5 Digital Services That Will Improve Your Practice
As a medical provider, you are probably familiar with the benefits of integrating digital solutions into your workflow. However, it can be difficult to determine which area of your business to upgrade first.
If you’re interested in the market for a digital healthcare service to streamline your healthcare business, implementing technological solutions for any of the processes below will improve patient experience and reduce staff workloads.
Patient Management
Delivering medical care is only one part of the patient experience. Private practices must also ensure that patients can easily set and reschedule appointments, go through intake processes, and access their health records.
Traditionally, patient records were physically transported from one practice to another. This led to numerous errors and omissions. For example, a filing error could lead to results entering the wrong patient folder.
With paper-based records, patient privacy protection is highly dependent on a specific practice’s protocols. Further, transferring and sharing information with other practices or patients required administrative work, such as making copies and sending faxes. These processes could also result in omissions, errors, or privacy breaches.
Digital patient management services negate all of the disadvantages of paper records by holding all patient data in a password-protected cloud-based system. Digitized portals can retain patient health data in one secure location.
Many of these systems also integrate scheduling software and allow patients to set appointments, request test results, and forward their medical records through the same platform.
Practices can further reduce physician and administrative workload by delegating some tasks to a virtual receptionist medical service. In-person reception staff can forward patient calls to live operators during busy periods.
This improves patient outcomes as clients are more likely to set and maintain their appointments. Outsourcing reception services also boosts a practice’s bottom line, as patients are less likely to return after a poor experience.
Billing Processing
Medical billing and insurance claim processing is a necessary, costly, and time-consuming task. A 2018 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that the average medical doctor spent nearly $100,000 per year on billing costs. If your looking for ways to cut your billing costs, you might want to consider hiring a virtual billing assistant.
Billing accuracy is essential for the financial health of your medical practice. Late payments from patients or insurers can disrupt your cash flow. Even worse, errors can lead to audits and fines.
Medical practices should consider investing in medical billing software. Digital solutions often integrate several processes, including insurance validation, coding, claims submission, and failed payments.
Billing and coding software can also review claims and identify possible errors. Data dashboards can track important figures for your business, such as revenue and account receivables.
Cloud Infrastructure
Medical practices must process and store large amounts of data. In many states, providers must retain patient records for a minimum of six years. Complying with these regulations can require a practice to invest in expensive servers or rent larger facilities to house paper records.
Transferring documentation to the cloud can save money, improve record security, and increase staff productivity.
Cloud storage is also resistant to disruptions. As data is stored off-site, localized issues such as blackouts or security breaches will not affect the entire system. This will make your practice more resilient and reliable.
Data stored in the cloud is also searchable. Physicians can obtain more complete patient medical histories, which reduces the chances of misdiagnosis or medication interactions.
Practices involved in research studies can also leverage cloud storage to hold data and analyze results.
Collaboration Tools
Medical practitioners often work in interdisciplinary teams, which may be spread out across the health care system. HIPAA-compliant collaboration software is a valuable tool for facilitating communication between physicians.
The most sophisticated tools are accessible on multiple channels. This means physicians can access data and send messages securely through a computer, tablet, or smartphone. When integrated with electronic health records and other patient data, digital collaboration tools improve patient care.
Treatment plans also require support from a patient’s caregivers and loved ones. Many collaboration tools allow providers to connect patient-approved users to the system. This can make it easier for family members to be involved in patient care. Family support is linked with higher rates of medical adherence and fewer hospital readmissions.
Marketing Services
Patients are increasingly using the internet to research and select their healthcare providers. Working with a digital marketing agency will ensure that your practice’s online presence can effectively attract new customers.
A solid content marketing strategy can help your practice build authority and gain client trust. You can engage potential customers by sharing valuable health-related information on your website and social media. Additionally, an advanced search engine optimization strategy will put your content in front of the right audience.
