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Discover how Remote Therapeutic Monitoring (RTM) can revolutionize your physiotherapy practice by enhancing patient engagement and expanding care beyond the clinic.
Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) is a healthcare service that involves the remote tracking of patients’ non-physiological data using medical devices. This data encompasses aspects such as therapy adherence, response to treatment, and self-reported symptoms like pain levels. RTM is particularly pertinent for managing musculoskeletal and respiratory conditions, allowing clinicians to monitor patients’ progress and adjust treatment plans accordingly between in-person visits.
Unlike Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM), which focuses on physiological data (e.g., heart rate, blood pressure), RTM centers on non-physiological information that provides insights into a patient’s therapeutic engagement and outcomes. This distinction enables a broader range of healthcare providers, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists, to utilize RTM services within their scope of practice.
If you’re wondering why there is a need for new RTM codes when the Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) codes already exist, it’s because they are two very different things. RPM codes are used for remote physiologic monitoring while RTM codes are used for non-physiological monitoring.
RPM means using a medical device to transmit data related to physiological factors like blood pressure levels, heart rate, weight, and more. Physiotherapy billing practitioners cannot use those codes to collect non-physiological data. With the new CPT codes for RTM, non-physiological data can be collected on things like pain tolerance, program adherence, and key information through self-reported data like how your client might be feeling on any given day.
In 2022, CMS introduced specific Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for RTM, facilitating reimbursement for these services under Medicare. These codes cover various aspects of RTM, including device setup, data transmission, and treatment management, thereby integrating RTM into the broader framework of patient care and enabling providers to offer continuous support outside traditional clinical settings.
Remote Therapeutic Monitoring CPT codes are divided into two categories: setup/device supply and treatment management. The codes 98975, 98976, and 98977 cover the initial device setup, patient education, and monthly device supply for musculoskeletal or respiratory monitoring.
The treatment management codes, 98980 and 98981, are used to document the clinical time spent reviewing RTM data, managing the patient’s treatment plan, and communicating with the patient during a calendar month.
Each RTM code comes with specific documentation and time-based requirements, so it’s important for clinicians to understand and follow CMS billing guidelines to ensure compliance and reimbursement accuracy.
Remote Therapeutic Monitoring enables physiotherapists to deliver more effective, continuous care by extending treatment beyond the clinic. Instead of relying on infrequent in-person visits, clinicians can use digital devices to collect self-reported patient data, such as pain levels, functional limitations, or adherence to home exercise programs. This allows for real-time treatment adjustments and more personalized care.
Depending on the duration of treatment management services provided, a physiotherapist could potentially bill approximately $129.13 to $168.78 per patient per month. These figures demonstrate that RTM is not only a clinical advantage, it’s a scalable and billable model that supports revenue growth while enhancing patient care.
