Experiences at the doctor’s Office are never fun. Even when you think your appointment is over, there’s something else to worry about billing. It seems like doctor’s offices are constantly upgrading to new software, and it also seems like no one ever knows how to use the software because it’s always changing. It’s good that doctor’s offices are making an effort to meet today’s standards with billing software, but not when it’s at the expense of the customer experience.

We can all think of a billing issue we’ve had — and it was probably not that long ago either. If you work in a doctor’s office, you know how frustrating it is to have screaming patients on the phone on a regular basis. At some point, the frustration builds to a point where you’re either lashing out at patients or you have to quit your job.

However, it’s not impossible to get billing software right. Doctor’s offices should look for a number of features when buying billing software. Here, we’re going to break down X ways billing software benefits doctor’s offices and the features that make it possible.

1. Reducing Paperwork

The first and most environmentally-friendly way doctor’s offices benefit from billing software is simply the fact that it reduces paperwork. Patients can receive their bills online, and immediately, which makes it easier for them to remember that they have a payment due. This allows the doctor’s offices to offer their customers an omnichannel experience, which helps to improve the overall customer experience.

Most doctor’s offices are already using software to organize all their files. When they still make patients use paper bills, that means secretaries have to go through each bill themselves and manually scan and upload the file into their system. This is an unnecessary, time-wasting step that halts productivity to potentially a complete standstill.

Imagine yourself as a secretary on a weekend where the office is packed with people waiting for their appointments, the phone is ringing nonstop, and you can’t get anything done because you’re the only one in the office and you can’t answer questions from patients in the waiting room, answer the phone, and scan bills all at the same time.

Take advantage of automation that prevents duplicate billing, automatically respond to patients, and organize payments.

2. Reduces Costs

One way billing software reduces costs is by eliminating paperwork. Tons of businesses in all kinds of fields are eliminating paperwork in an effort to reduce costs. It costs money to buy paper, ink, and to maintain a printer. Eliminating paperwork in favor of Cloud-based EHR Software in the long-term is a much cheaper, more powerful option.

Doctor’s offices that transfer their billing to the Cloud also get tons of features that go beyond the realm of billing. Users can create custom invoices, and avoid duplicate billings because everyone is tracked more efficiently. Anyone in the system that’s been billed before should automatically be disregarded thanks to automated payment and invoice processing. The time it typically takes to correct these small mistakes can up costs significantly.

With this software, doctor’s offices can minimize missed payments and late payments, which often play an aggravating role in the healthcare industry. The need for doctors to rely on collection agencies could go down along with the back and forth between insurance companies. Offices can use this time to be more productive in terms of scheduling more efficiently to get patients in and out of the office quicker.

Invoicing software also comes with automated scheduling to determine when bills and follow-ups should be sent. Take advantage of customizable invoices to create more personalized invoices.

3. Better Appointment Tracking

Keeping track of appointments is key to increasing productivity in the doctor’s office. By eliminating paperwork and taking advantage of scheduling automation, offices can use billing software to track appointments and ensure payments are made seamlessly. These appointments can be used to generate reports that will ultimately determine whether or not people are paying on time and who isn’t.

Doctor’s offices today are constantly full of people; we wait months and months for appointments. Could you imagine what secretaries would go through to ensure every single appointment is filled correctly when their office is consistently overbooked? Even the best of the best would eventually get overwhelmed. When payments are involved, mistakes need to be kept to as close to zero as possible. This will also help keep your customer retention levels high by avoiding long waits or mistakes when scheduling appointments.

Look for automated scheduling features to determine who has an appointment when, who needs a reminder to pay their bills, and who haven’t paid their bills yet.

The Final Word

Billing is a significant issue for doctor’s offices, where simple mistakes can ruin an already touchy experience for the patient. No one ever wants to go to the doctor, but when they go, they want the experience to be as seamless as possible. The last thing any of us want is to have a bad time at the doctor and then have to deal with all kinds of billing issues that can prove to be costly for the office and the patient.

The longer it takes secretaries and financial teams to go through medical bills, ensuring every single one is accurate and accounted for, the harder it is for a doctor’s office to function efficiently. Billing software aims to eliminate this risk by allowing users to take advantage of automation, scheduling tools, and by reducing paperwork. This all helps to reduce costs while increasing productivity. It gives secretaries one less thing to worry about, which can ultimately make all the difference when trying to offer positive patient experiences.

About the author:

Reuben Yonatan is the founder/CEO @ GetVoIP — a leading comparison guide that connects companies with a VoIP provider for their needs.