Software: A View from the Inside By: Jennifer Lynn Behmlander Clinic Pro Software, Technical Support Specialist What if I told you that I know a way to considerably increase your income that doesn¼t involve more schooling, advertising gimmicks, or selling products you don¼t believe in? Sounds too good to be true, right? It doesn¼t have to be. Some chiropractors barely get by on their annual income, while others are a huge financial success. What¼s the difference? Sure, skill and technique is important. A large patient load is great. But if you don¼t have an efficient, organized office, you are likely to lose a considerable amount of your annual income, whether you are at the top or the bottom of the income scale. Strong, proficient management software can greatly increase the success of your practice. A good software program can speed up the process of insurance reimbursement, decrease duplication of work for your staff, put practice statistics at your fingertips, and decrease the time of documentation, just to name a few. However, with the thousands of software packages on the market, selection can be difficult and overwhelming. Furthermore, that¼s not what you went to school for. That¼s where I come in. I am currently a technical support specialist, and formerly a Chiropractic Assistant. I know about chiropractic billing and office management, and I know about computers. That¼s my job. This article and the installments to follow have been arranged to make your search for the perfect chiropractic management software easier. GENERAL SOFTWARE ATTRIBUTES User-friendly operation: One of the most important attributes of a software program is ease of use. You should be able to use common sense to figure out the main features of any software package. If you are having trouble after more than a few minutes, stop wasting your time. It is essential that the software be easy to master, because there is rarely an office that does not experience staff turnover. If it takes hours and hours to train your new staff on the software alone, your practice will no longer be cost-effective. Networkability: Whether you have or plan to have more than one computer in your office, it is important that the system be networkable. A network allows two or more people to work in the program at the same time. Your chiropractic assistant can be scheduling appointments at the same time that the insurance biller is transmitting an electronic file; with a computer in your exam room or your office, you can also be entering your daily patient notes. Think about itãevery minute that someone is waiting for his or her turn at the computer, your practice is losing time, thus losing money. The software should also feature record-locking, which prevents two or more people from editing the same information simultaneously. Imagine the problems that could arise without this record-locking function. Also, there should be no additional charge according to the number of workstations, unless hardware is part of the package. Buyer bewareãthis is a ploy of many software companies to make their price appear lower than it actually is. Speaking of priceä Price: It is very difficult to make a simple statement about a reasonable software price. Each package must be evaluated separately according to its specific features. Perhaps even more important than the base price are hidden fees. Many companies keep their base price low by charging additional workstation, upgrade, and clearinghouse-type fees, just to name a few. You should actively assess all charges, both for the original purchase and regular upkeep. Once you know the true price, compare it with what the program has to offer and go from there. Remember, the least expensive program is not always worthless, just as the highest price doesn¼t guarantee the best product. Support: It is important to know the staff that provide support for your software company. What kind of background do the technicians have? Have they worked in a chiropractic office and understand billing, or do they simply have a background in computers? A support staff should be able to do much more than „make your software work.¾ They should be able to assist you with billing problems common to the chiropractic specialty. The more they know about chiropractic, the more of an asset they can be to you, so take some time to get to know them. Once you begin to narrow down your choices, ask for a list of referrals from the top companies on your list. Getting the firsthand opinion regarding the support staff from another office with a similar specialty and location will give you the best possible idea of how your future with them will be. A little detective work will definitely pay off. Since software support is perhaps one of the most essential elements, there are many important things to consider: _ Do you receive a period of free support after purchase? _ Is there an annual support fee? If so, what does it cover? _ What is their method of trainingãdo they come to your office, supply training material, or are you expected to train yourself? _ When you call with a support question, do you get a machine recording or an actual person? _ How long does it take to get a response to your questions? _ Are your support calls limited by number or length? _ Is the support staff patient enough to work at your pace and cover the information you feel is important? _ Does the support staff understand the chiropractic profession and chiropractic billing? _ Are regular upgrades/updates to the program available in a timely fashion? In my experience, poor support is the number one reason for changing software, so save yourself a big headache by looking at not only what the software has to offer, but also what the support staff has to offer. ODBC Compliance: What is that? Open Data Base Connectivity (ODBC) is simply a type of format. Perhaps if you are currently considering changing software, you have thought about how you will get all of your current patient data into a new software program. The ease of this task is highly affected by the format your current software is in. If it is ODBC compliant, much of your patient information can be easily converted and transferred into other programs. However, if does not have this compliance, it could be difficult or even impossible to „crack the code¾ of your current software. In this case there can be only two results: remaining trapped in the current program or spending hundreds or even thousands of hours re-entering data that already exists but cannot be accessed. It is too late to change the compliance of your current software; by assuring that your next software is ODBC compliant, you have control over your future. I hope this summary of general software attributes will prove to helpful in your software search. Stay tuned for the following software selection articles: _ Software Integration with New Technology _ Managing Managed Care & HMOs with Your Software _ Billing: „Clearing Up¾ the Mystery of Clearinghouses _ Documentation: How to Create Better Reports in Less Time About the author: Jennifer Behmlander is a nursing student at Michigan State University and a technical support specialist for Clinic Pro Software. After graduation from Michigan State, she plans to continue her education and become a nurse midwife. You can reach Jennifer at (517) 351-1021 or by email at jenbeemer@yahoo.com.