Expert interview - the modern therapeutic practice

Achim Bierbaum on the challenges of modern therapy practice

How did you get into the therapy profession?

Wrist surgery made me want to study physiotherapy more than 20 years ago. After training in the Netherlands, I worked as a physiotherapist in various practices in Switzerland. During this time, I became interested in sports physiotherapy and turned to competitive sports. I gained valuable experience as a personal sports physiotherapist for middle-distance runner Andre Bucher, was the official therapist of the Diamond League Meeting Weltklasse Zürich and managed the medical department of the soccer club Grasshopper Club Zurich for several years.

It is my firm conviction that physical wellbeing is achieved through a holistic approach. This attitude led me to complementary medicine. Parallel to my sports physiotherapy activities, I completed training in osteopathy and later trained as a naturopath at the Higher University of Applied Sciences for Naturopathy. In 2011, I opened my own complementary medicine practice, where I combine manual therapy with personal training.

You have 20 years of experience as a therapist. How has the job profile changed during this time?

When I look back on my professional life, I notice that various developments have been initiated. On a professional policy level, the constitutional article is certainly The future with complementary medicine, an alternative proposal to a withdrawn popular initiative, as a milestone. At that time, 67% of voters approved the constitutional article and supported the creation of national diplomas — and thus federal recognition — for non-medical therapists.

From a health policy perspective, the introduction of new tariff systems and the associated standardization of service recording and invoicing represents a challenge for us therapists. Complementary medicine, for example, has been calculating its benefits since 2018 according to the newly introduced Tariff 590 off. Occupational therapy will receive a new MTK tariff as of March 1, 2019. As a result, basic and accident care was handled via two different tariff systems. She knows the same physiotherapy For many years.

Everyone is talking about digitization in healthcare and thus also in para-and complementary medicine. Where do you see the biggest challenges?

The increasing density of regulations has an impact on my practice administration. While I used index cards at the beginning of my career, I now use a software solution that makes administrative work easier for me. I see a major challenge in increasing reporting, which is required by insurance companies but is not adequately remunerated.

But also to Data protection It is becoming increasingly important. Whether large or small practice, it is the personal responsibility of each individual to protect the confidential and sometimes sensitive data of their patients. It is not easy to meet the requirements in this regard. My core competence as a therapist lies in treating people. That's why I have to be careful not to lose touch with topics such as practice administration, reporting and patient data protection.

How can a small or medium-sized therapy practice face the digitization trend?

Even as an employed physiotherapist, we have used simple software solutions for benefit accounting. At that time, there were only a few vendors on the market. Although the solutions used simplified our practice administration, they would no longer meet today's requirements: The systems were maintenance-intensive, could only be operated from one workstation and functionality was limited. In the course of my self-employment, I studied various solutions in detail and realized that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for software procurement! I made sure that individual work processes can be mapped in the practice software. This has made my daily administrative work much easier. I also made sure that the price-performance ratio was right.

What characterizes “good” practice software?

First, you should say goodbye to the idea of trying to find the perfect practice software. Each system has its advantages and disadvantages. During the software evaluation, I focused on a balanced overall packaging situation. The clarity and ease of use of the solution were important to me. When it came to functional requirements, I paid attention to simple invoicing with batch printing, an agenda with appointment card printing and SMS notification service, as well as functions for reporting and accounts receivable control. In addition, soft factors, such as data security and the ability to access the system from anywhere — I am a Mac and Windows user and often carry out my administration from home — led to my purchase decision.

What do you have to be careful of when making a purchase decision?

You should take enough time for a comprehensive evaluation of the software, but also of the software provider. This is important because a change of provider usually requires time and money. A software provider should ensure that the practice software can be extensively tested. He is intended to train the test user, can be reached by telephone if anything is unclear and responds to the respective individual needs. Another important point is the future expandability and development of the system. This is because digitization in healthcare is progressing rapidly and no one wants to be sitting on practice software that no longer meets the changing regulatory requirements.