From Gaps to Gains: Why Patients Skip HEPs and How RTM Reconnects Care
Imagine this: You carefully design a Home Exercise Program (HEP), but once patients leave, daily life gets in the way. Exercises are forgotten, handouts collect dust, and adherence falls to just 30–50%. The result? Slower recoveries and outcomes that don’t reflect the quality of care you provide.
Common Hurdles to Stick with HEPs
Accountability
"I meant to do it...but no one was checking"
Between visits, there’s often no clear way for therapists to know whether exercises are being completed. Without accountability, it’s easy for patients to skip a day, then another, until the routine fades completely.
Discomfort or Fatigue
“It hurt, so I stopped.”
When discomfort arises, many patients aren’t sure whether it’s a normal part of the healing process or a sign they’re pushing too hard. Without guidance between appointments, they often err on the side of caution and stop altogether.
Monotony and Lack of Visible Progress
“It’s boring, and I don’t see improvement.”
Rehabilitation can be a long and repetitive journey. When exercises feel monotonous and progress isn’t immediately visible, motivation drops.
What Is RTM and How Can It Help?
Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) is a powerful tool that brings physical therapy beyond the clinic walls. At its core, RTM uses technology to track patient progress between visits, giving therapists real-time insights into how patients are doing with their HEPs.
Instead of relying on memory or paper handouts, patients use a simple app or web platform to log completed exercises, pain levels, and other key metrics. This information flows directly to the therapist, allowing them to provide timely feedback, adjust treatment plans, and address issues before they escalate. RTM is also reimbursable under billable CPT codes, making it a sustainable source of revenue generation for clinics.
Why Improved Adherence Matters
Adherence to HEPs directly impacts recovery outcomes. Studies show that when patients stick to their prescribed exercises, they experience:
- 25–35% greater gains in strength and mobility within 6–12 weeks
- Up to 40% faster recovery times, helping them return to normal activities sooner
- Fewer reinjuries and long-term complications
Unfortunately, traditional home programs often fail because patients lack motivation, accountability, or feedback. RTM solves this by turning adherence into a collaborative, ongoing process rather than a one-time handoff at the clinic.
How RTM Keeps Patients Engaged and Accountable
RTM doesn’t just track data, it builds a support system that keeps patients motivated and connected.
- 📈 Real-time tracking: Patients log exercises and symptoms instantly, giving therapists clear visibility into progress.
- 🫂 Personalized adjustments: Therapists can tweak programs based on actual performance and reported pain, ensuring care stays aligned with patient needs.
- 🚨 Automated reminders: Gentle nudges help patients stay on schedule without feeling overwhelmed.
- 🌟 Motivation through progress: Dashboards, streak tracking, and encouraging messages make progress visible and rewarding.
By combining clear communication, consistent feedback, and tailored interventions, RTM transforms home exercise programs from a frustrating chore into an empowering, results-driven experience.
Meet Alejandra, a busy mother of 3 recovering from a knee injury sustained from a bad fall down the stairs.
Initial Struggle – Week 1
💬 Alejandra's Challenge: "I started strong, but between work, kids, and errands, I kept forgetting to do my exercises at home"
- Only did 40% of assigned HEPs
- No clear way to track progress
- Felt discouraged and unsure if she was improving
RTM Introduced – Week 2
📲 The Solution: Her clinic set up RTM through the PhyxUp Health app, giving Alejandra an easy way to
- Log completed exercises
- Record pain levels, health data and notes
- Receive customizable reminders to stay consistent
Real-Time Feedback – Week 3 to Week 5
🔄 Continuous Support: As Alejandra logged her activities, her therapist could
- Spot trends in her data, like skipped exercises on busier days
- Send encouraging messages and adjust exercises remotely
- Quickly intervene and adjust HEP plan when Sarah reported increased knee pain
Results in Action – Week 6
🏆 The Outcome: With RTM, Alejandra saw measurable improvement in just six weeks
- 40% increase in exercise consistency
- Pain levels decreased by 30%
- Achieved significant recovery in range of motion two weeks ahead of schedule
Beyond Engagement: RTM’s Clinical and Operational Power
🤓 Informed Visits
With RTM, therapists no longer have to start sessions by asking, “So, how’s it been going?” Instead, they arrive prepared with real-time data on each patient’s progress.
“I noticed you skipped Sunday’s routine. Was something going on?”
This level of insight allows therapists to have meaningful, targeted conversations from the very first minute of the session. No more guesswork, no wasted time. Just focused, effective care.
⚙️ Efficiency Gains
RTM streamlines care delivery by reducing friction in both clinical sessions and administrative operations.
- More productive sessions: Since therapists already know what happened between visits, they can skip the catch-up phase and focus directly on exercise adjustments or progressions.
- Automated documentation and monitoring: Session data, adherence tracking, and pain reports are automatically logged, cutting down on tedious manual paperwork.
- Less time spent chasing patients: Automated reminders keep patients on schedule, reducing staff time spent on follow-up calls and check-ins.
The result is a smoother workflow for both clinicians and patients, leading to higher satisfaction on both sides.
💰 Revenue Generation and Business Growth
RTM isn’t just clinically effective, it’s financially sustainable. Covered by most major insurance payers, RTM can unlock a new, reliable stream of revenue through billable CPT codes, covering setup, monitoring, and management time.
Beyond direct reimbursement, RTM also supports long-term business growth: Increased revenue per patient:
- Additional billable services without requiring extra in-person visits.
- Better patient retention: Improved outcomes and engagement lead to more loyal patients and referrals.
- Stronger clinic branding: Offering cutting-edge digital care positions the clinic as an innovator, helping it stand out in a competitive market.
In other words, RTM delivers value at every level, from improving outcomes to driving profitability.
How PhyxUp Helps Drive Better HEP Adherence
With PhyxUp Health, RTM becomes more than just tracking, it becomes a powerful tool for improving HEP adherence and clinic performance.
- ☝️ Seamless Patient Engagement – Automated reminders and digital check-ins keep patients on track, reducing drop-off rates and making it easier to stick to their HEP.
- 🎯 AI-Powered Tracking – PhyxUp automatically logs exercise sessions and patient feedback, giving therapists real-time insight into adherence and outcomes.
- 📈 Motivation Through Connection – Ongoing digital touchpoints strengthen the therapist-patient relationship, encouraging accountability and reducing missed exercises.
- 💸 Automatic Billing + Revenue – With CMS-approved RTM codes that are automatically billed through the platform, clinics don’t just improve adherence, they also capture new revenue streams for the work they’re already doing.
- 📝 Effortless Documentation – Every patient-reported activity is automatically turned into professional SOAP notes, saving time and ensuring accurate records.
Why Choose PhyxUp as Your RTM Partner?
PhyxUp isn’t just another software platform, it’s built to solve the very challenges clinics face when it comes to HEP adherence. From reducing administrative burden to ensuring HIPAA-compliant security, PhyxUp gives clinics a complete solution to keep patients progressing while capturing every dollar of reimbursable care.
If your clinic is looking to improve HEP adherence, minimize missed sessions, and transform patient outcomes, PhyxUp Health is the partner to make it happen.
Want to empower patients through PhyxUp Health? Learn more we can help your clinic engage patients and transform the way care is delivered.