What is practice management software?

Everything you need to know about how practice management software can improve your private healthcare practice

What is practice management software?

Practice management software refers to the software used by healthcare practices to carry out all the tasks required in the day-to-day work of providing medical care. 

A practice management software supports administrators, practice managers, and other administrative staff in the work of practice management. Various digital tools and software integrations help streamline daily tasks and make practice work more efficient. In order to run a successful private healthcare practice, having good practice management software is crucial.

Find out how practice management software can take your business to the next level!

What is practice management?

Before we see how practice management software can transform your healthcare business, it is important to first understand what practice management involves.

The term 'practice management' refers to the process of organising and completing administrative and business tasks in a healthcare or medical practice. These tasks can include:

• Business planning
• Appointment scheduling and calendar management
• Managing staff
• Ensuring regulatory compliance
• Invoicing and financial management
• Client communications
• Paperwork processing - e.g. patient pre-consultation forms, doctor’s notes, referrals, labs, follow-ups, etc

Many practices employ a practice manager or medical secretary to oversee these tasks and manage administrative staff. For this person, practice management software is a tool that enables them to do their job to the highest standard. 

Why do you need practice management software to run a private healthcare practice?

Nowadays, very few healthcare practices would be able to provide good patient care without practice management software to support them. High demand for appointments, a lack of resources (staff, clinicians, etc), and the complicated nature of healthcare, means that practices are often stretched to the limit and overwhelmed. A good practice management software will facilitate and enhance every aspect of practice operations with streamlined digital processes and high-tech integrations.

Reduce paperwork with online forms

Reduce the amount of paperwork staff and clinicians deal with by using online pre-consultation forms, pre-configured letter templates, and integrated doctor's notes. No need to spend hours manually uploading and organising paperwork any longer.

Reduce workload with automated systems

Payments integrations in a practice management software send automated invoices and patient reminders, saving time and effort on behalf of staff. Pre-consultation forms are sent at the time of making an online booking. They are then automatically uploaded to the patient's electronic health record in their patient profile, ready for the clinician.

Improve patient care

Provide more personalised care and improve the patient experience with SMS and email communications for patients. Other online health features such as video consultations and e-prescriptions bring healthcare directly to the patient and offer greater flexibility and ease during treatment.

Improve efficiency and organisation of the practice

Send patients automated appointment reminders to dramatically reduce the chance of no-shows. Use the calendar management and practice overview to keep track of scheduled appointments and ensure the practice is making the most of its capacity to see more patients, more efficiently.

Gain key business insights

Gain a deeper understanding of the health of your business with easily accessible business data, down to individual clinicians and different locations. Insights such as revenue, cash flow per appointment, patient demographics, and more, will help you create an effective business plan to grow your practice.

Read this article for 7 steps to writing your healthcare business plan

Why go digital?

The benefits of cloud-based practice management software go beyond assisting with the everyday function of a private healthcare practice. 

Remote access

With cloud-based software patients and clinicians can access the software from wherever you are with your unique login. Treat patients from anywhere with telehealth software, access patient data, and bring greater flexibility to healthcare.

Data protection

With cloud-based software, patient and practice data is more secure thanks to robust data protection measures of remote servers. Only those with a registered login can access the software, meaning that data is protected at every level. 

So there you have it, an overview of the functions and features of a practice management software and the benefits it will bring to your private practice. 

If you’re still curious, check out Semble’s blog for more information and real-life examples of implementing practice management software!