Q. Do you have any tips for being more efficient in our billing processes?
A. When it comes to efficiency, one of the best pieces of advice we can give is to use your practice management/billing software to the fullest. You’ve invested a lot of money into your software system, and we find most offices only utilize a small fraction of their software’s capabilities.
Below we reference Eclipse Practice Management Software because it’s the software we use as a billing company and our relationship goes way back to our CA days (yes, they had computers back then!). We’re often surprised when we specifically reference a feature of the software to a client, only to hear, “Really? It does that?”
Here are some of the Eclipse efficiency features we find are most often ignored by users…
Eclipse’ SOAP feature lets you document daily notes in seconds and complete exams in a few minutes. Are you using Eclipse’s 3rd generation SOAP feature, Encounter, to the fullest? This feature alone makes Eclipse an “all in one” management program, and eliminates the need for add-on software (yes, fewer software programs means greater efficiency, too).
Did you know you can use Eclipse’ Encounter on the go from your iPad? In this day and age, mobility is synonymous with efficiency!
Nothing creates efficiencies faster than getting rid of the paper. Eclipse takes paperless to the next level with Document Automation and Electronic Storage.
Another efficiency drain (and expense) comes with changing software systems. This is no small chore and seldom goes off without a hitch. Plus, it’s disruptive to the office and staff, requiring everyone to learn an entirely new system. We’re often surprised by offices that go to the time and expense of a software change to gain enhancements and features that they later find were included in the software they were already using. That’s why it pays to ensure you’re taking advantage of updates as they become available and are familiarizing yourself with the new features that are included with each edition.
These are only a few areas which we commonly see being under-utilized by our Eclipse offices. Other areas may include electronic scheduling, automated payment systems, reports, statistics and more. The list is nearly endless, but the point remains the same – using your practice management/billing software to its fullest is a key way to increase your efficiency and effectiveness without increasing your overhead.
