A practice management software provider has rebuilt its smart scheduling system to identify high-value patients so it can be scaled more easily. It is one of several changes for nextDoc Solutions, which was previously known as Rockhopper.
NextDoc Solutions should not be confused with NextDocs, a health IT business supporting clinical research compliance documentation that Aurea Software acquired last year.
What Keeps Healthcare CIOs Up at Night: Balancing Technology Investments with Consumer Expectations
When it comes to managing inbound phone calls, underperformance has devastating cost implications.
Practice management businesses have seen a lot of activity this year as physician practices look for ways to improve efficiency, reduce overhead, generate more revenue and comply with healthcare reform requirements.
In a phone interview with MedCity News, Dr. Jay Crawford, nextDoc Solutions CEO and founder, noted that the company had added a private investor. The company has also expanded its scope beyond surgical practices to include neuroscience, ophthalmology, dermatology. The Knoxville, Tennessee-based company has also produced two solutions — one to manage patient-driven appointments and another to manage referrals.
“We don’t think of this as a marketplace solution, It is cognitive-based scheduling,” Crawford said. “Margins have tightened on physician practices. By building both a patient interface and physician interface, we improve both sides — the patient experience and the overhead of practices and the revenue practices can generate.
One popular service health IT vendors have rolled out uses predictive analytics to help physician practices manage patient no shows, but Crawford emphasizes that’s not what nextDoc Solutions is doing.
Reducing Clinical and Staff Burnout with AI Automation
As technology advances, AI-powered tools will increasingly reduce the administrative burdens on healthcare providers.
He noted that the company is looking at value-add for practices and patients to ensure they meet with the most appropriate physician in the practice based on their needs. One goal is to reduce the amount of time patients and practice staff are spending on the phone to make these appointments.
“Our service won’t stratify someone out of the practice but to a different location, acuity, or service line. We will do that in a way that is much more convenient to patients and practices,” Crawford said.