Practice Management Alert

Avoid spending a bundle for the wrong system with this expert advice

Medical practice management (MPM) software can improve your office's efficiency and effectiveness, but only if you choose the right system. Assessing your office's needs before you shop and knowing which of three system options best fit your practice are keys to success, experts say.
 
Learn Some MPM Basics The first question you-re likely to ask yourself is: Why would my office want to pay the high costs for an MPM software system? Here's why.

MPM software incorporates the day-to-day operations of a medical practice, allowing staff to capture patient demographics, schedule appointments, maintain lists of insurance payers, perform billing tasks, follow up on accounts receivable, and generate reports.

Important: MPM often encompasses electronic health records (EHR) systems. While some information in an MPM system and an EHR system overlaps--for example, patient and provider data--you-ll use the EHR system for assisting the practice with clinical matters, while you-ll use the MPM system for administrative and financial matters.

Most MPM systems are designed for small to medium-size medical offices. However, some of the software is designed for third-party medical billing companies and large central billing offices (CBOs). Be sure you determine the type of system your office needs and then make sure you-re not buying something that's too much or too little for your needs. Don't Overlook -Note- Feature Before you go system shopping, look carefully at how your office functions. Document processes and look for places, such as accounts receivable, where you can improve efficiency and quality. Then, look for an MPM software program that follows the same processes but provides you with the added efficiencies you-re looking for. Be realistic in the expectations and wants/needs your office has.

Ensure that the software system you select -can meet your operational and billing needs,- says Ron Sterling, president of Sterling Solutions Ltd. in Silver Spring, Md., a company that specializes in helping physician practices select and implement technology such as MPM systems.

Best bet: -Ideally, you want to operate a -paperless- billing system. Therefore, you will need places to store notes, insurance card images and other billing-related information and documents,- Sterling says. -For example, you may need a place to store referral authorizations from payers.-

Caution: Some programs may make your practice function inefficiently. One of the pitfalls a practice should look for when choosing a system is to not -overbuy,- says Ian S. Easton, PhD, past president of the American College of Medical Practice Executives and current department head of applied technology for Coastal Georgia Community College in Brunswick, Georgia.

For instance, getting the biggest, most expensive system with all the bells and whistles may prove inefficient for your practice by making things more complicated [...]