Client Management Software: Everything You Need To Know

When we think about the healthcare industry, we tend to only discuss the medicine. Even our pop culture reflects this idea. Think of popular doctor shows like ER, or Grey’s Anatomy, and how much they talk about the administrative aspects of running a clinic.

In reality, hospitals, clinics, psychological practices, and pretty much every mental health institution would crumble to the ground without its administrative branch. Tasked with a lot more than saving institutions money, they play a vital role in protecting patients as well.

In this article, we consider how patient and client management software can help protect privacy, improve quality of care, and encourage better health outcomes.

Before you jump in, we recommend you try our $1 trial for a full month of access to all Quenza’s therapist-friendly blended care tools. Our online psychotherapy software will help you design more client-centered patient journeys that keep your patients engaged, while maximizing their mental health gains for a better quality of life.

Client Management Software: What Is It?

Client Management Software (or, as it is also called, customer relationship management – CRM) is a client solution that covers a broad set of applications designed to help businesses with all of their needs in relation to their clients.

They can include CRM features such as:

• Customer data functions
• Communication platforms, such as are used in video therapy
• Streamlining contract capabilities
• Customer support systems
• Marketing automation tools and
• Other customer interaction functionalities – such as claims management or Electronic Medical Records (EMR).

Client Solutions in the healthcare sector serve a similar purpose. Here, however, their functionalities are rather different because they are focused on providing a digital patient overview. As a result, they often handle very sensitive information.

Client Solutions in the Healthcare Sector

There are a few more notable differences between the two.

Notably:

• Healthcare CRMs are built to work specifically in the healthcare sector. Healthcare practitioners should not use generic client software, as these may not have the necessary features a healthcare institution needs for managing patients.
• Healthcare CRM must be HIPAA-compliant because they handle personal medical information of patients. HIPAA-compliance signals increased security and encryption of data.
• Healthcare CRMs streamline processes specific to the medical industry, such as patient scheduling, or billing software.

The Benefits of Healthcare Client Solutions

The most notable mention of a digital client system in the healthcare sector comes with a 1991 report published by the Institute of Medicine called The Computer-Based Patient Record: An Essential Technology for Health Care.

In the report, the authors make a strong case that the future of healthcare, at least when it comes to patient management, is digital.[1]

It will take some time for health institutions to jump on the bandwagon, but these days digital client solutions are increasing in popularity. Already, a wide range of blended care solutions is available for practitioners, such as:

• General practice management software – handling, for instance, staff salaries, invoicing, insurance claims, and other logistical aspects
• Mental health software tools – helping with practical aspects of therapy, like designing interventions and treatment plans
• Solutions solely designed for health record-keeping – such as Electronic Health Records (EHR), or
• General client management software – like note-taking systems, coding tools, and document storage solutions.

As our screengrab shows, client management software like Quenza makes it easy to design patient-centered experiences from start to finish, with individualized client activities, homework, and interventions.

Let’s consider some of their most crucial practitioner benefits.

Improved Workflow

The most valuable benefit of this client software is their ability to improve workflows, as many of the processes that used to be done by hand, one by one, can be now done automatically, sometimes even in bulk.

Patient information can be, for instance, instantly updated because many management software allows EHR integration. Additionally, information can be stored and secured, and access can be given only to authorized parties.

Scheduling, rescheduling, billing, and even communication between the institution and the patient is also improved.

Better Quality Patient Care

Large healthcare organizations don’t necessarily deal with the lack of human resources like smaller practices do, but either way, these patient solutions can provide better patient care for both.

For a smaller practice, it means healthcare providers are less burdened with administrative tasks than they used to be. Additionally, any person they hire to take care of these issues can have a much easier time doing the job properly, as these systems are easy to use, and have an intuitive interface. As a result, the training time is reduced.

For both small and large practices, these programs can diminish the risk of administrative mistakes potentially putting the patient at risk.[2] When data has to be introduced manually, something as small as forgetting to write down a medication the patient is mildly allergic to can result in human and legal consequences.

For both small and large practices, client management software can diminish the risk of administrative mistakes potentially putting the patient at risk.

Enhanced Patient Outreach

These patient solutions can also help the practice in their marketing efforts, as well as the dissemination of medical information. Doctors can communicate with patients in-between visits, deliver appointment reminders that reduce no-shows, or send out information that may be interesting to a particular patient.

Outreach can be as simple as sharing patient feedback forms, as we’ve used Quenza’s therapy forms tools to illustrate, or strategically focusing your efforts, segmenting your patients based on certain criteria you choose.

Based on those criteria, practitioners can send patients useful information to increase their engagement. It can be interesting articles on an issue that is relevant to them or messages engaging patients you haven’t seen in a while to get them to re-engage.

Increased Security

Data breaches are an increasing concern in the digital age, and the healthcare sector is one of the most affected industries in this regard, with roughly 18% of all breaches registered between 1st January and 20th June 2019 being in the healthcare industry.[3]

Client applications for the medical sector often offer improved security by encrypting sensitive information.

In other words, the data is unreadable by outside parties, and only readable to those using the program.

Additionally, these programs are also HIPAA-compliant, which is a major reason why healthcare institutions should never resort to regular CRM software for managing patient information. Healthcare CRM or EHR must adhere to federal legislation regarding patient information for legal purposes.

Greater Patient Satisfaction

At least thanks to some features of client software, patient satisfaction can also increase. Healthcare CRM can greatly improve communication between patients and their doctors, reduce waiting times, and allow them to receive important medical information fast.

These are all factors that can lead to a happy patient who will continue to visit the practice.

What Does the Research Say?

Client Solutions in the healthcare system can be diverse in terms of what they can do.

Bearing in mind some of the benefits previously outlined in this article, though, let’s take a closer look at some studies into the topic. According to the research:

• Digital healthcare technologies may help improve patient health outcomes – One small study of 68 participants found that client software lead to a significant weight reduction when information about the patient (the medical info) was combined with tracking data on physical activity[4]
• Patients can be positively encouraged to use e-health systems, but this in part may be explained by the patient’s own attitude on the technology[5]
• Most health care professionals claim their decision to either adopt or reject a client management system has to do with message security. They value an application that can effectively allow them to communicate with patients without compromising their privacy[6]
• In terms of scheduling, patient’s reluctance to use a web-based or app scheduling is linked to previous experience using such technology, and communications preferences[7]
• Though there are still limitations of these software systems, nearly 86% of practitioners and institutions had adopted an EHR or other client system as of 2017.[8]

So, what do these studies tell us?

While the technology behind client software changes every day, we can expect it to improve even further in the following years, the evidence that we have now on the subject seems to strengthen the idea that these applications have an added value to the healthcare industry.

Client Software to Consider

The client software that will end up being incorporated into the practice ultimately needs to have a set of features that can truly help with the administrative tasks of patient management.

Here are 5 top examples of patient software to consider:

Software	Details
	Simple Practice is designed as a solution for most administrative needs of a health practice, including patient management. It’s primarily targeted at smaller organizations in the health and wellness sector, making it perfect for therapists, psychologists, social workers, nutritionists, doctors, and others. This application comes with a clean interface that is easy to use and can easily be learned even by new staff members. It’s designed to allow you to go paperless within your practice. Main features include: Billing, payments, and invoicing Medical history records, e.g. EHR and EMR Referral management Client notes HIPAA-compliant communications Treatment planning Appointment scheduling Patient portals Insurance verification Secure client messaging Intake and informed consent forms Telemedicine features such as secure video conferencing.
Name	SimplePractice
Price	$39+ monthly
Good For	Practice Management, Video Conferencing, Scheduling, Claims Management, EHR, EMR
Website	https://simplepractice.com/

Software	Details
	Intelligent Medical Solution (IMS) from Meditab is designed to be suitable for healthcare practices of various sizes and specialties, with a particular focus on pediatrics, primary care, and pain management. The product allows practices to streamline their workflow with this patient solution that handles pretty much all administrative tasks most essential to health care practices. Main features include: Billing, payments, and invoicing Medical history records (EMR and EHR) Referral management Client notes Calendar and schedule management HIPAA-compliant communications Patient records Treatment templates and planning capabilities E-prescriptions Forms management Marketing functions Client interactions
Name	Intelligent Medical Software
Price	$199+ monthly per user
Good For	e-Prescriptions, Practice Management, Scheduling, Video Conferencing, Marketing, Treatment Software
Website	https://www.meditab.com/

Software	Details
	MyClientsPlus caters to specialists in mental health, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy primarily, though the software can successfully be used by other types of health organizations as well. The reason it focuses primarily on these sectors is its therapy note templates – it offers over 200 of them, designed by professionals to help specialists take notes much more efficiently, thus saving time and having this data automatically added to the patient’s file. Other features include: Billing Invoicing Patient notes Calendar management HIPAA-compliant Treatment planning Patient records Secure messaging Video consultations No-show tracking Recurring appointments
Name	MyClientsPlus
Price	$24.95+ monthly per user
Good For	Claims Management, Billing, EHR, EMR, Scheduling, Practice Management
Website	https://www.myclientsplus.com/

Software	Details
	Ultra Charts is primarily a practice management system with integrated client solutions. This tool is fit for practices of all sizes and can improve efficiency in terms of administrative processes. Additionally, Ultra Charts can also be somewhat customized based on the particular needs of the practice, as well as integrate other software the practice may use to gather all relevant data of the patient or organization under one singular interface. As such, it’s also a great therapy software solution. Main features include: Claims management EHR EMR Billing Patient records Scheduling Patient portal HIPAA-compliant E-prescribing Inventory management No-show tracking Multi-office
Name	Ultra Charts
Price	$600+ monthly per user
Good For	Scheduling, e-Prescribing, Billing, EMR, EHR
Website	https://www.americanmedical.com/

Software	Details
	Quenza helps therapists design beautifully engaging client-centered experiences from the ground up. Starting with their own mental healthcare solutions, practitioners can create and share online interventions, coaching, and treatments that are individualized to suit different patients’ needs, enhancing engagement and satisfaction. The software offers simple-to-use, beginner-friendly drag-and-drop form builders for quizzes, intake forms, assessments, and more on a HIPAA-compliant platform, making it easy to design feedback surveys, patient experience questionnaires, and contact information documents. Features include: Private client portal Custom Activity builders Automated Care Pathways Real-time reports and results overviews, and A GDPR- and HIPAA-compliant system Quenza’s private patient portal allows clients to access Activities and forms on their Android or Apple phones, and all feedback is instantly viewable by therapists who can modify treatments and programs accordingly for a more personalized therapy experience. The app also gives a centralized place to store client profiles, with information that can be used to improve the practice.
Name	Quenza
Price	$1+ monthly
Good For	Client Engagement, Client Management Software, CRM, Treatment Planning, Online Psychotherapy, Video Coaching
Website	https://quenza.com/

Software	Details
	Docta is another practice management software that can help streamline most administrative processes in small to mid-sized practices (large health care institutions may not have the same benefits, however). It is designed for doctors, cardiologists, family practitioners, dermatologists, and other healthcare specialists. The software aims to automate most practice tasks such as billing, electronic insurance claims, or the appointment process, thus easing the task load of administrative workers. It also offers client solutions. Main features include: Claims Management E-prescribing EMR/EHR HIPAA-Compliant Insurance Eligibility Verification Inventory Management Multiple office usage Usage by multiple practitioners Billing Patient Portals Patient Records Client Registration Appointment Scheduling Practitioner Scheduling
Name	Docta Software
Price	$249 one-off payment
Good For	EHR, EMR, Claims Management, Billing, Patient Portal. Practice Management
Website	http://www.doctasoftware.com/

Final Thoughts

The needs of your practice and patients should constitute the primary factor you consider when choosing a digital patient solution. If the whole point is to improve their engagement, prevent mistakes, and have more security around their personal information, then you already have three main criteria on which you should base your decision:

• An easy-to-use system – for you, your administrative personnel, and the client
• A secure solution, and
• Something with a fail-safe in case of accidental security breaches.

Client management software for the healthcare industry certainly comes with a lot of benefits, and we may be moving toward a day where all patient information will exist solely in digital format. But even if we never see this day, it’s still a strategically smart move to embrace these technologies and implement them into practice.

They are efficient, low-cost ways to improve the administrative processes of a practice, provided you opt for the one with the right features for you.

We hope you discovered some useful tips in this article that will help you engage your clients and enhance their therapy journeys with you. Don’t forget to check out our $1 Quenza trial to start implementing what you’ve learned. Our specialized therapy software will give you all the client management tools you need to optimize your patient’s well-being journeys with individualized content, boosting their engagement for even better wellbeing outcomes.

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