Technology

Do you use these software tools?

Andrew Schox

Podiatrist, software developer, technologist and futurist

Andrew is a podiatrist in private practice. He is also a software developer, technologist and futurist. He is a former chair of the Australasian Podiatry Council as well as Advocare, and is the current chair of Melville Cares. He is a former director of the Australian and New Zealand Podiatry Accreditation Council (ANZPAC) and the Australasian College of Podiatric Deans (ACPD). Andrew is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

What software do we use as podiatrists?  (And what could we be using?!)

So you have spent a fortune on setting up your website and social media. Your patients are receiving emails and newsletters. Do you know if any of this is working?

Do you use a range of software tools in your practice? The following tools might be worth exploring.

 

Tool #1 - Patient management systems (aka CRM)

There are a number of excellent patient (or practice) management systems (PMS)  available to help streamline tasks and support patient interactions. I’ll go into this in more detail next month, but the PMS is probably the central software component of your business, since it gets the most day-to-day use. It can help with the following:

 

  • Storing general patient information
  • Managing appointments
  • Invoicing
  • Managing referrers
  • Correspondence processes.

 

 

 

 

#2 Accounting

Whilst many PMS products do invoicing, employers also have payroll to consider as well as other compliance issues. This is where accounting software really comes into its own.

 

 

Examples:

 

 

 

#3 Document/file management

By getting all your documents stored electronically, anybody can find what they need at any time and you can have backups no matter what adversity hits your office. By being cloud based, there are never any physical issues around storage, or the risk of having all the data stored on a single device.

 

 

Most people immediately think of Microsoft (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for this type of software, but there are other alternatives which you might consider.

#4 Office software

Most people immediately think of Microsoft (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for this type of software, but there are other alternatives which you might consider, including open source (free options) such as LibreOffice and OpenOffice. Most of these products can read and write documents created with Microsoft software, so you are not necessarily ‘locked in’ by using one product over another.

 

 

 

 

#5 Publishing

Whether you have thought of this or not, you are probably already a publisher of some kind. You may have information on your website, a blog, a presence on social media or YouTube. Perhaps you have a regular newsletter too. There are software tools which can help you build a website and manage a blog without you having to be an expert. There are also tools which can help you write better quality material, such as grammar and readability checkers.

 

 

 

 

#6 Marketing

Whether you like it or not, we are all online marketers now, even if we learnt nothing about this at university. People find out about what services they need and then find out about us online. Once they become our customer, we can keep them aware of us and make them aware of what else we can do for them, all through the power of marketing.

 

 

Even if we know our area of expertise, or service and our patient mix, it is still helpful (and cost effective) to be able to measure what is working and what isn’t. There are some great free tools in this area.

#7 Analytics

So you have spent a fortune on setting up your website and social media. Your patients are receiving emails and newsletters. Do you know if any of this is working? Do you know if anybody visits your website, and if they do, where they came from and whether they were using a phone or a laptop when they did?

 

This is where analytics comes in. Even if we know our area of expertise, or service and our patient mix, it is still helpful (and cost effective) to be able to measure what is working and what isn’t. There are some great free tools in this area.

 

 

 

 

#8 Productivity

When people think of productivity software, they think of to-do lists and project management. These are important but this category can include anything that helps you or your practice in some way. One area where this can help is in business systematisation; where you document how to run the business (such as processes and procedures), rather than keep it in your head. This has many advantages, not the least of which is that it makes your business more valuable to a buyer.

 

 

 

 

#9 Information and research

Of course, when we need to look things up, then Google is our friend. However, for professional use, we often need to know that what we need is reliable, up to date and specific to Australia. This may relate to medical information, profession-wide news and advocacy updates.

 

 

Examples:

 

The use of wearable technology is increasingly used by clinicians. Many of your patients already have a smart watch or other fitness monitor, but there are other sensors (in shoes, for example), which can deliver clinically relevant data in real time.

#10 Clinical support

There are many apps available to help you as a clinician. A common example is software that can deliver personalised exercise/stretching programs to patients, and track their compliance and symptoms. On a more advanced level, the use of wearable technology is increasingly used by clinicians. Many of your patients already have a smart watch or other fitness monitor, but there are other sensors (in shoes, for example), which can deliver clinically relevant data in real time.

 

 

 

 

Don’t feel overwhelmed

There is a lot to take in and a good first step is to look at what you use already, and then find gaps to fill. You don’t have to do everything at once; add a single new tool, evaluate it, and if it works, move to the next area when you are ready. This is a continuous process, rather than a once-off task, so you can take your time.

 

Please get in touch if you have any questions on issues raised, at andrew@footanklelowerlimb.com.au

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