HEP stands for Home Exercise Program, which is an individualized set of therapeutic exercises that a patient is taught by their Physical Therapist to be completed at home, to complement and reinforce their program in the clinic. The HEP may also include activities to avoid to minimize the chance of reinjury, as well as the application of lower level modalities, such as heat or ice.

A HEP is important because it reinforces what the patient has learned during their PT visit, promotes a more rapid progression to the next level of their rehab program, and helps improve muscle memory. Research shows that patients who comply with a HEP are up to 5 times more likely to successfully achieve their rehab goals than those relying only on their in-office PT visits.

However, adherence to a HEP can be a significant problem, and the reasons for this are multifactorial, covering both psychological and situational factors that vary between each individual. To combat this, physical therapists can educate their patients on the importance of their HEP and how it can impact their goals, tailor the exercises to ensure proper form and technique to avoid pain or discomfort, and provide clear HEP, both printed and verbal instructions.

There are also online resources available for rehabilitation professionals to create home exercise programs for patients and clients, such as HEP2go.com and WebPT HEP.