Information technology has come a long way to add more, technologically value adding features to the health IT applications like practice management. While some of the physicians still consider practice management to be a mere tool for scheduling appointments. i.e. digitally standardized appointment book. However, the reality is, today the software itself has a lot to offer to physicians as compared to what it did a few years back.
It would not be absurd to claim that practice management has revolutionized the way physicians or physicians’ staff used to manage the workflows – including scheduling appointments. The digitization of patient information has allowed physicians to perform the tedious jobs with just a few mouse clicks. Today, some of the finest practice management systems are compliant with tablets – instantaneously simplifying workflow management within seconds. As mentioned above, practice management has come a long way from being mere scheduling books to provide extensively advanced features, it also allows physicians to bill patients, keep track of the insurance companies, and also generate important reports.
“From scheduling to billing to revenue collection, practice management helps a physician do it all by merely using a computer. All physicians have to do is make a few clicks, as the rest is done by the software itself”, says a Michigan based Health IT consultant.
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With the availability of cloud based practice management, physicians do not have to go through the hassle of buying or renting out servers. Some physicians think this poses a threat to privacy or security of patient information. However, fortunately, technological advancements have an explicit answer to this question as well. Practice management software allows only authorized personnel to access the information using uniquely specified credentials. This eliminates the chances of anyone or everyone accessing the software.
Moreover, practice management software empowers physicians with the ability to streamline the process of patient booking along with generating a list of priority. It then helps them to see which patient requires more attention. Another important component is that of billing. Physicians after completing the clinical procedures, through EMRs, can use practice management software to carry out the billing tasks. The aforementioned facts are a lucid delineation of how practice management software has evolved over time. From merely being an appointment book, practice management has now become a multi-tasking platform for physicians.
