One is 30-minute visits with 12–14 patients/day and heavy use of aides; the other is 45-minute one-on-ones, 8–10/day but lower base by about $8k. As an ortho PT who prioritizes injury rehab and patient education, how have these models affected your outcomes, documentation time, and burnout in real life?
@OP I moved from 30-min + aides to ‘45-minute one-on-ones’ and outcomes/education improved while my after-hours notes dropped — my wrist stopped sending hate mail. Ask for protected charting blocks and shadow a half-day at each; if the 30-min shop has strong aides and EMR macros, it can still be fine — could you trial both for a shift?
Quickly shadow both: note after-hours time per eval and aide handoffs; @OP that’s worth more than the $8k.
And @OP In the 45-minute ‘one-on-one’ setup (8–10/day), I asked for a protected 15-minute mid-day block for notes and quick follow-ups, which kept me from staying late and lifted HEP adherence. If you lean toward the 12–14 with aides, get a written aide:PT ratio and that you control progressions, or interruptions will eat the $8k difference.