By Julie Duck

Software is anything but soft. It’s more of a hard reality that you need in today’s healthcare world to protect your livelihood and run your practice smoothly. It should ideally be as simple as just purchasing “software” to get you on your way, but it’s more complicated than that. There are several types of software to consider, such as documentation, billing, patient scheduling, and patient education, and whether you need all of them of just a few. Here is an overview of the different software available to make running your chiropractic office a more pleasant experience.

Documentation
Should an insurance auditor ever come knocking on your door, do you want to greet him with a handful of handwritten travel cards, or a sophisticated electronic file that can be sent with one click? In this day and age, electronic health records (EHR) are more than a convenience – they are a must for any healthcare practitioner who wants to stay in business. Having an EHR solution in place enables you to put invaluable information about patient visits at your fingertips, ready to send to those that request it. And with the coming government mandate that all heath records become electronic in January 2011, you are ahead of the game if you implement this kind of software today.

Additionally, make sure that your documentation software is HIPAA compliant – this means it will offer features such as data encryption and password protection to keep patient information from prying eyes.

Billing
If you’ve ever taken a good look at your office staff, you might see them growl, gripe and roll their eyes at the way you are doing your billing. Often a very tedious, but necessary task, billing can be a daunting experience in today’s world of codes, compliance and Mr. Insurance Man. Also, certain items that you should bill for could be missed because you are using old-fashioned billing protocols.

Billing software can come to your rescue, by automating payment requests, reminding you to bill for things you might not have thought of, and allowing you to get a good look at what your margins really are. Most importantly, your billing software should integrate with your documentation software, because billings that don’t match documentation can automatically send insurers on a witch-hunt – and you’re the witch. 

Patient scheduling
Which patients are in your

treatment rooms? How are they progressing through treatment? Do you and your staff know if a treatment room is already occupied? These questions, though they may seem simple, are best answered with the touch of a button. Not only will you be able to track these items, but you can also schedule the patient for follow-up visits.

Patient scheduling software is like the middleman between you and your staff, allowing them to know where you are, where your patients are, and whether a follow-up visit needs scheduling. Some programs feature instant messaging, so you can immediately send a note to the front desk if necessary. Billing and co-payment information is also available to help facilitate checkout.

Patient education
If you want your patients to better understand their condition and treatment plan, you should look into patient education software. Comprehensive yet easy to understand slides, videos and handouts help you to ensure patient compliance, and involve them more in their own healing and wellness. Additionally, you can use patient education software to promote products and services that you offer in your practice to increase revenue.

All-in-one solution
Software solutions that work together in a seamless fashion can make practice management a dream. This is why many manufacturers of chiropractic software offer separate modules that work natively with each other. Often, these modules are packaged as suites, providing you with an out-of-the-box solution to the many needs of your practice. You may also mix and match products from different manufacturers, but make sure they complement each other, as this is not always the case. A better solution is to obtain your software components from the same manufacturer, to ensure that the programs understand each other, thereby avoiding any unnecessary headaches.

Ready to buy?
If you are ready to buy software for your practice, start by investigating the various offerings on the market, request demonstrations whenever possible, and make sure the solutions fits your budget. Do not hesitate if it seems a little pricey at first, because down the road the optimal software solution will save you money – and help you make it, too.

Julie Duck is the former editor of Chiropractic Products and a healthcare writer with more than 16 years of experience. She can be reached by e-mail at juliechiro@cox.net.