Over the last few years, software has gained great popularity across virtually every industry and of course, HealthCare is no different. These days, Medical software is not just for the Tech-Savvy business owners out there, it’s now crucial to the entirety of the healthcare industry as it allows providers to monitor and manage their organisation and patient data. Not to mention, thanks to Covid-19 and the need for accelerating remote and TeleHealth consultations, booking portals and online client forms, customers and clients are now not only aware of but expecting online accessibility features.
It’s hard for some to believe that there are still medical practices attempting to get through their day-to-day using paper-based systems, especially when computers, data storage and networking is now so affordable. But they do still exist, and they run the risk of extinction.
A practice that doesn’t want to go digital in the next few years could start to alienate and lose patients (think missed appointment confirmation phone calls, accidental double-up appointments) as well as seeing fewer applicants seeking a job with them (many fast adapting practices train new staff to operate only online).
Not only that, they’re spending more time and money on staff wages to manage their operations and losing opportunities to book more clients, follow up cancellations and re-book future appointments.
We live in an era of accelerated change with constant innovation in technology, including medical equipment, computers, and software that never stay the same for very long. Yes, it can sound overwhelming but it’s important to understand why they exist. 10 years ago Facebook sounded unnecessary and confusing to many people but now most of us are struggling to find ways to not need it…
While the primary focus is on providing outstanding healthcare service, allowing time and attention to staying up-to-date with technology can actually enhance your practice opportunities, and since we already rely so much on devices and applications to provide medical services, adaptations to new software continues to become increasingly user friendly. It just takes time and implementation.
The benefits continue to be endless for Medical businesses through digital opportunities. You can quite literally turn a practice around by bringing better efficiencies to save you time, money, and even enable you to hold off hiring more administrative staff as business expands. This is thanks to advanced medical software being regularly updated to account for industry best practices, governmental regulations, and a general commitment on the vendor’s behalf of always striving to improve their product.
In today’s blog, we cover some of the best available Software applications that can benefit almost every practice in the Healthcare Industry.
Top Healthcare Service Software Applications
Genie Solutions
Great for: Specialists Clinics but also very useful for general practices
Genie is a powerful piece of software that allows you to customise its programming to suit your business’s specific needs, with optional modules that can support complex practices.
They offer on-sight training to ensure your team is proficient in using their software in and in any case, Genie has a support team that is just an email or phone call away, 7 days a week if you have any questions.
Features:
-Very customisable
-Medicare, DVA and Health fund integration using Eclipse, minimising the turnaround time to you get paid faster
-Cloud-based software “Gentu”, allowing you access anytime, anywhere.
-Great training and support
KareoClinical
Great for: General Practices
Kareo delivers a complete technology platform purpose-built to meet the needs of independent practices. Using this program, Physicians can effortlessly manage all major functions of their practice through one intuitive platform.
It is purpose-built for the unique needs of independent practices, avoiding the typical complex, time-consuming, and costly functionality you don’t need. They also include free support, onboarding, training, and transparent pricing to ensure you know exactly what you’re paying for.
Features:
-Telehealth, connecting with patients anywhere at any time.
-It’s simple, secure and streamlined
-Powerful analytical features with the power to perform detailed customisations for current and future tailored insights.
Pracsoft
Great for: General practices
Pracsoft allows you to spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork, regardless of practice size, scale or location. You can get set up and running quickly with intuitive software that’s both easy to understand and navigate, even for practitioners and staff with limited technical skills.
You can manage multiple appointments efficiently using customisable appointment books, a waiting room view, and 24/7 easy-to-use online appointment booking. They also provide premium Australian based customer support and regular updates.
Features:
-Fast, accurate accounts and billing opportunities with user-defined fee columns
-Secure levels of user access
-Easy online lodging of Medicare and DVA claims
-Credit funds to multiple bank accounts, streamline rebates and improve cash flow and rapid rebate processing.
Halaxy
Great for: GPs, psychologists, therapists, psychologists and physiotherapists
Halaxy helps you seamlessly manage and streamline your practice the smart way, so physicians can focus on what you do best: treating patients.
Their software doesn’t just reduce your administration – it removes it, so you can focus solely on improving health outcomes for your patients and clients. They state that their customers save on average 5 minutes per appointment, reduce appointment no-shows and increase practice cash flow.
Features:
-Minimal human admin needed across appointments, patient records, billing, and financial reports.
-Very price savvy, Software is free, only needing to pay for chosen add-on features.
SimplePractice
Great for: Psychiatrists
Simple Practice is one of the few programs that allow you to use their software virtually, in-office or BOTH! With their powerful scheduler, you can choose which services are bookable online, accept or decline appointments, and send as many free automated reminders as you want using text or email reminders. They’re great specifically for Psychiatrists as the software has extensive opportunities for client notes and files.
Features:
-Vast amount of templates on offer that make progress notes, SOAP notes and assessments so much easier to organise.
-Very affordable
-Great scheduling tools
Nookal
Great for: Allied Health Services, best suited for physiotherapists
Nookal allows clients and patients to make their own bookings online in real-time and removes admin manual “follow up”, sending automatic appointment reminders.
This patient management software is designed to help minimise cancellations and non-attendance to maximise clinic output.
Apart from Nookal’s scheduling power, you can also document each consultation with easy-to-use templates, shortcuts and symbols, securely upload and accessing documents, letters and files for each patient as well as invoice and claims submissions.
Features:
-Great automatic booking and confirmation capabilities
-Easy template options
-Extensive permission management systems to keep data safe.
-Xero compatible – a powerful combination for any physiotherapy clinic.
-Great packages to suit almost any practice budget
Powerdiary
Great for: General Practices
Powerdiary was created by clinicians for clinicians so you can be sure that every clinic need has been considered with this App! Their prime focus on health businesses means that their development and support teams live and breathe the medical industry.
Their pricing is extremely affordable – packages range from a 1 person practice to a large practice with multiple staff, ensuring their pricing structure and capabilities offer both small and larger businesses the right service at the right price.
Features:
-Affordable pricing structure
-Clinician made and focused
-Endless with calendar management, SMS & Email communications, Telehealth video calls, client management, online bookings and so much more.
AsproDental
Great for: Dental Practises
Asprodental is an incredible cloud dental practice management software built around a futuristic and optimised digital workflow. With all of the same features, you’ll find in other cloud software programs, their signature feature is a ‘One Page Chart’, where all clinical information like periodontal chart, odontogram, treatment plan, and clinical notes can be seen on a single screen.
They have some very useful key performance indicators features to keep KPI production goals at the forefront of the team’s mind with game-like reminders that show the office’s progress throughout the day for hygiene, production, collections and new patients.
Features:
-Future-focused workflow layouts
-Great KPI Features
-Fair, flexible and easy to understand pricing
Simple Clinic
Great for: Naturopaths
If you are a Naturopath then you need to know about Simpleclinic!
This Cloud-based software allows you to best manage your practice, with an all-in-one application that allows you to invoice, book appointments, write prescriptions and much more! If your clinic offers services in peoples homes, they also have a mobile responsive, work-on-the-go app that allows you to access your patient’s information anytime.
Their “enter once, use everywhere” feature is also super useful to manage patient’s information, enabling you duplicate info across to your financial software and even E-Marketing tools like Mailchimp!
Features:
-All-in-one app
-Mobile responsive
-Great for client info and using across other services
-Monthly, affordable pricing great for sole practitioners
Medical-Objects
Great for: All medical professionals
Medical-Objects is a specific piece of software that we believe should be utilised across all specialities! This piece of software allows you to send encrypted files, so when you are needing to send referrals you can do so without the worry of exposing you or your patient’s private information.
Their system allows you to securely communicate and track all clinical correspondence between General Practitioners, Allied Health, Specialists, Pathology, Radiology, Aged Care, Public and Private Hospitals.
Features:
-Integrates with all major practice software vendors.
-Great for using across many fields of medical services
-Private and confidential capabilities
Key Takeaways from Today
As you can see, if you own or run a practice, clinic or work for yourself as a sole practitioner chances are there’s software available that will save you time, money and streamline your customer booking and filing capabilities. If you decide not to upgrade/pay attention to your workflow with software and/or technological developments? Chances are you’ll still run your business well enough for now, but you do run the risk of falling behind the competition and losing clients. The thing to focus on is just how much easier your business practice could run if you’re up to date.
Here are the best benefits outlined:
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Create a much better experience for your patients.
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Improving how patients check in, fill out forms and pay their bills will encourage them to remain loyal to your practice.
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Using dedicated medical software for scheduling will speed up your staff, and reduced waiting time will delight your busy patients.
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Connecting more systems will keep your employees and therefore business happier and hassle-free
We understand that with the number of software options available for businesses these days, it can all get a little overwhelming and the plans to update your business digitally can quickly move from the “later” box to the “too hard” basket.
What’s important to remember is that there are businesses such as ours that live and breathe Software and Application options as we use them for our client’s businesses every day!
What could take hours of research, purchase and implementation can be wiped away in a simple call. The greatest thing about the internet today is that help is never far and for every task you don’t have the time or energy to learn or do, there are hundreds of others online that can help you find the best software and applications tailored to your business, not to mention implementing and training you and your staff on how to use them.
The best takeaway from today? Book an appointment with us, your loyal bookkeeper or google a great local bookkeeper or business advisor if we aren’t local to you. In this day and age, help is just a search engine find away!
