Most healthcare technology news these days revolves around electronic health records (EHRs). With meaningful use initiative deadlines looming and EHR software functionality issues coming to light, it’s no wonder they grab so many headlines.
There are a number of other technologies, however, that deserve to be just as newsworthy.
More new tools for healthcare IT and medical practice management are developed every month. There are plenty of devices and systems you could purchase today to make immediate, positive changes to your practice’s workflow, but the EHR-news overload might be keeping you from ever learning about them.
This article is the first in a four-part series highlighting the best non-EHR technologies you may not be taking advantage of yet. The Power Your Practice “Other” Tech stories are going out on Tuesdays in January.
Appointment-Setting Made Simple
Most administrative professionals would agree that traditional scheduling and confirming methods are outdated and inefficient, but phone-heavy appointment routines remain commonplace.
Some impressive new practice management solutions lighten the phone load of appointment settings. Online appointment request features for patients and email communication options are incorporated into the best of these new software.
If you’re shopping for a new system, look for one that also makes things easier for your front desk employees. Calendar-based interfaces enable drag-and-drop rescheduling, which eliminates the time wasted searching for open schedule times, deleting planned visits, and re-entering patient data in new time slots.
Automated appointment confirmations can also keep your staffers from wasting time on the phone. Patients can indicate during registration which method of confirmation – text, email, or phone – they’d like to receive. Then, when their appointments get near, the systems notify them automatically.
A study from the Internet Journal of Healthcare Administration found that practices realized a 36% decrease in patient no-shows by implementing email and text appointment reminders in their scheduling system.
By communicating with patients in the manner they prefer and enabling quick, efficient scheduling, you’re more likely to get your patients in the door for their appointments.
What system do you use for scheduling?
Check out the second story in the “Other Tech” series, which highlights the advantages waiting room check-in kiosks can have on your patient flow.
Madelyn Young is a Content Writer for CareCloud and an expert on practice management, medical billing, HIPAA 5010, ICD-10, and revenue cycle management. You can read her work on Power Your Practice and the CareCloud Blog. Contact Madelyn with story suggestions, contributor articles, or any other feedback at madelyn@poweryourpractice.com or follow her on Twitter @madelyn_young.
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