Is Your Chiropractic Software A Piece of Junk?
The word “Guarantee” is good, but No Regret is what you really want. I bought an iPad about three months ago and it is obsolete today. Sound familiar? Imagine if it cost $15,000? What if your software is obsolete in 3 years? Don’t believe that can happen? Things are changing faster than you think. I’ll come back to this. I am about to show you the how “owning” chiropractic software is not only a misnomer (Sales ploy used to make you “feel” good about spending your hard earned money) but one of the riskiest investments you can make in your practice. While companies promise you it protects you, it actually leaves you and your practice vulnerable. I will debunk the big fat myth that it costs your less money to “own” a chiropractic software, (which you actually never do), and show you how you can guarantee that you will not regret your software decision. We will discuss the REAL cost of the two main types of systems and pricing models. Web bases systems vs. Client Server (The one they say you “own”) Data Protection – The biggest lie told today is that somehow your data is safer in your office. It is it better to backup your data offsite regardless. It is useless without the software anyway. Just ask doctors who were in the path of Hurricane Sandy which is better. In the end I will show you how web based systems like, Genesis Chiropractic Software and Billing, pay for themselves and possibly even put some money back in your pocket. Price Comparison SaaS (Software as a Service) – Is a pricing model. Today it is usually reserved for software that is web based. In the past other chiropractic software used this model and charged upwards of $700 per month. They got away with it for years and eventually switched to the “purchase” model. SaaS charges a smaller monthly fee with little to no upfront fees. Let’s do the simple math Some systems on the market are as cheap as $12,000. Compare that to the cost of a SaaS product at $250 per month. $12,000/$250 = 48 month. In other words, at $250/month it will take 4 years before you pay the same amount! Read on and you will see how you can go from 48 months to 60, 100 or unlimited months. Meaning it will never cost you more than $12,000 to use a system like Genesis. But then I own it after 4 years! Really? Do you own the code? Can you tell the company what to build next? What if they go out of business two years later? More importantly REMEMBER the iPad… When you “purchase” you are not buying software, you are buying a license to use the chiropractic software. The company that supports that chiropractic software could be gone tomorrow. Big Difference. If that happens your license is useless. Unless you want to buy the code. I promise you, it isn’t cheap. When you “purchase” you still need to pay for upgrades. $50 per month. Subtract $50 from the $250 that SaaS offers since upgrades are included in the SaaS model (that’s the service part of Saas). With that factored in 4 years becomes 5 Years Remember the iPad. I know what you are thinking, I get upgrades. True you get upgrades. You can buy new computers and they will send you the upgrades so what’s the big deal. Here it is. There are actually 3 things you need to be concerned about. The hardware – That is the actual computer. Those will need to be replaced on an ongoing basis regardless of what type of system you buy. The software code – This is what words are in the code, if you will. In other words you can add new paragraphs to a document in the English language. With software more words equals updates. The system adds function, features etc. That is great. The language – The breath of options is limited to the language the software is built in. When you buy a software you buy it knowing full well that the language your system will be written in 5 years from now has NO Chance of being upgraded. The language is the language. The reason Google is so successful is due, in part, to the fact they are constantly evolving the language they use. It’s not just the words. The capabilities are increasing because the language is changing. Since they are also web based they can upgrade their systems and you don’t see they difference. Just amazing new function. This is the same with your practice software. Software you buy will be limited in just a few years as web based systems language AND code rapidly change. Not so with client server systems. So you are paying a fixed fee because the functionality is fixed in time with today’s language. Clearing House Fees -Included with Genesis billing – $50/month with other systems – Now it takes 6 years to pay the equivalent of other systems. Network Maintenance – With web based systems, computers do not need to be networked together. Only connected to the web. Other systems require a server and network which will cost $1,000-$2,000 to set up. ….. Figure another $50 per month for upgrades to hardware, maintenance for the computer guy to fix things when they break down, and down time….. 8 years easy. Are you betting static software language is going to be as cutting edge in 8 years? Data Backup Service – $25/month 8.5 years (included with web based systems like Genesis.) Peace of mind – Infinite peace of mind. Genesis data center was in the path of hurricane Sandy and experience zero down time. Some clients who lost their office where able to be back up and running instantly with a wireless laptop or iPad. The didn’t lose any data. Others weren’t so lucky. Now what if they paid you? Why not? SaaS systems have it built into their price to have a referral fee. We pay
Improve PVA With Integrated Posture Assessments
If you are looking for a way to improve the Patient Visit Average (PVA) and increase profitability as part of your “new patient” marketing efforts, you should consider using the posture assessment tools that are already integrated into your Genesis chiropractic EHR system. You will be able to impress prospective patients at health fairs and other marketing events with a visually effective, instant diagnosis via the PostureScreen App on your iPad, iPhone, or Android. Even more importantly, you will be able to collect and save their contact info in your Genesis patient data base at the same time. Since PVA is computed by dividing the number of total office visits by number of new patients in a chosen time frame, you can improve this value by increasing the conversion percentage of intro visits to care plans. The old adage that the eye buys holds true for the use of posture assessments because this visual tool lets a potential patient see any spinal misalignments for him- or herself and, therefore, ‘buy’ the diagnosis and need for chiropractic treatment. This type of patient education can increase the number of new patients resulting from marketing events while also improving first-visit conversions. The end result will be a higher ROI on your marketing efforts. The EHR integration ties everything neatly together by providing the opportunity to create a new patient file in your Genesis system within minutes or quickly update an old one while still with the patient. Any personalized results of the posture assessment can then be emailed to the patient for an opportunity to schedule a follow-up appointment or reinforce the patient’s compliance with a prescribed exercise program.
Is PVA BS for chiropractic?
A notable number of first time chiropractic patients never return for scheduled subsequent visits. This frequently occurs due to headaches, fatigue or even soreness perceived to be related to the initial visit. For this reason many chiropractors do not consider the initial visit the patient’s true first visit. PVA (total patient visits divided by total new patients for a given period of time) allows a practice to measure successful patient relationship management. It only makes sense to include patient education as an important ingredient for improving this metric. Having a system in place to directly improve this trend can have a notable impact on a clinic’s overall profitability. In today’s information age, more and more patients are taking an active role in their wellness education in hopes of better understanding their condition and the source of their discomfort or pain. Because of this many successful online resources catering to patient education across all medical specialties have come into existence such as WebMD, PostureCo and, on a more sinister note, misleading publications sourced from opposing medical specialties. Many patients have already googled their symptoms and researched any possible causes as well as solutions long before they actually set foot into your practice. Chiropractic, in general, faces more than its fair share of misguided opposition, generally sourced from “big pharma” and even the AMA. Because of this your clinic needs to be armed with compelling, easy-to-understand patient education of its own. Nurturing this natural curiosity in a positive way via patient education can therefore, improve the chiropractor patient relationship, first visit conversions and the overall Patient Visit Average (PVA). Not only can a high PVA lead to exponential growth for the practice, but it will also improve profitability since it is notoriously cheaper to keep a patient than to attract a new one. Patient education can be broken down into 3 major categories: Introduction to chiropractic, the clinic and the background of the doctor on practice website: New patients should generally gain an understanding of chiropractic as a whole and how it differs from medical treatment before they come to their first appointment. Featuring this information in a friendly and easy to digest way on your chiropractic website should help establish a basic understanding among new patients and reduce any misperceptions. It is also important to increase the level of comfort for new patients by showing them what the practice looks like, who works there and what the doctor’s area of expertise is in a brief intro video. Patient conditions & treatment via Posture Screen: When patients are shown educational graphics and videos about the cause of their pain and discomfort during their appointment they are much more likely to return for more treatments. Furthermore, patients will feel more motivated to follow a prescribed exercise plan via videos and clearly written instructions. As a result, these educational materials should also be emailed to patients via xDocs immediately after the appointment to reinforce patient compliance. Ultimately, these patient relationship management tools will also enhance a chiropractor’s credibility and built trust with his patients. Chiropractic lifestyle via blog, videos, newsletters, social media: Since chiropractors generally promote healthy lifestyles and injury prevention they can provide valuable information to specific patient personas in daily or weekly blogs, videos, newsletters, and social media posts. It is imperative to avoid sales pitches though and focus completely on educating patients. This may also lead to referrals when existing patients share this useful content with their family and friends. Ultimately, patient education must be delivered across all 3 major categories to realize its full potential. This approach to PVA has been and will continue to be a game changer for those that embrace this patient education model in its entirety.
Useful content vs. white noise
Knowing the difference between white noise and useful content for your target audience will basically determine the level of marketing success you can achieve with your Facebook fan page. Granted, one person’s trash is another individual’s treasure. Nevertheless, there are some lines that should not be crossed to avoid alienating potential as well as existing fans. What is White Noise? In social media terms, white noise can be defined as posts that fail to provide value to the receiver of the message. On Facebook, your fans, subscribers, and any member of your target audience are the receivers or your messages. As a result, they may either hide your status updates from their newsfeeds, or ‘un-like’ your page altogether if you pollute their news feeds with white noise. Examples of white noise on Facebook: • Sales pitches • Self promotion • Random updates lacking any relevance or value to your target audience What is useful content? In stark contrast to white noise, useful content helps your fans improve their lives in one or more ways. It adds value in form of advice, information, education and inspiration. In that sense, your status updates would show them how to do something better, solve a problem or reach certain goals. Needless to say, it makes sense to share tips that relate to your area of expertise. Examples of useful content on Facebook: • Tips on nutrition, health, wellness • Education on chiropractic treatment options for a specific health issue • Information about upcoming events, special offers at your practice Focus on what’s in it for your fans and give them a good reason to let your updates become a contribution to their news feeds.
Improving documentation efficiency can double your clinic’s income
What are your documentation costs? Creating compliant chiropractic SOAP note documentation costs the average chiropractor $2.50 per minute according to salary.com and chiroeco.com. When considered as a per minute rate only, this does very little to stir a clinic owners emotions. However, if we take that insignificant amount of $2.50 and multiply it by the average time a chiropractor spends documenting each visit (5.78 minutes when done in office) the number quickly grows to $14.45. If we then take that number and multiply it by the average number of monthly visits for US based chiropractors (537) our previously inconspicuous number now begins to take shape in the form of $7,759.65. Multiply this number by 12 and we end up with a figure just south $95,000. Now for the emotional climax compare this $93,115 in annual documentation cost to the average income of a US based chiropractor which was $133,155 for 2012. Genesis chiropractic software users can create fully medicare compliant SOAP notes in 15 seconds. How much is your current method of documentation costing you?
The “Big 5” areas of chiropractic clinic performance | How do you rate?
Chiropractic Clinic performance can be broken down into five major categories. Although many clinic owners generally perform well in a few or even most of these categories it is difficult to quantify just how good, good is. It is even more difficult to determine exactly what changes need to be made to capitalize on this success or more importantly, how an owner should address suffering areas of performance without disrupting the success in the other areas of Chiropractic Clinic performance. All too often owners are faced with decisions regarding the implementation of new solutions be it a technique, methodology or even software. The big question is how will these new changes affect the overall bottom line of the clinic? Can they be quantified? The answer is ‘yes’ when it comes to matters of the patient life cycle and the tools used to see certain tasks to completion. Once you are aware of the potential lost revenue in these areas, the biggest opportunity for improvement will automatically become clear. The next step would be an analysis of your existing chiropractic billing and practice management system to determine if it is being properly utilized. In some cases additional training of your staff or for the software can eliminate a few problems. If there is no improvement noticeable in spite of your efforts it may be necessary to consider other options for improving your bottom line.
Are the majority of your insurance claims paid in under 20 days?
Claims need accuracy so selecting the right billing software for your chiropractic office is not exactly a walk in the park. You will no doubt find it difficult and painful precisely because it is one of the most important yet complex choices that will determine the fate of your practice. Just how are you supposed to pick the right one from hundreds of vendors who all present the same features while offering different solutions? One thing is clear: Choosing the wrong software for your practice can result in lower collections and increased operating costs. But fair play most definitely eludes this so-called game. Instead insurance payers keep complicating the already arcane process to further delay and reduce payments. Needless to say, the chiropractic billing software you choose for your practice needs to be capable of outsmarting and outplaying the payers without making your life more complicated. In other words, you have to be able to use the software effectively and competently even as new user. On the other side of the coin, the software needs to deliver on its promises of getting you paid faster and in full without any undeserved reductions by the payers. How NOT to select chiropractic billing software Telling good from bad is often not easy when it comes to software, especially without the opportunity to try it out. One sure way to pick the wrong billing software is to go about your search without any kind of order or clearly defined priorities, which in turn exacerbates the difficult process. The end result will no doubt be buyers’ remorse fueled by your dreadful experience and anxiety when trying to actually use the “blindly” picked software. Make no mistake– no chiropractor will feel motivated to implement new software that gives him and his staff a major headache without even producing any benefits, such as faster payments. To make matters worse it might even increases your operating costs due to wasted time with the software, placing you back at the start of the vicious cycle of poorly managed selection and failed implementation. How to select the RIGHT chiropractic billing software Now that you know what to avoid when selecting chiropractic billing software, let’s look at how to figure out which features determine a winner by using a systematic billing software selection process that adds order, prioritizes the selection process, and establishes quantitative selection criteria that enable meaningful product comparison and orderly implementation. Here are four key software selection criteria you should use: Functionality Quality User support Ease-of-use. Each of the four criteria is a necessary component for any software selection process. For instance, if the functionality is lacking, you will need to find an alternative solution. If quality is subpar, you will not be able to accomplish your goals, even if the software has all the needed functionality. If the software is not easy to use – who in your office will be able to use it? Finally, without solid user support, your software will fall out of step with continuous changes in the billing industry or your team will not be able to receive the needed help. Functionality Functionally, it’s convenient to look at billing software along the three tiers of sophistication. Basic chiropractic billing software capabilities: document a claim in a superbill scrub it submit it to a payer post a payment provide basic AR report Advanced chiropractic billing software capabilities: posts the payments automatically creates the secondary and tertiary claims as needed added features like inventory control, scheduling capabilities, and customized forms Most advanced chiropractic billing software capabilities: Straight Through Billing process: vast majority of claims are processed entirely automatically software discovers problem claims routes problem claims to experienced staff for resolution tracks the problem resolution process Ultimately, you will get the most features and capabilities with the most advanced kind of chiropractic billing software. But if you do settle for less, at least make sure you pick the best vendor offering the features you most desperately need for running your practice effectively and successfully.
Is your chiropractic website about you or the patient? | Understanding patient personas
“Does your organization (chiropractic clinic) offer great services? Well get over it! Marketing is not only about you. The most important thing to remember as you develop a marketing and PR plan is to put your services aside for a little while and focus your complete attention on the buyers of your services (your patients).” – David Meerman Scott. Devoting all of your attention to your prospective patients and away from the services you offer is difficult for many chiropractors, but it always pays off in the form of bringing you closer to achieving your new patient goals. When it comes to your website, what is the first thing a prospective patient see? Is it a complicated mix of fancy chiropractic terminology? Is your home page or most of your site’s content filled with “BS” words like “subluxation”, “Q-lasers”, “Dorsal/Thoracic” and “Sacrum” or is it focused on patient conditions such as headaches, lower back pain, poor sleep quality, dependency on pain medication or poor mobility? If you are guilty of using this outdated “it’s all about me” approach you are not alone. As a matter of fact, you would have do heavy searching and investigation to find a member of the chiropractic community whose site didn’t fall victim to this self-centered marketing approach. For those of you reading this, thinking to yourselves, “I don’t fall into this category,” because you have some small portion of text on your site that says “It’s all about the patient”, think again! The only one buying that line is you. We, as a society, have learned, “If you have to say it, then it probably isn’t . . .” A patient persona would basically be a characteristic or condition you use to organize the different types of patients your clinic focuses on treating. When patients search for solutions or information regarding a condition they aren’t typically looking for specific techniques and often times are not looking for chiropractic services at all. To build a website that is a functional part of your marketing strategy you must first focus on the prospective patient experience. You may have multiple techniques for helping a patient eliminate chronic headaches but is your websites content geared toward attracting this type of patient? Creating an online experience that is focused on the patient’s condition and the problems this condition creates makes it easier for your target patient personas to find you. A truly patient-centered site should speak to the patient in a special way; a way that makes him feel that you truly understand his condition and the impact it has on his life. By doing this you are creating a feeling of trust and authority and only after that will your attempts to educate the prospective patient on the techniques you use and the technology you possess be well received. Creating a site that is centered around the patients condition lets potential patients know right away that they are at the right place when they do find your site. Once your prospective patients have found your site by searching for solutions to a specific condition you can further enhance their website experience by showing that you understand the problems their condition may cause in their lives, offer persona specific testimonials and last but not least talk about you and how you have the experience, technique, tools, staff or facility needed to give them back the life they used to have.
Genesis Chiropractic Software and Billing Integrates with PostureScreen Mobile
PostureScreen and Genesis Chiropractic Software and Billing, both CBP® Preferred Products, integrate to add mobile phone application dimension to practice management, patient education, and billing. Now with one touch of the screen from the iPhone, iPad, or Android application, the PostureScreen® Mobile report and images are instantly uploaded to the patient account inside Genesis! This integration is available to all Genesis/Billing Precision clients and PostureScreen® clients at no extra charge! Click the image below to request an email with step-by-step instructions. Start using the integration right away. Watch a video of the integration! Dr. Joe Ferrantelli and Dr. Brian Capra Filmed at the Ideal Spine Institute, CBP headquarters in Eagle, Idaho. https://youtu.be/8sIHrzS7Gh Dr. Jason Haas’ Testimonial More information on the integration View the full official press release here: http://www.prweb.com/releases/Chiropractic-Software/Billing-CBP-Posturescreen/prweb10012113.htm
How to Put a Chiropractic Software Disaster Recovery Plan In Place For Your Office
https://youtu.be/WfD8PSijCAc I am writing this Disaster Recovery Plan blog soon after Hurricane Sandy devastated the north east. Our data center experienced ZERO down time during the hurricane and in the time after. The storm forced me to think about what my clients were experiencing both in the local New Jersey area and for our clients around the country. I realize: Our clients and potential clients are unclear as to the advantages of using a web based system. There are many misconceptions as to the stability and reliability of a web based system. Lastly, while there are ways to ensure that your practice can be up and running immediately, even with a loss of power and internet, many clients did not have a plan in place nor the materials needed to make this happen. My goal is to help clients and non clients of Genesis, choose the best practice management software platform as well as put a plan in place for ZERO down time. There is a three step process you should go through set up a successful disaster recovery protocol for your office to ensure zero down time in an emergency situation. The videos below outline 4 main risks and how each risk is mitigated by both web based and client server systems. Identify the potential risks of each Determine how you will counteract each risk. Choose a web based system or a client server based system Risk #1 – Loss of Network Connection https://youtu.be/5P3ttfESm1c Risks 2, 3, 4 – 2. Data Loss Protection 3. Loss of Power 4. Data Center Down Time https://youtu.be/MllujKa_nEo
