Medical manager software buying advice

While modern medicine routinely takes advantage of high-technology equipment like MRIs and ultrasounds, many doctors are slow to adopt medical manager software. Even though basic appointment scheduling is a common fixture at medical reception desks, you should consider moving to full-fledged medical practice management (MPM) software to help boost the productivity of your entire office.

When buying a medical manager for your office, the first consideration is that it is 100% HIPAA compliant. To meet the strict security rules imposed by HIPAA, all software has to have security features built-in, such as 128-bit SSL encryption, mandatory log-in, and tracking of who accesses or edits sensitive data.

Another central consideration is how easy the software is to use. Even if it does everything you want it to and more, if it's not easy to use, it won't help productivity in your office. Most medical manager software companies can provide a demo version of their software for you to use – either online, or on CD.

Tip: have your receptionists and/or billing clerks try the software – they're the ones who'll use it the most, and they may have a different understanding of what's easy to use than you do.

Medical manager features
A medical practice manager system can help organize many parts of your practice. Appointment scheduling is one, of course. A good practice management system not only makes it easy to find available appointment slots and book visits, it can also print daily schedules per doctor or per exam room and send automated reminders to patients.

Tip: ask to see sample printouts of the schedules and reports that are important to you.

Medical manager software that takes on billing tasks is another popular choice. MPM software can take on many of your billing tasks, most importantly the electronic transmission of your claims to clearinghouses for payment. Electronic billing is a HIPAA requirement, but more than that it's an excellent way to speed up your collections.

Billing modules in medical manager software should also provide error checking, by reviewing your claims for accuracy, verifying diagnosis and procedure codes, and checking patients' eligibility for the claims you're filing.

Tip: find out how often the software is updated to reflect changing code standards.

Choosing medical managers
Don't judge a medical management system on the strength of the software alone – make sure you evaluate the company that stands behind the product, too. You'll come to depend on the medical manager for such a wide range of day-to-day activities that their support will be critical.

Talk to at least 4 to 6 medical management providers to find a company that shows all the signs of being a good long-term partner:

• Track record of success
• Familiarity with multiple types of practices, including your specialty
• Excellent customer services
• Competitive pricing – but not necessarily bargain-basement
• Satisfied customers as references
• Understand the medical practices, health insurance and billing, and software development

The best way to choose medical managers is to submit a free request for medical manager software price quotes through BuyerZone. We'll connect you to qualified providers – no obligation and no charge. You do the screening, you decide who to work with, and your medical office can be up and running on a new system in no time. You can also use our medical software provider comparison tool to review different products and services side-by-side.