating tech into their practice. The opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices with peers is invaluable and helps drive innovation and improvement in our field.

❋ What innovative technology or approach have you implemented in your practice, and how has it improved patient outcomes or your clinical workflow?

Hiral: I have integrated a variety of innovative technologies into my practice from day one, particularly leveraging the resources available in Silicon Valley.

First, I used website and software-based platforms to expand my reach, starting my business with a subscription box model promoted online.

Social media has also played a crucial role. I now have a following of 11.5k on Instagram (@otparbox), which allows me to connect with clients and share resources more effectively.

Here is a brief list of the tools I use that have helped improve patient outcomes and clinical workflow in a great manner at OT Park:

Client Outcomes-Related Tools:

• OT Park Website: This website provides educational resources, blogs, and subscription boxes, enhancing parent engagement and home-based support.

• Instagram—Social Media (@otparbox): This account shares educational posts, tips, and success stories, encouraging parental involvement and promoting OT strategies.

• YouTube: Used for guided physical activities and educational videos that supplement therapy sessions, improving engagement and participation in home-based exercises.

• Korro AI: An AI-driven tool to analyze therapy data, track progress, and provide personalized recommendations to optimize treatment outcomes for children.

• Switch games: Provides structured physical activities to enhance gross and fine motor skills, supporting motor development in therapy.

• iPad Apps: Interactive drawing and writing apps used during therapy sessions to enhance fine motor skills, creativity, and handwriting, supporting fine motor development and hand exercises. Various educational games for sensory and cognitive development, tailored for children with learning differences, and Interactive platforms such as OSMO blend physical and digital play to promote learning and fine motor skill development in a fun, engaging way during therapy.

OT Park Work-Flow Oriented Tools:

• Facebook and LinkedIn: Facilitate community engagement, professional networking, and outreach for OT Park.

• Google Workspace: Central for managing OT Park’s emails, calendars, and tasks, ensuring smooth communication and practice management.

• Canva: Used for designing marketing materials, therapy worksheets, and social media posts to promote services and communicate OT strategies effectively.

• Various Insurance Platforms: To manage professional insurance and administrative tasks related to OT Park.

• Simple Practice: An EMR system to manage client records, scheduling, and telehealth sessions, ensuring efficiency in practice management.

❋ Is there a particular area of rehab therapy where you think technology could make a big impact but hasn't yet?

Hiral: I believe technology has significant potential to make a major impact in client care within rehab therapy. Although we've made strides, we are still not fully utilizing the technology available in this area. While schools, offices, and other sectors are increasingly adopting advanced technologies, there is room for occupational therapists to enhance client care further. By integrating more innovative tools and systems, we could improve the precision of assessments, tailor interventions more effectively, and provide better support for clients in their daily lives.

❋ What advice would you give to other therapists who want to integrate more technology into their practice?

Hiral: My advice is not to be intimidated by technology—it's much more approachable than it seems! Trust in your abilities and take the leap to try it out. Many therapists hesitate to adopt new tech tools because they fear it will be too complicated. But remember, no one first knew how to use a smartphone, and now we swipe through them effortlessly every day. The same goes for technology in therapy—start small, explore different tools, and soon, you'll wonder how you ever managed without them. The key is to keep experimenting and embracing the learning process.

World of Rehab 🌐

• Stanford Medicine Children's Health is expanding AI tools while focusing on building an AI-ready culture. Clinical Informatics Director Keith Morse emphasizes organizational preparedness for future AI advancements in healthcare.

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association is advocating for continued Medicare telehealth coverage for audiologists and speech-language pathologists in 2025, urging members to contact Congress and CMS to support this effort.

• UnitedHealthcare has expanded its cochlear implant coverage policy, effective September 1, 2024, to include younger patients with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and single-sided deafness. This change will improve access to critical hearing services for a broader range of patients.

• AI-powered cognitive priming helps one PT clinic improve care and boost its bottom line. For one clinic, using this technology has promoted better functional outcomes, patient compliance and increased attendance rates. Gross revenue per visit is up 4.3%.

Tech Toolkit 💪

A recent study, “Applying AI to Safely and Effectively Scale Care to Address Chronic MSK Conditions,” has demonstrated that artificial intelligence (AI) can safely and effectively scale care for chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions without compromising patient outcomes. Researchers compared two cohorts of patients receiving digital care programs for MSK pain - one with a standard physical therapist-to-patient ratio, and another with a 2.3 times higher ratio supported by an AI tool to assist therapists.

The study found that despite the increased workload, patient outcomes remained similar between groups. Both cohorts showed comparable improvements in pain, anxiety, and depression. Importantly, patient engagement was not negatively impacted - in fact, the AI-assisted group had higher program completion rates (79.9% vs 70.1%). Patient satisfaction also remained consistently high across both groups. Crucially, the rate of adverse events stayed low and consistent even with the increased therapist-to-patient ratio.

These results suggest that AI tools can help expand access to MSK care by allowing therapists to effectively manage larger patient loads. The AI system used in the study recommended that therapists adjust patient care plans while leaving final decisions up to clinicians. This "human-in-the-loop" approach maintains the critical role of healthcare providers while leveraging AI to streamline workflows. As MSK conditions affect over 1.7 billion people globally, such scalable solutions could help address the growing demand for care that currently outpaces the supply of trained clinicians.

While further research is needed, this study provides compelling evidence that AI-assisted care models can safely expand access to MSK treatment without sacrificing quality or patient experience. As healthcare systems worldwide grapple with provider shortages and rising costs, the responsible integration of AI tools offers a promising path to more efficient and accessible care delivery.

Indie Insights 💡

We’ve all heard it — more clinicians are needed in just about every healthcare category.

Yes, this is true, but we can’t ignore the administrative burden placed on the existing practitioners.

Nothing will have a greater impact on clinical shortages than a significant reduction in the time spent on administrative tasks.

You may have seen the data. The numbers are staggering. The TLDR: We spend too much time and money on administrative work in healthcare. The spending on administrative work in the US is growing faster and double that of comparable countries. WTF?!

Brace yourselves for some mind-boggling numbers. McKinsey dropped a study showing that 2019 we burned through a whopping $950 billion on healthcare admin costs. And get this - just five areas gobbled up 94% of that cash.

We're talking about 25-33% of all U.S. healthcare spending going to paperwork and bureaucracy. Spoiler alert: that's way more than what's actually needed to, you know, provide decent healthcare. A paper trail to nowhere!

From 1975 to 2010, U.S. physician numbers grew 150%, matching population growth, while healthcare administrators increased 3200%, vastly outpacing physician growth. That is insane!

So, what's the result of this admin work?

For our beloved clinicians, it's a perfect storm of paperwork fatigue, never-ending to-do lists, and documentation that's about as fun as watching paint dry. And if you're running a clinic? Congrats; your economics have only worsened. Even you rockstar admins are getting your slice of pie nibbled by the laborious paperwork.

Now, how do we escape this problem?

Spoiler alert: we can innovate to dramatically reduce the administrative burden on patients, providers, and payers.

That's why we're building Indie and writing the RTS newsletter—to shine a spotlight on the incredible, innovative work happening in rehab therapy and beyond. Think of RTS as your personal innovation cheat sheet.

Successful organizations prioritize administrative simplification as a strategic initiative, commit to transformational change, engage partners for the right capabilities, and allocate resources to key productivity drivers.

As highlighted by PT clinic manager Matt Mastenbrook, "Using AI-powered technology can ease the burden of what we do so we can better focus on the patients. At a time when clinicians need to extend their reach as much as possible, the ability to augment and enhance care delivery is immensely important and valuable."

This is about supercharging the best clinicians, administrators, and payers with the best possible technology so you can do more, make more money, and improve outcomes.

See you in two weeks,

Eddie

P.S. Liked this week’s newsletter? Please forward it to a friend or tell them to subscribe here.

Refer & Earn: Spread the Rehab Tech Revolution! 🚀

Know a therapist craving industry insights with a side of humor? Refer

them! They'll get the scoop, you might snag cool perks. Win-win!

 Want to learn more about Indie Health?

Indie is on a mission to improve the quality of life for rehab providers and their patients by combining technology with world-class rehab therapy. 

Click here to request early access. We have limited spots available!