Home Exercise Program

Term from Therapy industry explained for recruiters

A Home Exercise Program (HEP) is a customized set of exercises and activities that healthcare providers, especially physical therapists and occupational therapists, create for patients to do at home between therapy sessions. It's like a personalized workout plan that helps patients continue their recovery outside the clinic. These programs typically include written instructions, pictures, or videos showing how to do each exercise correctly. When therapists mention creating or managing HEPs in their resumes, they're talking about their ability to design, teach, and monitor these take-home treatment plans that are crucial for patient recovery.

Examples in Resumes

Developed personalized Home Exercise Programs for 30+ patients weekly

Created video-based Home Exercise Programs and HEPs using therapy software

Achieved 85% patient compliance rate with customized Home Exercise Programs

Typical job title: "Physical Therapists"

Also try searching for:

Physical Therapist Occupational Therapist Physical Therapy Assistant Rehabilitation Specialist Sports Medicine Therapist Orthopedic Physical Therapist

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you ensure patient compliance with home exercise programs?

Expected Answer: Should discuss strategies like patient education, using technology for reminders, creating easy-to-follow materials, and implementing tracking systems to monitor progress and adherence.

Q: How do you modify home exercise programs for patients with multiple conditions?

Expected Answer: Should explain how they assess complex cases, prioritize exercises, and adjust programs based on patient limitations and goals while ensuring safety and effectiveness.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What tools or methods do you use to create and track home exercise programs?

Expected Answer: Should mention various HEP software, exercise databases, progress tracking methods, and ways to document patient adherence and outcomes.

Q: How do you educate patients about proper exercise form for home programs?

Expected Answer: Should discuss demonstration techniques, use of visual aids, patient teach-back methods, and strategies for ensuring exercises are performed safely at home.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the key components of a basic home exercise program?

Expected Answer: Should describe essential elements like exercise descriptions, repetitions, frequency, safety precautions, and progression guidelines.

Q: How do you determine which exercises to include in a home program?

Expected Answer: Should explain basic assessment process, consideration of patient goals, condition-specific exercises, and importance of starting with appropriate difficulty level.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Creating basic exercise programs
  • Using HEP software
  • Patient education basics
  • Exercise instruction and demonstration

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Customizing programs for various conditions
  • Progress tracking and modification
  • Advanced patient education techniques
  • Digital HEP creation and management

Senior (5+ years)

  • Complex case management
  • Program development leadership
  • Staff training on HEP best practices
  • Quality improvement implementation

Red Flags to Watch For

  • No experience with exercise instruction or demonstration
  • Lack of knowledge about exercise progression principles
  • Poor understanding of safety precautions
  • No familiarity with HEP documentation requirements
  • Unable to explain basic exercise modification principles