What Are The Top 5 Considerations When Choosing Practice Management Software?

Finding the right practice management software is crucial – it can also be straightforward if you know what you’re looking for.

Practice Management Software

So you’re trying to find practice management software… are you a little overwhelmed? Find yourself procrastinating most of the time, and when you’re not, you’re not getting anywhere?

Don’t worry – you’re not alone.

There are endless options available to you when it comes to practice management solutions. With so many to choose from, how are you supposed to tell which is the right option?

Healthcare technology is one of the fastest evolving sectors of business IT in the world, and for good reason. It’s not just about delivering a great user experience, or keeping the total cost of ownership reasonable; it’s about improving the way healthcare professionals interact with and treat patients.

The reality is that healthcare technology is simply more important and can do more good than the average IT solutions because it has an effect on how patients are cared for.

How Should You Choose The Best Practice Management Software?

Don’t bother just trying to Google it and researching each one individually, hoping something will jump out at you. Making your selection process as effective, quick and stress-free as possible is a matter of knowing what your needs and expectations are, as well as the standards by which this type of software is measured.

Be sure to consider these 5 questions when researching potential practice management software solutions:

  1. How functional is it?
    Seems obvious, right? After all, the end goal here is in supporting your efforts to create a seamless, effective patient experience for each and every person you treat. You need to clearly lay out what you want, where you see room for improvement and the key functions that the software should carry out, such as:

    1. Clinical workflow to keep task completion on time and data accurate
    2. Scheduling capabilities to keep your patients informed of appointments and minimize lates and no-shows
    3. Billing, accounting, and other customer relationship management solutions
    4. Cloud-based functionality

  2. Does it integrate as you need it to?
    Just think for a minute about the varied range of software and hardware that’s in use at a given dental practice – shouldn’t a practice management software work seamlessly with each and every one of them?

    Before selecting a practice management solution, double check that it is compatible with the following:

    1. Digital imaging technology
    2. Patient communication solutions and marketing platforms
    3. File-sharing programs

  3. Will it support reporting efforts?
    As frustrating as it may be, modern healthcare involves a lot of reporting. Filling out, filing and storing reports. Given how central it is to your work, practice management software should help you manage the entire process, taking the following into account:

    1. A wide variety of report types
    2. The capability to sort and filter data within reports
    3. Provision of actionable insights

  4. How is the user experience?
    Again, a basic question to ask, but vitally important in determining the potential of a given practice management software. You and your staff will have to deal with this solution each and every day – the way in which you interact with it could be the source of endless stress and delays.

    Remember: the golden rule of a good user interface (and therefore, user experience), is that you don’t notice it. As soon as you do, that’s because it’s failing to work optimally.

    Be sure to consider:

    1. The ways in which you and your team will need to use the software
    2. How convenient it feels to use it
    3. How simple and intuitive the navigation and use appear to be
  5. Does it have viable support?
    Last and certainly not least is the quality of support. Regardless of what practice management software you choose, you will undoubtedly need assistance from the developer at one point or another. When that time comes, what will it be like?

    Don’t forget to get answers to the following key questions:

    1. What is the reputation of the software provider?
    2. Does the entire staff have access to support? Or just the admin/manager account?
    3. Are there training materials available?
    4. Is there support for your migration process from your previous software to the new one?

This may seem like a lot to consider but trust us, it’s vitally important in ensuring you end up with a practice management software that will do what you need it to. If you’re still unsure, then we can help – Rafiki is proud to provide computer services for dentists in Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary. We can ensure you find a practice management software that meets your practice’s needs.

Like this article? Check out Work From Anywhere Using Microsoft Office 365 Apps,  How To Use Keyboard Shortcuts In Quickbooks Pro, or 12 Things About Windows 10 You Don’t Know – And How They’ll Change The Way You Use It to learn even more.

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