Documenting Functional Outcomes in Physical Therapy.

Functional outcomes assessment is indeed the watchword for reimbursement and quality-of-care issues in physical therapy. As a profession, we use these words liberally, but often lack the practical skills necessary to adequately document in such a manner. This book contains a comprehensive guide for developing the necessary skills to record efficacy and efficiency in physical therapy practice. Intended for recent graduates, the book has the capacity to narrow the gap between academic naivete and the realities of practice. It may also appeal to experienced practitioners who seek refinement of note-writing abilities. For both of these groups, the authors have assembled a complete resource to ease the transition to documenting outcomes in functional terms.

The book consists of six chapters by different authors. Topics that are covered include a historical review of the health care delivery system, the importance of documentation to reimbursement, using clinical decision-making models, generation of functional outcome reports, Medicare concerns, and quality assurance/total-quality management. Topics in each chapter are covered in sufficient depth to promote satisfactory grasp of the material, and adequate, up-to-date reference lists are provided. Especially notable are the chapters on importance of documentation to reimbursement, generating functional outcomes reports, and review of Medicare recording requirements. Each of these chapters provides relevant, practical information for the advancement of documentation skills.

Every chapter builds knowledge presented previously, which contributes to the sound organization of the book. Although multiple authors contributed to the book, terminology is consistent throughout, and the chapters function well together to produce a comprehensive treatment of the subject matter. Parts of the text make for tedious reading, but clarification is usually found in the figures and tables displayed liberally throughout.

Many special features add to the pragmatic value of this text, At the conclusion of each chapter, a posttest is provided, permitting the reader to assess his or her level of comprehension. Especially attractive are the numerous examples of documentation written in traditional style contrasted with those written with the functional outcomes focus. Case studies are included in several chapters to give the reader practical experience with writing in this format. Finally, the appendixes are extensive, and include the American Physical Therapy Association's Standards of Practice, and Code of Ethics, as well as International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps classifications, sample functional assessment; pertinent excerpts from the Medicare Manual; and sample quality assessment tools.

In short, the authors have provided the physical therapy profession with a valuable primer on documenting functional outcomes. This publication would be effective as an independent study guide on the topic, a fine text for staff development activities, or a choice reference for the clinic library