Allied health businesses have long grappled with the question of what is the best Practice Management Software for my needs?
Having assisted Occupational Therapy Australia to support their members with digital technology questions (ie telehealth) since the COVID-19 pandemic, assisted Allied Health Professions Australia with their Practice Management Software workshops, and leading a Telehealth OTs and Digital Transformation Facebook page of 1100 members, this is a topic I have keen interest and knowledge in.
I’ve heard that the answer is the make the most of whatever features your chosen Software Practice Management system offers. Whilst that may in one way be sage advice, I do think it stops short of being as helpful as possible, given there are some platforms that are in my opinion best to steer clear of.
The answer is unfortunately that there are no standout contenders on the market. There are well known options such as Power Diary and Cliniko, that many allied health professionals seem happy enough with, although I think they are quite pricey for what you get. Halaxy is the ‘go to’ platform for allied health businesses that want a free platform (ie they can choose to use the free version or pay for what they use), although the interface is a bit clunky. The question is, are you satisfied with being ‘happy enough’ or tolerating your current platform?
There are some up and comers in the market such as Splose and Pracsuite that can offer a lower price point, especially with some clever use. They have been around for a couple of years and are frequently improving the features their platforms have available. If you are happy to grow with them as their features grow, they may be a suitable option.
In terms of vision, I’d like to see a Practice Management Software that aspires to be like Zoho One, where it is an all in one software solution (ie almost anything you need to touch digitally is contained in the one platform). I’ve heard the issue with this is the increased risk of privacy breaches (ie due to the integrations) which may not work in the health space. I’m hopeful we can find some solutions for this and soon.
If you need assistance to make the most of the features of your Practice Management Software or to onboard onto one of the up and comers, please contact Succeed Practice Management today.
