Patient Flow Management in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Vocabulary flashcards covering patient flow, inpatient vs outpatient rehabilitation workflows, interdisciplinary communication, SBAR, SOAP documentation, and admission, transfer, and discharge processes.

Patient Flow

The movement of patients through healthcare services from entry to discharge, including scheduling, evaluation, treatment, documentation, and discharge planning.

Patient Journey Overview

The structured patient journey followed by healthcare settings, consisting of Referral / Order, Intake, Evaluation, Treatment, Re-evaluations, and Discharge.

Inpatient Rehabilitation

A rehabilitation setting for patients who require intensive therapy (3 hours of therapy per day), need 24-hour medical supervision, and cannot safely return home yet.

Inpatient Patient Flow

The sequence of care steps in inpatient rehab: Hospital Stabilization -> Transfer to inpatient rehab -> Physiatrist Evaluation -> Therapy Evaluations -> Interdisciplinary Treatment Plan -> Daily Therapy Sessions -> Team conferences -> Discharge Planning -> Transition to home or outpatient care.

Outpatient Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation that occurs when patients are medically stable and live at home, traveling to the clinic for therapy sessions.

Outpatient Patient Flow

The sequence of care steps in outpatient rehab: Physician referral -> Scheduling appointment -> Insurance verification -> Intake paperwork -> Initial therapy evaluation -> Plan of care development -> Treatment sessions -> Progress documentation -> Reassessment -> Discharge.

Physiatrist

A rehabilitation physician who evaluates patients and manages rehabilitation medical care.

Interdisciplinary Communication

Communication between DIFFERENT professions (such as PT -> OT -> SLP -> RN -> MD -> Case Manager) to deliver collaborative, patient-centered care and ensure continuity across the patient journey.

Intra-Disciplinary Communication

Communication within the SAME profession (such as PT -> PT -> PT Tech, OT -> OTA, or SLP -> SLPA) focusing on consistency, efficiency, and safe delegation.

SBAR

A standardized communication framework standing for Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation, used in healthcare to ensure clear, concise, and organized communication during patient handoffs.

SOAP Note

The universal language of healthcare documentation, standing for Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan.

Patient Admission

Formally accepting a patient into a healthcare facility for treatment or observation to collect information, assign care and resources, and establish a legal and financial record.

Inpatient Admission Process Steps

A 6-step inpatient process: 1. Patient arrival and greeting, 2. Collection of personal and insurance information, 3. Completion of admission forms, 4. Consent forms for treatment, 5. Orientation to facility and room, 6. Initial vital signs and assessments (by nursing staff).

Administrative Transfer

Moving a patient from one healthcare facility to another for continued care or specialized services due to treatment needs, bed availability, patient/family request, or insurance requirements.

Lateral Transfer

A transfer within the same unit (bed-to-bed).

Vertical Transfer

A transfer to a different level of care within a healthcare facility.

Inter-facility Transfer

A transfer between separate facilities, such as from a hospital to an inpatient rehab facility, skilled nursing facility (SNF), or home health.

Patient Discharge

The formal release of a patient from a healthcare facility after treatment, ensuring medical stability, providing follow-up instructions, and arranging home or outpatient care.