Technology is constantly evolving and this is definitely the case when it comes to medical software. The medical software of a decade ago looks nothing like the software we have today. As a practice manager, it’s always good to be forward-thinking. This means planning for the future and thinking about any needs your business might have three, five or even 10 years down the track.
So what should you be looking for if you want to make sure your medical software will stand the test of time? Here are a few of the features that are likely to be in demand in the future.
Flexibility.
We’ve seen massive changes in the way we work over the last couple of years, and these changes look set to stay. For example, patients are used to being able to book telehealth consultations and speak to their practitioners from their homes. They’re also used to being able to schedule consultations out of regular clinic hours, in the evenings and weekends, so they can balance their other commitments. If you’re choosing a new medical software platform, make sure you find one that provides flexibility, so you can keep up with your patients’ changing expectations.
Integration with other apps and platforms.
As we increasingly rely on technology for different parts of our lives, it’s becoming more important that our different software platforms can communicate with each other. If you’re running a healthcare practice, make sure your clinical software can integrate seamlessly with your payroll and billing software, as well as your patient engagement software. If it doesn’t, it’s likely to slow you down in the future, which could even put you at a competitive disadvantage.
Data security
Cybercrime is becoming increasingly prevalent, especially in the healthcare industry. As hackers get more sophisticated, we need to improve our security to keep up. Whatever software you’re using, make sure it’s safe, secure and regularly updated. Generally, if you want to be as secure as possible, a cloud solution will give you the highest level of protection.
Serverless software
The days of everyone having an on-premise server are numbered. These days we’re seeing more and more healthcare practices move to cloud-based software. The cloud gives you greater flexibility, more security features and a reduced need for infrastructure. Because you don’t need to have a physical server, with the cloud you can run your practice from anywhere and access your clinical software from any device with an internet connection.
- Intuitive and easy to use
As technology develops, clinical software is getting easier and more intuitive to use. The easier your software is to use, the faster it will be for your employees to do their jobs. If your current software is slowing you down due to clunky processes and glitchy systems, it might be time to look at upgrading – you might be amazed at the difference it makes to your practice.
Are you considering upgrading your clinical software? Make sure you choose wisely and pick a platform that can roll with the changes and keep your business growing and thriving no matter what happens in the future.
