Should You Switch to an All-In-One Patient Communication & Management Software?

Technology has always been an integral part of the dental industry. Innovative tech has helped push dental businesses to succeed as they can integrate new products and processes into their practices. The fact is: dental clinics are no longer simply, a service. They are now a commodity and your practice is a business. Therefore, you should do everything you can to make sure your business is profitable. Advances in technology have gifted dental practices with patient communication and practice management softwares.

Employing such solutions gives you an edge in the competitive world. They help you improve the customer experience and streamline business operations so that you get the relaxed sleep you deserve. In this article, we will cover what patient communication and patient management software are. We will also understand why you should use one software that gives you both functionalities.

Why should you use patient communication software?

Patient communication is a crucial component of dental practice since it is a determinant of clinic success. Plus, the same plays a major part in marketing strategies, as you can use customer data to tailor your strategies.

Let's look at what life is like without patient communication software. You type up customer data in an Excel sheet when you get the information. When you want to reach out to your patients for reminders or confirmations, call/text them individually. Moreover, customer segmentation using Excel is time-consuming and challenging. Plus, file keeping is frankly not the best part of the job.

With patient communication software, you can enter data easily by using an online form. Most software offer e-forms as part of their package that directly enters the data into a database. With a few clicks, you can set automated reminders/confirmations by call, text, and email. Additionally, some software will have online reputation/feedback management systems that will give you insight into your clinic's brand image.

Why should you use practice management software?

PMS or practice management software is a solution that helps you automate and streamline administrative and billing tasks. It includes services such as online bookings, client management, calendar management, online forms, payment processing, etc. A few companies even offer reports and analytics on your customer segments that provide insight into your target demographics.

Such softwares are crucial for dental practices since it helps you increase the efficiency of the clinic. Additionally, PMS is more secure compared to keeping files that are open to damage and theft. By streamlining everyday operations, you have more resources left to optimize other aspects of your dental practice. Moreover, it makes running a dental clinic easier, as most dental practitioners do not have business management training.

Why should you use a single software for patient communication and practice management?

1. Increased security for your data

Having everything on the same platform reduces access points. What does this mean? Fewer access points result in a higher degree of control over data. For instance, you have six entrances to your clinic. Consequently, it is challenging to monitor who enters, from where, and how they are exiting. If you have two entrances, then it is easy to control foot traffic and monitor who enters.

Similarly, having one platform makes it easy to monitor who accesses your data and from where. Therefore, making it easier to spot breaches, unauthorized access, or look up past data queries. Hence, you have data that is secure and controlled. Moreover, data security should be your topmost priority since you are in the medical profession.

2. Authorization control

This point is an extension of the first point. When you are using one platform, you only need to define authorization for that one platform. You will probably have to edit them once in a while during the promotion month.

When you have several solutions, you need to make 'access edits' in all of them and regularly check them. If you do not give access properly, your employees could not gather the data they need, resulting in delayed or incorrect services provided to clients. Hence, it is better to monitor one platform as opposed to monitoring several and complicating administrative procedures.

3. Reduction of duplicate data

When staff members use different software for different purposes, they end up creating duplicates of data. For instance, your clinic records name, contact information, residential address, medical history, and communication method preferences for all of your patients. However, you save personal information on the patient communication software and medical history in the practice management platform. Hence, you have duplicated some data as they exist on both platforms. Duplication of data reduces efficiency and may cause errors. Plus, data entry takes forever if you do not use online forms for data collection.

4. No integration is required and streamlined processes

By reducing the number of platforms you use, you are also reducing the number of technical problems you will have in the future. One of these problems includes integrations. Using one platform eliminates all integration problems, leaving you free to attend to your patients and your dental practice. Moreover, your staff needs to access several softwares to gather all the data on a single customer.

Overall, it is a time-consuming and mundane process you can otherwise streamline. You must prioritize the efficiency of the office so that you can deliver an improved customer experience. Plus, a reduction in complex processes will help your staff keep up morale on tough days.

What Does GrowthPlug Bring to the Table?

GrowthPlug is a practice growth and optimization platform to acquire new patients, raise reputation, automate front desk operations and enhance the patient experience. It combines the power of web presence management (that includes the website, social media, review sites, and ads) along with practice management tasks like scheduling, reminders, call tracking, etc. Get your 10 mins free demo by clicking on the link below.