Outpatient Physical Therapy Management of Pulmonary Disease
Presented by Ellen Hillegass and Morgan Johanson
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Nonfinancial: Ellen Hillegass is a volunteer with the Academy of Cardiovascular & Pulmonary PT of the APTA. She has no competing nonfinancial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
Financial: Morgan Johanson is the president of Good Heart Education, a web-based continuing education company. She receives payment as contributing author of Essentials of Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy. She receives compensation from MedBridge for this course.
Nonfinancial: Morgan Johanson is the professional development chair for the Academy of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Physical Therapy. She has no competing nonfinancial interests or relationships with regard to the content presented in this course.
There is a lack of pulmonary rehabilitation programs across the country to provide adequate care to all the patients with pulmonary deficits. In addition, due to the pulmonary deficits seen in many patients post SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the limitation in the number of outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation centers, many outpatient physical therapy clinics are creating programs designed to treat patients with pulmonary disease. Due to the fragility of these patients, clinicians are seeking further education for the management guidelines for this patient population. This course will discuss the purpose of pulmonary rehabilitation, specific Medicare requirements for pulmonary rehabilitation, staffing, examples of structured programs, billing, and logistics. This course will provide answers to frequently asked questions and will include information on telehealth, home health, and other patients with pulmonary disease who do not meet Medicare requirements for pulmonary rehabilitation. After this course, clinicians will have the necessary information to be able to start programs in their clinics.
Meet your instructors
Ellen Hillegass
Dr. Ellen Hillegass is a physical therapist with APTA board certification in the cardiovascular and pulmonary clinical specialty. She is currently a professor on the core faculty at South College Knoxville and South College Atlanta and is an adjunct professor at Mercer University in Atlanta in the department of physical…
Morgan Johanson
Morgan Johanson has more than 20 years of experience practicing physical therapy in the cardiovascular and pulmonary patient population. She is a board-certified cardiovascular and pulmonary specialist and an APTA-certified advanced clinical instructor. Morgan is the president of Good Heart Education, a continuing education…
Chapters & learning objectives
1. Overview of Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR)
This chapter covers the definition and purpose of pulmonary rehabilitation, program requirements, appropriate diagnoses, and contraindications for therapy. Clinicians will learn how to stratify their patients’ risk to be able to apply interventions safely and effectively in the clinic.
2. Medicare Requirements for Pulmonary Rehabilitation
This chapter will discuss the Medicare requirements for pulmonary rehabilitation, including physician-prescribed exercise, psychosocial assessments, outcome assessments, individualized treatment plans, and setting requirements. This is an important chapter as anyone setting up a pulmonary rehabilitation must follow Medicare guidelines in order to be reimbursed and not raise flags for an audit.
3. Staffing in Pulmonary Rehabilitation
This chapter describes the typical staff seen in pulmonary rehabilitation clinics, including the medical director. We will discuss the core competencies required for physical therapists and the role of PT assistants in outpatient pulmonary rehabilitation. This is important logistical information for clinics wishing to start a program to ensure proper staffing for reimbursement.
4. Examples of Program Structure
This course will provide the typical pulmonary rehabilitation program structure as well as examples of existing pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Typical equipment used in pulmonary rehabilitation will also be provided. Individuals starting pulmonary rehabilitation programs benefit when they have a model to use to develop their program.
5. Billing and Logistics in Pulmonary Rehabilitation and Pulmonary Therapy
This chapter will cover Medicare billing codes and requirements and will discuss possible patient co-payment. Billing requirements for Medicare Advantage, private-pay insurance, and Medicaid will also be discussed. Options for billing codes for patients in need of pulmonary rehabilitation services who do not meet Medicare requirements will be presented. We will also talk about telehealth and home health options for patients who cannot attend a center-based program. This is important for clinics to ensure reimbursement for services.
6. Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Five to eight questions and answers will be presented. These questions come from clinicians who have asked for assistance in developing and structuring their programs and will help others who are in the development or restructuring phase of their pulmonary rehabilitation programs.
More courses in this series
Obstructive Lung Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management
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Restrictive Lung Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management
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Outpatient Physical Therapy Management of Pulmonary Disease
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Outpatient Physical Therapy Management of Cardiovascular Disease
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