Leverage the Research

As Physiatrist a lot of people don’t necessarily know what we do as a specialty. So, I think as an added value and to educate these specialists along with anyone else who was taking a look at the medical record, it’s important to leverage the research available to advocate for the appropriate level of care.

 

In May of 2016, the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association produced a paper that recommended that stroke patients would benefit from transitioning to acute rehab level of care above all post-acute care settings.

 

It is important to document this research in your consultation notes as it serves multiple purposes. First, it helps educate the other specialists, other care providers, case managers, and anyone else looking at your documentation.

 

It also provides education for the medical directors of the commercial plans who are determining whether or not they want to grant access to acute rehab level of care.

 

The addition of evidence-based research is a good practice to help justify post-acute recommendations. So, leverage the research, it’s an important added value. It helps you advocate for the patients and get the right patients to the right level of care.

 

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