In this day and age, technological help has been ubiquitously utilized in almost all spheres of life due to its undeniable advantage, especially in dealing with the complexity of managing tasks.
More specifically, it has become more complicated to manage a veterinary clinic without the help of Practice Management Software (PMS). This software supports the clinic’s operations, takes care of billing, manages schedules, and stores information about patients.
As a result of its outstanding functions, a PMS is a significant investment that requires thorough research before coming to the final decision.
Let’s go through some helpful questions to consider when opting for the right PMS to make the most of it.
1. Your Needs
Your investment is made to serve your purposes. So, make sure to choose a clinic management software in Australia that can collaborate well with your entire team to reduce manual errors, improve patient and customer care, and store more thorough information.
Hence, the first and foremost thing should be to list out all your needs when converting to a paperless clinic. A veterinary software should be supportive of the general workflow including scheduling appointments, creating invoices, and sending out client communications, reminders, and surveys. Besides automating functions, it is recommended to look for the marketing aspects of a PMS while choosing it for your clinic.
Check if the software has a robust database for storing your client’s information, medical records, and invoicing so that you can leverage it for the marketing of your clinic. On a management level, a PMS must be able to generate reports on key financial information for the practice.
2. Vendor’s Length Of Operation
There is a rule of thumb that senior software companies tend to possess more profound knowledge of the industry. Veterinary medicine is a niche industry, so the procedures followed by veterinarians are massively different from the human healthcare industry.
It might be that the longer a software has been in service, the more inputs and advancement it receives from various veterinarians around the world. Thus, software that has been around for a long time will be a better option to meet the depth of features that veterinarians need.
Also, a reputable company with longevity and stability is a preferable option to reduce any detrimental risks of losing a large chunk of data, time, and effort during the transition.
3. Innovation And Updates
It is always advisable to go for software whose latest version has been released not too long ago, the most appropriate time would be in the last 2-3 years. By doing this, your veterinary practice will be able to get access to the latest technology as well as any contemporary change in technology.
A reliable company will strive to make the software thrive by listening to users and incorporating their suggestions into the product. So check whether there are any improvements, i.e. acquiring new capabilities and performance advancements via regular upgrades.
Veterinary PMS vendors usually launch a new version of their software every 4-5 years. While launching a new version to the market, they also float the beta version of the software so that veterinary clinics can give it a try.
It’s a good idea to get a subscription to the beta version of the software, especially which comes free of cost. When the new versions of the software are released, you can stay updated to major upgrades in technology.
4. Data Backup And Security
Data is an important asset that must be protected against accidents, manual errors, or malicious attacks. Prioritize your data by choosing a software vendor that can implement a strategy to secure your network, protect software and operating systems, safeguard and recover data, and properly train your team on best practices for security. However, can businesses identify data privacy concerns and overcome them? The answer is yes. There is a a solution that exists to keep companies compliant, brands visible, and consumers in control of their personal information. You may visit a site like https://trustcassie.com/resources/blog/consent-and-preference-management-what-is-it/ for more info!
- Data Backup
Your data is your practice value. Hence, make sure your PMS can back up your critically important data every day on- and off-site to avoid any unwanted disaster.
Cloud-based software is being increasingly adopted by a majority of veterinary practices since it is more reliable, pocket friendly & flexible. Storing your clinic’s data in the cloud will reduce your hardware expense and provide your data more secure storage.
An advanced advantage of cloud technology is its flexibility and mobility. It can be conveniently accessed from any location, be it your clinic, client’s location, or your own house.
Cloud-based subscriptions are easily scalable, as adding new accounts in your veterinary software system for a new member is not a big deal at all. Additionally, upgraded storage which is more spacious for your growing patient database can be effortlessly provided by your vendor by just one call away.
- Data Protection
At the practice level, check if the PMS provides multiple layers of security and password protection, so team members can access what they need while still ensuring the safety of sensitive information.
At the professional level, make sure to arm yourself with profound information about the software vendor, including the information of the owner. It’s better to look for a reputable company with longevity and stability, as any sudden change or unexpected disappearance can be very disruptive to your practice. Choose a PMS provider that is transparent about your data to avoid the demons that can use it to compete against you.
5. Integration To Your Practice
Veterinary clinics use different reference labs based on the geographical location of the clinic, so it is advisable to check for the list of integration partners of a veterinary software before selecting it for your clinic. If the lab that you are using is in the list of partners, then you should go for it.
Furthermore, diagnostic images and lab results should be loaded automatically into the medical record for review. Therefore, check if the software integrates with the products and services you use.
Apart from two-way integration between the software and services operating in the practice, maintaining the integrity of clients should also be taken into account. In other words, your PMS needs to be flexible enough to take advantage of new technological functions such as telemedicine and client-facing apps. These options are crucial for the growth of your profession.
6. Support And Training
Trustworthy PMS providers will provide great initial training options as well as ongoing education for your team. There are even available online classes and webinars for new team members.
Make sure the software is backed by live training and dependable support to quickly address any occurring problems. Plus, tech support should be user-friendly, i.e. easily accessible by any team member without deep insight in IT.
7. A Long-term Cooperation
Buying veterinary software is a huge investment. What is more, your PMS will be your friend and can continue to grow and thrive as you do, therefore, take the time to consider all the elements that are essential to your practice.
An ideal veterinary software may be a challenging purchase, but its sweet fruit brought to the growth of your practice is worth your effort.