Healthcare Software That Streamlines Practice Management and Improves Patient-Centric Care

Practice management at medical, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology companies should be centered around positive patient experiences. Patient-centric care delivers better health outcomes, and helping patients is, at the core, the entire goal of the healthcare industry. 

Technology is an essential component for building an approach that improves patient engagement and satisfaction. And since office managers run day-to-day operations, ensure healthcare processes are compliant in the practice, oversee staff coordination, implement communication strategies, and handle patient relations and feedback, they have the unique opportunity to implement technology that elevates the patient experience. 

Let’s explore how you can directly impact positive patient experiences, then dive into three tools that can help you streamline operations and focus on patient-centric care: Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems, appointment scheduling and patient management software, and telehealth platforms. 

Practice Management Affects Patient Care

In healthcare, efficient processes and timely communication are essential. Office managers can ensure their practice consistently meets these standards by aligning operation practices with their patients’ needs. When done correctly, this leads to reduced patient stress and improved patient-provider relationships.

But how can office managers do this, exactly? Let’s take a look.

How Office Managers Can Make a Positive Impact 

The first step is reviewing what is and is not working in the practice, which can be difficult to discern upon initial review. If you regularly collect patient feedback through patient experience software (like Press Ganey or NexHealth), online forms, or text message and email surveys, that’s a good place to start. 

Additionally, here are some specific starter questions to ask yourself and your staff: 

1. Are our patient processes efficient? From the time a patient contacts our practice to the time they check out, are there any steps that are arduous or clunky?
2. Is our patient communication engaging? Implementing automated text or email appointment reminders, visit follow-ups, and medication refill notifications can make communication smoother. Does our practice do this? Can we improve it?
3. How do we streamline administrative tasks so wait times are reduced? For example, having patients complete an online questionnaire or submit their insurance and identification information online before their appointment can cut down on office wait times.
4. Are our policies and practices patient-centric? Online appointment scheduling, secure portals to ask questions or review results, accessible visit summaries, and emergency hotlines or chats can help put patients in control of their health.
5. Does our practice foster a positive and welcoming environment? Patients are in a vulnerable state when they’re dealing with their health. The practice’s portals, website, and office must highlight a comfortable, approachable, positive team to every patient they interact with.

The answers to these questions will be unique to your team, but the one thing they all have in common is that technology plays a part in improving operations. So, let’s review a few software solutions that can streamline practice management.

Three Key Technology Tools for Healthcare Office Managers

Office managers are so intricately involved in each aspect of their practice, they have the power to make useful technology changes that significantly improve patient experiences. Here are three essential healthcare software tools you’ll leverage to make the patient experience stronger.

1. Electronic Health Records (EHR) Systems

First and foremost, securely digitizing patient health information with an EHR system, like Epic, Cerner, or NextGen, is essential. When each patient’s demographics, health history, medications, immunizations, allergies, lab results, and clinical notes are centralized, providers can design more personalized health plans.

Additionally, having all the information in one hub makes operations run smoother by increasing provider collaboration, simplifying referrals, creating better-informed decisions, lowering the risk of errors, and decreasing redundant entries. All of which contribute to better patient experiences. 

2. Appointment Scheduling and Patient Management Software

Next, patient management software like NexHealth, AdvancedMD, or SimplePractice can simplify the process of scheduling appointments—for providers and patients. When appointments can be managed online by patients, office staff can be fully present for patients in the office.

Plus, this type of technology makes it convenient for patients to review providers and their specialty, find open appointment times, submit paperwork, communicate with their healthcare team, and provide feedback. These features contribute to more efficient practice management, enabling healthcare providers to focus on what they do best.

3. Telehealth Platforms

Finally, virtual healthcare is here to stay–and it’s no wonder why. Telehealth tools like Healthie, Doxy.me, and Zoom for Healthcare make care accessible to more people. Online appointments can be more convenient for non-emergency situations and reduce the spread of germs when patients are contagious. 

It’s so much simpler for a patient to hop on a secure video call to chat with their provider than going to an office for an appointment or check-in that will take less time than commuting would.

Join ASAP for more free resources!

Technology will continue to advance in every field, so it’s important to stay up-to-date on new software, implementation strategies, and discoveries. And we’ve got you covered with lots of technology tips and tools.