How to Submit an RFS

If you believe that the patient would benefit from additional treatments, tap Yes, Request Additional Sessions. In the following screen, you will be prompted to submit clinical rationale for the Veteran's medical team to review.

If the patient would not benefit from additional treatments, tap No, Discharge Patient.

For instructions on how to discharge a patient at the end of their referral, skip to the final step of this guide.

A Request for Additional Services (RFS) may be indicated for any of the following reasons:

• You believe based on your clinical judgment that the Veteran is making significant progress towards their recovery goals and more time is required to meet them

• Regular massage therapy is supporting the Veteran’s quality of life and allows them to complete daily activities, self-care, and recreational and work activities

• Regular massage is helping to reduce the intake of pain medications

To submit an RFS, complete the following fields based on clinical rationale and your experience with the patient:

• Initial Limitations and Progress to Date

• Reasons for Additional Sessions

In this section, you should describe the progress the Veteran has made towards the goals set during his or her initial evaluation. Again, the information should be measurable and demonstrate how their function is being improved. Examples:

• Pain scales and functional outcome scores: Patient’s lower back pain has improved from 8/10 to 4/10 on the pain scale.

• Objective limitations/improvements: Patient’s lumbar soft tissue tension has improved from severe to moderate on the left side and from severe to mild on the right side.

• Functional limitations/improvements: Pain reduction and decreased soft tissue tension has helped allow the patient to sleep for 5 consecutive hours since initiating massage therapy.

• Pain medications: Patient reports a reduction in pain medication and only requires it on heavy work days.

Describe why and how the patient would benefit from additional sessions, citing the specific goals and functional improvements the patient is working towards. Examples:

• Pain scales and functional outcome scores: Believe patient’s lower back pain can improve to 2/10 on the pain scale with 6 additional massage treatments

• Objective limitations/improvements: Patient’s lumbar soft tissue tension can be reduced to mild on both sides with additional treatments focusing on the left side

• Functional limitations/improvements: Decrease lower back pain and improve lumbar mobility to allow the patient to walk 10 blocks pain free

• Pain medications: The patient has reported a reduction in pain medication, taking it only on work days. Goal is to reduce pain medications to only PRN or when needed.

After thoroughly completing the Initial Limitations and Progress to Date and Reasons for Additional Sessions text fields, tap the E-Signature checkbox to confirm that the information are submitting is both accurate and final.

Finally, tap Finish and Submit Form

Once a Zeel provider submits a Request for Additional Services (RFS), Zeel's Patient Care team will promptly send the request to the Veteran's treating medical center along with the Veteran's SOAP notes.

Zeel does not make the final determination as to whether or not an RFS is approved, and approval is not guaranteed.

The clinical rationale and accompanying treatment documents will be reviewed by the VA medical team. If approved, the Veteran will be prescribed a new referral for medical massage with 12 treatments. If the RFS is not approved, the patient will not receive a new referral may schedule an appointment with their VA Medical Center to discuss alternate treatment options.

Should the Veteran have any questions regarding the status of their RFS, they may contact their VA Medical Center directly.