As digital innovation continues to transform our world, 58% of companies in the healthcare field say they are increasing their IT budgets. But how many of these clinics are getting the most out of their spending?
In an age where virtual health is more important than ever, it’s no longer a question of why healthcare practices should invest in technology, but how. With a growing number of new technologies available, a clinic’s IT budget can end up pulled in all different directions—from computer equipment to servers, backups, applications, cybersecurity, and IT support staff.
And when client care is your top priority, staying on top of all this tech can be a real stumbling block.
You want your clients to have the best experience, your staff to feel supported, and your clinic to run smoothly. What if there was a way to do all that with just one software? Spoiler alert: There is.
What Is A Practice Management Software?
A practice management software is an innovative system designed with clinics like yours in mind.
These platforms integrate practice management tools with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) to coordinate a clinic’s operations as both a business and a healthcare provider.
A practice management software is an all-in-one solution to facilitate and streamline your clinic’s operations, creating a cohesive workflow while empowering both practitioners and clients. There’s a feature in there for every member of your team — with functions that include scheduling, charting, billing, management, and marketing.
What Are The Benefits Of A Practice Management Software?
A practice management software is your trusted sidekick working alongside you as your operations grow, while keeping your staff and clients top of mind. Clinic management platforms vary in the features they offer, but here are some of the key advantages to look for. (P.S. Clinicmaster offers all of these.)
1. A Better Client Experience
Just like you, a practice management software keeps your clients at the center of attention. Health concerns can be stress-provoking, and getting appropriate care should be as easy on your clients as possible.
Digital solutions help alleviate the burden on new clients by facilitating a smooth onboarding process. A secure online portal allows them to fill out intake forms online before their first appointment, so they can show up to your clinic already feeling at home.
Once within your care, the options to participate are endless for clients. The client-centered portal keeps clients engaged and empowered in their healthcare, offering them tools to book appointments online, pay online at their convenience, view their insurance claims, access educational content, receive virtual care, and even chat with their practitioner. Clients can also view their personal health charts and access treatment plans or exercise programs straight from their practitioner.
In short, the right practice management software helps you keep clients in the loop and feeling cared for, with a toolkit that enables automated reminder emails, surveys, “happy birthday” messages, and check-ins following appointments.
2. A Supportive Environment For Your Staff
Your practitioners and staff members are the backbones of your clinic. They show up every day to nurture and heal your clients, and a practice management software can support them along the way.
Appointment booking is made easy for receptionists with a system that allows them to quickly scan practitioner schedules and send out client consent forms with a few simple clicks. Digital charting enables practitioners to chart using cutting-edge methods, with options to include photos, videos, drawings, and even voice recordings. With electronic medical records, practitioners can access client files anytime and anywhere, allowing them to easily track client progress and outcomes.
These dynamic features help your practitioners provide the best care possible from your clinic—studies like this one reveal that EMR technology reduces medical errors and improves client adherence to guidelines.
3. A Virtual Business Assistant
Simply put, practice management software makes running your clinic a whole lot easier. Created for healthcare clinics just like yours, a practice management software helps you manage the day-to-day flow of your operations and saves you time every step of the way.
A comprehensive scheduling system helps you manage your team’s agenda, allowing you to readily view who’s in office, and alerting you when a practitioner is double-booked. Billing and accounting functionalities streamline your revenue process, allowing you to create invoices, receive payments, transmit claims to insurance providers, and generate bookkeeping reports that can be sent directly to your accountant.
With a platform like Clinicmaster, you can also manage your inventory and even create scorecards to monitor staff performance; a software product like this one might be the most versatile business partner you’ve ever had.
4. A Tool To Grow Your Clinic
If you’re not bringing in new clients, the success of your clinic is in jeopardy. Your clinic’s revenue depends on clients choosing your clinic and following through on their treatment with you; anything else is stalling your growth.
Ever thought of launching your own promotional campaign, but weren’t sure where to start? The right practice management platform can make this process incredibly easy, guiding you through the creation of personalized email campaigns that strategically target your clientele, using either existing templates or customized options.
A program like this is your secret marketing weapon, helping you send out automated appointment reminders, community newsletters, enticing gift certificates and promotions, and company announcements. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) also helps you manage your interactions with clients and track the success of your outreach efforts.
Bonus: the Clinicmaster platform allows you to track Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) so you can manage your business strategy using real metrics; this feature isn’t offered with other healthcare management platforms.
5. A Cost-Effective Solution
This might sound counterintuitive at first, but investing in health information technology can actually save you money. A practice management software integrates much of the technology your clinic needs all in one system, making it a powerfully cost-effective solution.
When it comes to spending, companies in the health services industry invest an average of 3.5% of their total revenue in IT, and studies suggest that this investment is closer to 7% for smaller clinics. A practice management software like Clinicmaster costs less than one-tenth of that—or around 0.5%.
In addition, most practice management platforms use cloud technology, meaning you can skip out on paying for a server. There’s no need to purchase, install, or maintain unfamiliar physical equipment, which dramatically cuts IT costs and saves time. You can even sidestep the need for an extensive IT team because you’ll have your software provider’s customer service team on hand when you need them.
Finally, in the tradition of saving the best for last, here’s one of the biggest cost-saving advantages—client retention. Strategic marketing is integrated into platforms like Clinicmaster, with an email campaign builder and personalized messaging that helps you attract and retain new clients. With these built-in marketing capabilities, you’ll gain the lifetime value of new clients without spending additional time and money shopping for a marketing software.
So, What’s The Takeaway?
In 2021, an increasing number of healthcare clinics are leveraging digital health technology by investing in a practice management software. This next-generation toolkit seamlessly improves your client journey, supports your staff, and grows your business; all while helping you cut unnecessary IT costs.
But enough about the technical stuff, it’s time to unload the administrative tasks that are bogging you down (i.e., billing maintenance and endless paperwork) so you can get back to what you do best—providing quality care to your clients.
Clinicmaster is an all-in-one practice management solution that is more than ready to take the burden off your hands. It’s also the most comprehensive software of its kind, which is why over 1,000 clinics chose Clinicmaster to help them manage their practice. But don’t just take our word for it. Curious to see if Clinicmaster is right for you? Book a demo today!
