When it comes to dermatology, your top priority is helping your clients achieve and maintain healthy skin. Whether you are treating acne, psoriasis or an unknown rash, your goal is to help alleviate the symptoms your client is experiencing. We know that seeing your client in person to assess their condition is most important. The business side of dermatologist practice management can be something that goes by the wayside.

One of the most important parts of effective practice management is making sure you are utilizing a practice management system (PMS). These systems can help position your dermatology practice for profitability, growth and optimal patient care.

What Are the Capabilities of a Practice Management System?

When leveraging a practice management software system effectively and efficiently, it can help improve your bottom line and improve workflow throughout your entire organization. By taking some daily tasks and transitioning them to your PMS, you’ll have more time to dedicate to your patients. CollaborateMD shares more ways a practice management system can help your practice in their blog Top 5 Benefits of Utilizing a Practice Management System.

When looking for the right system to effectively and efficiently manage your dermatology practice as well as your team, there are many functionalities to consider, including:

Operations

Some practice management systems can play a huge role in the operational side of your business. From compliance management to lab operations, using a PMS can help keep operational tasks automated, so you can spend more time with your patients and less on supply management.

Financials

Accounting and taxes, succession planning, billing services and accounts payable are some of the functions a good practice management system can take over for you. Not only will these operations be taken off your plate, but with your financials running through a PMS, you will be able to analyze your data to inform your decisions. Your dermatology practice could benefit from knowing trends like billing challenges or denial in payments.

Consider partnering with a consultant like JLP CPAs to put the financial data from your PMS to work for you. We have helped practices find ways to enhance profitability while streamlining processes or even automating the dermatologist practice management efforts your team has to do day-to-day.

Scheduling

The right dermatologist practice management system can take the hassle out of scheduling appointments, both for you and your clients. Some systems can let clients filter location, provider and time of day, to find the appointment time that best fits their schedule. Your clients will appreciate being able to see your availability, even when there is no one in the office to answer their call.

Patient Engagement

Remaining engaged with your patients can be one of the most important aspects of growing your dermatology practice locally, regionally or even nationally. A practice management system can send or even automate appointment reminders, after-visit surveys and reach out to patients who are due for a visit. These efforts give your patients the personal touch they are looking for when engaging with any practice.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the demand for digital payment options is on the rise in many industries. Giving your patients the option to pay online versus by mail or in-person helps your practice stay in the modern era. Digital payments are here to stay. You can learn more about the driving shift in Nextech’s recent blog on digital payment habits. 

2021 Best Practice Management Systems

Are you thinking a practice management system might be the right call for your dermatology practice? We did some of the work for you and found this year’s Top 5 Dermatology Practice Management Software Systems for 2021. Of those five systems, here’s what we’ve learned:

CureMD

CureMD has solutions for small to large practices, and the practices that are in between. With prices starting at $195/month, CureMD can handle your financial, administrative and clinical operations, and also has patient engagement tools. Learn more about CureMD by visiting their website.

Modernizing Medicine

ModMed BOOST can help with appointment check-ins/check-outs, manage billing and collections, view reports and more. Learn more about ModMed BOOST and their solutions on their site.

Patient NOW

PatientNOW’s PMS system features tools for inventory/point of sale, reputation management, photo management, scheduling and more. Read more about their PMS or schedule a system demo on their website. 

Nextech

With patient portals, revenue cycle management and integrated payment features, Nextech’s PMS has many capabilities to take advantage of. Find out more about how Nextech could be the right solution for your company.

PrognoCIS

With 18+ years of performance, PrognoCIS’s platform features claim creating and remittance, handling of workers compensation claims and more. Learn more about their award-winning system, and more on their website.

Electronic EHRs Are The Way to Go

If you are still using paper charts for your patient information, consider changing to a cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) system. Not only will this save you physical space, but your information will be more accessible and can even save you money on office supplies! EHR systems integrate well with practice management systems and often go hand in hand. From extensive clinical information to basic patent demographics, your EMS will hold important information on each of your patients. Your charts will always be backed up to the cloud in case of an emergency, too.

Your EHR needs will be different based on the size of your practice. EMR Systems shares some tips for small, medium and large size practices, as well as hospitals and enterprise organizations. It is also important for small to medium-sized dermatology practices to partner with a business consultant with experience in healthcare business management. Our team at JLP CPAs has spent years specializing in the healthcare industry to position dermatology practice's for success today and into the future.

Playing By The Rules

Finding the right practice management system is an important step in the right direction for effective dermatologist practice management. It is also just as important to make sure you are also paying attention to different industry rules and regulations and complying with them. Not sure what laws apply to your state? The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) uses an interactive map that will show you what applies to your area. They also have a collection of step-by-step guides for HIPPA, OSHA and iPledge. 

As you consider what practice management system will work best for your dermatology practice, be sure to try free demos, read reviews on each system and consult with an industry expert. Remember that your partners at JLP CPAs are here to help you understand and leverage the data your practice management system is producing. Our goal is to help you maximize your practice's effectiveness. Be sure to contact our specialized healthcare accounting team to learn more about how the team at JLP CPAs can help you manage your dermatology practice.