Best Patient Scheduling Software Of 2024

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Why We Picked Tebra Engage

Tebra Engage cuts through the clutter of Patient Engagement platforms with its laser focus on streamlining communication and boosting patient satisfaction. Users rave about its intuitive interface, praising its "drag-and-drop ease" and "learning curve that practically doesn't exist." This simplicity shines when contrasted with "clunky competitors" and "overly complex interfaces" mentioned in several reviews. But Tebra Engage isn't just about ease of use. Its powerful automation features are a game-changer, with one user calling it a "lifesaver for appointment reminders and medication adherence tracking." This frees up staff time for more personalized interactions, a stark contrast to the "robotic, impersonal feel" of other platforms. However, some reviewers mentioned limited reporting capabilities compared to "feature-rich behemoths" in the space. But for many, Tebra Engage's strengths outweigh this. As one user put it, "I'd rather have a platform that's actually used by patients than one with every bell and whistle gathering dust." Ultimately, Tebra Engage stands out for its user-centric approach, prioritizing clear communication and engagement over bells and whistles. In a world of complex healthcare software, its simplicity and focus on patient interaction make it a breath of fresh air, leaving users feeling "empowered" and "truly connected" to their patients.

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Pros & Cons

Simple and intuitive: Easy for patients of all ages and technical abilities to navigate and use.
Centralized communication: Streamlines communication with providers through secure messaging, appointment scheduling, and updates.
Personalized care plans: Providers can create and track personalized care plans with reminders and educational resources, leading to better adherence and outcomes.
24/7 access to records: Patients can access their medical records, lab results, and appointments anytime, anywhere, from the portal or mobile app.
Empowered patients: Patients feel more informed and involved in their care, leading to increased satisfaction and loyalty.

Limited flexibility: Difficulty customizing the platform to specific workflows or branding.
Occasional bugs: Users report occasional technical issues and bugs that can disrupt workflow.
Missing features: Lacks some advanced features compared to competitors, like population health management tools.
Integration hurdles: Integrating Tebra Engage with existing EHR systems can be complex and time-consuming.
Slow support: Users sometimes experience delays in receiving support from the Tebra Engage team.

Key Features

Comprehensive Dashboard: Physicians can access all the tools they need in one easily navigable location. They can check task lists, view the calendar and more with an intuitive layout.
E-Prescribing: This feature allows your physicians to save time and reduce the number of phone calls related to prescriptions. Once a refill has been requested, a physician can send that information over electronically to a number of pharmacies. Potential drug-to-drug or drug-to-allergy interactions can be checked for automatically before sending out a prescription.
Patient Portal: Physicians can connect with their patients, enabling them to share medical records and billing information. Physicians can securely communicate with patients at any given time through instant messaging or video chatting, while patients are able to view lab results, medical history, medications and more.
Electronic Superbills: Create and submit superbills with just a few clicks while ensuring they are accurate and fully filled out.
Secure Messaging: While using the portal allows physicians to exchange information with patients quickly and securely, the same goes for communicating with other health professionals. Clinicians can conveniently message anyone in their practice in addition to their organization’s billing team while keeping sensitive data secure.
Flexible Calendar: Users can easily manage important patient communications and save time performing daily tasks. Schedules can be customized to your organization, giving users a comprehensive calendar for both patient appointments and staff scheduling.
Agenda Overview: Physicians are provided with complete visibility of their day at a glance, highlighting any items or tasks that require their attention.

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DrChrono

Start Price

^$250

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Why We Picked DrChrono

So, I got the chance to get a free trial access to DrChrono, and here are the key highlights:

The platform stands out for its intuitive design, extensive features and customization capabilities.
The software is accessible on any device with internet connectivity.
Data import from other EHR systems is supported but with certain limitations.
It offers four pricing plans and a free trial is available for potential users.

It's a cloud-based system, which means you can access it from anywhere — your laptop, tablet, even your phone! And it covers everything from electronic health records and patient scheduling to billing and telehealth.

One of the things that really impressed us was how customizable it was. You can create your own templates for notes, forms and even entire workflows. This means you can really tailor it to fit your specific needs and preferences, which can save a ton of time.

And speaking of saving time, they've put a lot of thought into their billing features. They have tools to help you code things correctly, submit claims electronically and even track your payments. Anything that helps you get paid faster and with less hassle is a win, right?

However, learning to navigate the billing and insurance modules could take time. It’s a bit confusing to understand how the billing workflow works and how to set one up. Also, you can’t import billing data from your old EHR system.

If you're looking for a comprehensive, user-friendly system that can be customized to your practice, we'd definitely recommend taking a closer look.

They offer four different pricing plans, so you can find one that fits your budget, and they have a free trial so you can test it out and see if it's a good fit for you. It's always good to try before you buy, right?

We’ve discussed more about the features in the See It in Action section. Do check it out to know how the system works in different scenarios.

DrChrono Reviews Visit Website

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Pros & Cons

Ease of Use: Navigate patient charts, create shortcuts and access billing info without a steep learning curve.
Customization: Tailor the system to your specific needs and preferences like customizing templates, workflows and reports.
Easy Medical Coding: Find and assign ICD, CPT and HCPCS codes to patients' bills to save time and reduce coding errors.

Contractual Obligations: Canceling subscriptions can be challenging, potentially leading to early termination fees. Automatic renewals may also catch you off guard.
Subpar Customer Support: Long wait times, unhelpful responses and unresolved issues from customer representatives might disrupt your processes.
Occasional Glitches: System crashes, slow navigation and difficulties with scheduling and other functionalities can cause frustration.

Key Features

EHR: Provide better care with features like free draw for visual explanations, custom vitals tracking and access to immunization registries
- Custom Templates: Tailor forms with specific fields, drop-down menus, checkboxes and even add your practice's logo. This ensures your documentation is consistent, efficient and specialized for your needs (e.g., cardiology forms with specific heart diagrams).
- Electronic Prescriptions: Send prescriptions electronically to pharmacies directly from the patient chart. Access the drug's formulary tier, prior authorization requirements and alternative medications if the prescribed drug isn’t covered. Access patient PDMP data directly within the EHR to identify potential abuse, misuse or doctor shopping.
- Free Draw: Upload images (x-rays, scans, photos) or use pre-loaded anatomical diagrams within the patient chart and draw directly on them.
- Custom Vitals: Create vitals specific to your needs including things like blood glucose and oxygen saturation levels. Capture data in various formats: text, numbers or predefined options using dropdown lists. Access the flowsheet to visualize trends in custom vitals over time.
- Prior Authorizations: Initiate the ePA request directly from the prescribing workflow. Automatically populate the prior authorization request form with relevant patient information (demographics, insurance details, medication prescribed) pulled from the patient's chart.
- Lab Orders: Integrate with national, regional and specialty labs like Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp. Create predefined lab panels for common tests or specific conditions. For example, you could create a "lipid panel" or a "prenatal panel" with a single click. View lab results within the patient's chart, organized by date, test type and ordering provider.
- Medical Speech-to-Text: Use voice to input clinical notes, patient histories and other information. See your spoken words appear as text in real time within the EHR to review and edit the transcription as you go.
- Immunization Registries: Automatically send your patients' vaccination details to the state IIS, ensuring that records are up-to-date and complete. Retrieve immunization records from the IIS, even if your patient received vaccinations elsewhere to avoid unnecessary duplicate vaccinations and identify potential gaps in their immunization schedule.
Practice Management: Save time and reduce errors with appointment management tools, including appointment profiles, insurance eligibility checks, online scheduling and automated reminders.
- Appointment Profiles: Instead of manually entering the same details (length, reason, etc.) for every appointment of the same type, you create a profile once and it auto-fills the details (duration, reason for visit, exam room and billing codes).
- Eligibility Checks: Verify your patients’ insurance eligibility in real time — check what services are covered under the plan (e.g., office visits, labs, specialists) and any limitations or exclusions.
- Online Scheduling: Set specific days and times when each provider is available for appointments. Offer different appointment types online (e.g., new patient, follow-up, consultation) with varying durations. Add buffer time between appointments to prevent scheduling conflicts and allow for patient check-in/check-out.
- Patient Reminders: Send automated appointment reminders via email, text or SMS. Configure reminders to be sent at various intervals before the appointment like — a few days before, the day before or a few hours before.
Medical Billing: Improve your revenue cycle management with tools like billing profiles, medical coding and automated claims submission.
- Billing Profiles: Combine frequently used CPT, HCPCS, custom codes and ICD-10 codes into a single profile. Attach common modifiers to the codes within the profile (e.g., modifier 25 for a significant, separately identifiable E/M service).
- Medical Coding: Easily search and select the appropriate codes within the EHR using keywords, code numbers or descriptions. Perform basic code checking to identify potential errors such as invalid codes or missing modifiers.
- Good Faith Estimates: Generate good faith estimates to help patients understand costs upfront and avoid surprise bills.
- Claims Submission: Submit electronic claims to insurance companies within the system. Track claim statuses in real time. Scrub claims for errors like missing information or formatting mistakes before submitting them to payers to avoid denials and claim rejections.
- Denial Resolution: Generate denial analysis reports to identify denial patterns. Edit and submit corrected claims directly within the system. If you disagree with a denial, generate appeal letters and track their statuses.
- Patient Statements: Generate statements for individual patients or groups of patients based on various criteria (e.g., date range, insurance status, outstanding balance).
BI Tools: Get a visual summary of key metrics and performance indicators. Generate customizable reports to:
- Track revenue, expenses and profitability
- Analyze claim submission, acceptance, denial and reimbursement rates.
- Track patient demographics, appointment history and billing information.
- Analyze appointment scheduling and no-show rates.
Mobile Capabilities: Schedule appointments, send patient statements, bill insurance, document patient encounters, access lab results and more from iOS devices like iPad, iPhone and Mac.
Telehealth: Patients can join the telehealth visit from their computer, tablet or smartphone using the link provided in their email reminder. Providers can share their screens with patients to review medical records, lab results, X-rays or educational materials.

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AdvancedMD

Start Price

^$500

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Why We Picked AdvancedMD

AdvancedMD is an intuitive cloud-based tool. While some users were happy with the system’s integration and customization capabilities, far more users were extremely dissatisfied with other aspects of the system. There were mixed reviews on its reporting capabilities. A significant number of reviewers felt that the sales representatives misled customers noting that they lost money after implementing AdvancedMD and commenting that many features lacked the functionality that they required. Though the add-ons allow users to customize the system, many users complained that the add-ons come at a steep price, making them prohibitive to many users. Users also complained that they were surprised by hidden fees after implementation and felt that customer service was rude and unwilling to help when they called for support. A small number of reviews also noted that upgrades to the system frequently caused downtime and reported discrepancies in their billing that affected customers. While many of the reviews were negative, AdvancedMD remains a popular EHR solution. Due to its high price and difficulty to learn, it is best suited to large practices with the budget for necessary add-ons and internal technical support that is available to help ensure everyone who needs to can use the system.

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Pros & Cons

Customization: Of the reviews that mentioned the system’s customization, more than 70% were happy with the customizations available as add-ons to the system.
Integration: Though only mentioned in 10% of reviews, 85% of those reviews felt the system successfully integrated with their other medical software.
User-Friendly: About 55% of users who mentioned its user-friendliness found it easy to use and navigate.

Implementation: The vendor does not offer sufficient implementation support, and the system has a steep learning curve, as noted by more than 80% of user reviews that discuss getting the system up and running.
Functionality: Though the system offers a robust list of features, 66% of reviews that discuss features felt that the features’ functionality was lacking in some aspects.
Price: Of the users who mention price in their review, more than 90% were upset with hidden fees and felt that the system’s high price was not worth the money.
Customer Support: Of the reviews that discuss customer service and support, 65% felt that customer support was difficult to contact, rarely had sufficient answers to their questions and often failed to resolve the issues users reported.
Performance: About 94% of reviewers that mentioned performance said that the system is slow and buggy, with recurring crashes and connectivity issues.

Key Features

Scheduling: Medical scheduling tools allow users to quickly view appointments and patient information by hovering their mouse over the calendar. Additionally, patient visits can be tracked, and recurring appointments can be set while automated patient reminders are sent out, reducing no-shows.
Billing: In addition to collecting patient payments, it is able to verify insurance eligibility automatically while providing users with all the necessary medical billing information in one centralized location.
Clearinghouse: Sweep claims of any coding errors to ensure an accurate claim submission. Any copays, deductibles and additional coverage can be automatically verified prior to a patient’s visit, while on-the-spot insurance checks are also efficient.
Patient Portal: Patients can view lab results, pay bills, message their physicians and request office appointments online using its patient portal. Providers can use the portal to exchange messages with a patient, manage prescription renewal requests and send out alerts and notifications.
E-Prescribing: Electronically prescribe medications — including controlled substances — quickly and easily. Connects facilities to a variety of pharmacies around the US, while users can request refills and access a patient’s medication history anywhere. It uses a combination of personal passphrases and secure tokens to complete DEA-required, two-factor authentication. The AdvancedEPCS system maintains a full DEA audit history.
Telemedicine: Telemedicine features facilitate face-to-face conference conversations and secure transmissions of still images or high-resolution video conference screenshots, and stores them to patient files with HIPAA compliance. Schedule telemedicine appointments and view them in one dashboard calendar.
Smart Dashboard: Automatically prioritize and manage frequent tasks using this role-based dashboard. In addition to health analytics, get alerted on any urgent issues, like abnormal lab results or pending prescriptions and drill down or up into tasks.
Configurable Templates: It can be tailored to a variety of specialties, with note and sub-note templates designed by physicians to optimize workflow while fitting in with a facility’s pre-existing style.
Physician-Oriented Dashboard: It enables physicians to view and schedule appointments, staff and patient messages, referral letters, test results and to-do lists in one location. The physician and their staff can respond to patient appointments or prescription renewal requests, reply to questions or send clinical reports. Its interoffice messaging center also allows physicians to send messages to the staff.
Patient Communication Tools: Select which patients would receive either text or email by choosing from existing criteria or creating a new set. Segment patient lists and send specific messages to enhance patient engagement. It also supports sending sales promotions to patients.
Patient Kiosk Mobile App: Complete intake and consent forms on an iPad. The information is automatically captured and passed to relevant staff to facilitate a faster check-in process for patients.
Health Watcher: HealthWatcher offers auto-alerts and custom healthcare plans to enable patients to follow treatment plans. Its interoperable platform allows it to monitor and trend patient population health. It also allows building custom healthcare plans to manage specific conditions based on factors like age, sex, lab results and diagnosis.

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Pricing

License/Subscription Cost	Subscription fee is paid monthly based on the number of users Offers standard plans and pre-configured pricing plans
Maintenance Cost	Cost is included with the subscription, covering ongoing upgrades and 24/7 customer support
Installation/Implementation Cost	Installation cost is included with the subscription fee
Customization Cost	Not included in the subscription cost Cost varies depending on the type of custom service chosen
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost	Depends on the amount of data needed to be migrated as well as the complexity and accuracy of that data
Recurring/Renewal Costs	Recurring monthly fee is charged based on the subscription model selected

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Best for Dashboard and Reporting

Best for Mobile Capabilities

Best for Patient Engagement

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Best for Schedule Management

Best for Telehealth

eClinicalWorks

Start Price

^$300

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Why We Picked eClinicalWorks

The core functionality of eClinicalWorks is suitable for most medical practices and comes at a fair price. However, many users felt that they were oversold on the product by the sales team. Many users complained of difficulty using the features they needed, and felt that the system interface made it difficult to navigate. Users reported issues with system bugs and were unable to receive sufficient support from the support team to rectify the issues they experienced, despite access to 24/7 support. Some users noted that customer support is outsourced and complained that a language barrier made it difficult to communicate. Ultimately, eClinicalWorks is best suited for small practices with basic EHR needs, though it may take users a few days to learn the system.

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Pros & Cons

Functionality: The system offers the core features that medical practices need, according to nearly 80% of reviews that discuss the system’s base functionality.
Price: Though only mentioned in less than a quarter of all reviews, 60% of users who discussed cost in their reviews felt that the system was priced fairly.

User Interface: While some users mentioned the intuitive design, the interface displays many features at once that make it confusing and difficult to navigate, according to nearly 55% of users who mentioned the interface in their review.
Complexity: The system requires multiple clicks for navigation, adds unnecessary layers of complexity and some users reported implementing their own workarounds to improve the system, as noted in 75% of reviews that discuss the system’s usability.
Integration: While some users enjoyed the ability to customize the platform with add-ons and integrations, more than 87% of reviews that discuss integrations complained that the integrations are difficult to implement and aren’t always successful.
System Errors: The vendor takes too long to implement software updates, resulting in bugs, inaccuracies and system downtime, as reported by nearly 95% of users who mentioned system updates in their review.
Customer Support: Support is available 24/7; however, users often struggled to communicate with the support team, citing problems with the support experts not knowing the answer to their questions or simply not responding to their inquiry, according to nearly 95% of users who mentioned customer support in their review.

Key Features

Virtual Assistant: “Eva,” eClinicalWorks EHR’s virtual assistant, allows providers to view a patient’s progress notes, flowsheet or account balance. The virtual assistant can also review patient history, compare notes side-by-side and book appointments in addition to offering educational videos and other helpful resources.
Telemedicine: eClinicalWorks telemedicine solution allows patients to schedule online appointments with their clinicians from home or in the office. Providers and patients can consult with medical experts around the world using the healow Virtual Room.
Scheduling: The scheduling tool allows users to add new patients, look up existing patients, search appointments and manage scheduling requests. Users can also manage the scheduling of resources and specialty equipment for clinicians like doctors, nurses and other providers.
Device Integration: eClinicalWorks integrates with devices like ECG, EEG, etc. within the web browser. The data collected is structured to capture current and past results, complete trend analysis and create flowsheets.
Hospital Interoperability: This involves data being shared between multiple clinics or a hospital’s different departments. This particular EHR allows communication with any radiology vendor or RIS system which supports HL7 messaging. Comparing and analyzing this data leads to greater population health.
Revenue Cycle Management: When it comes to billing, hundreds of features for RCM are available through eClinicalWorks, including credentials, insurance verification and analytics.

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Pricing

License/Subscription Cost	On-premise: License fee includes a one-time fee per user plus additional implementation fees Fees for supplemental monthly support and maintenance cost is calculated per user Cloud-based: Recurring subscription fee based on a per user, per month basis, including a hosting and implementation fee
Maintenance Cost	On-premise: Additional fee applies for maintenance Cloud-based: Maintenance cost is included in the service fees upon purchase
Installation/Implementation Cost	On-premise: Additional implementation fees charged for over 9 users Travel and airfare costs are billed separately Cloud-based: No star-up or initial implementation costs Additional implementation fees are charged for over 9 users
Customization Cost	Varies depending on user's functional requirements
Data Migration Cost/Change Management/Upfront Switching Cost	Free data conversion from existing EHR to eClinicalWorks No upfront or switching cost when changing EHRs
Recurring/Renewal Costs	On-premise: Cost includes monthly support and maintenance along with hosting fees Cloud-based: Cost equals the monthly subscription fee which includes maintenance, hosting and implementation fees

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RXNT

Start Price

^$110

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Why We Picked RXNT

RXNT is an integrated medical software solution offering Electronic Health Records (EHR) with e-prescription and patient engagement support. The cloud-based platform allows users to use and manage the application from anywhere at any time. It offers a user-friendly interface for easy use, management and customization. Reviewers pointed out that sometimes the system would duplicate the patient's information, making the patient have two profiles that lead to confusion and inconvenience. There are instances where the server lags during peak hours and tends to be slow and glitchy. Overall, they provide responsive and helpful support staff who follow up to ensure that problems are fixed before closing the ticket.

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Pros & Cons

User-Friendly: Provides a user-friendly interface with color codes that is easy to use and implement as noted by all reviewers who mentioned ease of use.
Customer Support: Approximately 89% of users who referred to customer support indicated that support teams are responsive, helpful and would follow-up to ensure that problems are resolved before a ticket is closed.
Remote Access: All users who talked about the application liked its ability to RX meds and manage prescriptions from anywhere.

Duplicate Profiles: All users who specified duplication said that sometimes it duplicates patient information, giving them two profiles.
Program Performance: The system tends to be laggy and glitchy at times, as observed by all reviewers who referred to program performance.
Search: Requires multiple trials of keywords and scrolling for the search bar to locate what a user is looking for, as observed by 62% of users who mentioned search.

Key Features

Get Paid Faster: Claim scrubbing, claim alerts, tracking and automatic secondary claim submissions improve financial performance and promote faster reimbursement.
Increase Revenue: End-to-end claim tracking reduces time taken in accounts receivables and is integrated with your workflow.
Reduce Claim Denials: Identify and resolve causes of denied claims to accelerate payment and improve cash flow.
Prevent Billing Errors: The software has built-in claim scrubbing that detects and eliminates errors in billing codes, thus reducing the number of denied or rejected claims.
Customizable Reports: The custom medical billing system makes displaying and analyzing data simple. The reports are comprehensive, configurable and easy to edit.
Boost Efficiency: It supports integrated real-time eligibility checks, claim status verification and alerts. Electronic remittance advice (ERA) and resource and patient scheduling with reminders make front and back office administration easy
Better Manage Controlled Substances: Its e-prescribing solution is EPCS-certified by the DEA. With real-time access to patient medical history, healthcare providers get up-to-date information about previously prescribed medications.

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Qualifacts InSync

Start Price

^$94

Per user, Per month

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Why We Picked Qualifacts InSync

Insync receives generally positive user reviews, particularly from small and medium-sized practices. Users praise its user-friendly interface, improved communication efficiency, reduced administrative burden, and enhanced patient satisfaction. One user noted, "Insync has streamlined our workflows tremendously, freeing up valuable time for patient care." Others appreciate its seamless integration with existing EMR systems. A user commented, "I no longer need to switch between multiple platforms, saving me time and frustration." However, some users have expressed concerns about the limited customization options and occasional technical glitches. One user stated, "While I love the core features, I wish I had more flexibility in customizing the interface to my specific needs." When compared to competitors, users believe Insync stands out due to its robust reporting capabilities and telemedicine functionality. A user claimed, "Insync's reporting tools provide valuable insights into our practice performance, allowing us to make data-driven decisions." Another user remarked, "The built-in telemedicine feature has been a game-changer for our practice, improving access to care for patients who live in remote areas." Overall, Insync is a well-regarded EMR platform that offers a comprehensive set of features to improve practice efficiency and patient engagement. While some limitations exist, its strengths and differentiating factors make it a compelling choice for many healthcare providers.

Qualifacts InSync Reviews Visit Website

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Pros & Cons

Customer Support: The service team is knowledgeable and responsive according to 92% of users mentioning this aspect.
Customization: The ability to customize according to the needs of the facility is a key benefit, according to 96% of user feedback on this feature.
User-Friendly: Easily navigable interface and templates are noted by 90% of users who mentioned this aspect.

Limited customization options: Users report InSync offers less flexibility in tailoring workflows and interfaces compared to competitors.
Occasional technical glitches: While generally reliable, users experience intermittent technical issues that disrupt their workflow.
Learning curve for new users: While user-friendly, the platform's comprehensive features require initial investment in user training and familiarization.
Limited reporting capabilities: While reporting features exist, they may not provide the level of detail and customization required by some practices.
Cost may be prohibitive for some practices: Compared to some competitors, InSync's pricing can be higher, particularly for smaller practices.

Key Features

Telemedicine: Schedule online appointments, check patient history and manage medication electronically. Recognize any potential drug-to-drug or drug-to-allergy interactions based on medication history or diagnosis.
Patient Portal: Physicians can communicate with patients via messaging or video conference calls, as well as make updates to their health plan, using the patient portal. Both physicians and patients can look up lab results.
Clearinghouse: Manage insurance claim submissions and avoid denied claims for faster reimbursement. Before submission, claims are automatically swept and scrubbed of any mistakes or coding errors to avoid rejection.
Patient Progress: Track important patient data to identify patterns, address health issues before they worsen and monitor progress to determine treatment effectiveness.
Global View: One centralized location with an easily navigable dashboard of all tools and features helps manage workflows and operations.
Revenue Cycle Management: Educate staff on why claims are denied in the first place, receive an analysis of denial trends and recommendations on how to fix denied claims, and eliminate recurring denials.
Credit Card Processing: Conduct seamless transactions while avoiding costly chargebacks, increasing patient convenience when updating information and making electronic payments. Avoid potential fines associated with lost, stolen or counterfeit credit cards.

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Mend

Start Price

^$295

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Why We Picked Mend

Mend has carved out a unique space for itself in the realm of task management software, particularly for telemedicine. User feedback over the past year highlights its strengths, weaknesses, and what sets it apart from the competition.

Reviewers consistently praise Mend for its user-friendly interface and intuitive design, making it easy for healthcare professionals to navigate and manage their tasks efficiently. The platform's automation features, such as appointment scheduling and reminders, are also highly valued for their ability to streamline workflows and reduce administrative burdens. However, some users note that Mend's customization options could be more extensive, particularly for larger healthcare practices with complex workflows.

Compared to similar products, Mend stands out with its robust telemedicine integration, allowing for seamless virtual consultations and remote patient monitoring. This feature has proven to be invaluable for healthcare providers seeking to expand their reach and provide more accessible care options. Additionally, Mend's focus on security and compliance ensures that sensitive patient data is protected, which is a critical consideration for healthcare organizations.

In conclusion, Mend is best suited for healthcare professionals and practices looking for a user-friendly, telemedicine-focused task management solution. Its intuitive design, automation features, and emphasis on security make it an ideal choice for those seeking to improve efficiency and enhance patient care in the digital age. It's important to note that the software landscape evolves rapidly, so it's always a good idea to check for the latest information and updates directly from Mend and other providers to make the most informed decision for your needs.

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Pros & Cons

Convenient and Accessible: Mend offers a user-friendly platform for scheduling and attending virtual appointments, eliminating the need for physical travel and reducing wait times. The platform is accessible from various devices, including smartphones and computers, making it convenient for patients to connect with healthcare providers from the comfort of their own homes.
Wide Range of Specialties: Mend provides access to a diverse network of healthcare professionals across various specialties, including primary care, mental health, and specialized care. This allows patients to find the appropriate provider for their specific needs without the limitations of geographical location.
Secure and HIPAA Compliant: Mend prioritizes patient privacy and data security by adhering to HIPAA regulations. The platform employs encryption and other security measures to protect sensitive health information, ensuring confidentiality and compliance with industry standards.

Limited Scope of Care: Mend primarily focuses on urgent care needs, so it may not be suitable for individuals seeking specialized medical attention or ongoing chronic disease management.
Technology Dependence: The platform's reliance on technology can pose challenges for users with limited digital literacy or those in areas with unreliable internet connectivity.
Insurance Coverage: While Mend accepts various insurance plans, coverage and out-of-pocket costs can vary, potentially leading to unexpected expenses for patients.

Key Features

Telemedicine/Telepsychiatry: Provide device-agnostic HIPAA-compliant individual or group telemedicine sessions with HD video, low bandwidth requirements, secure messaging with timestamps and a virtual waiting room. Offers a drawing canvas, screen and file sharing.
Patient Scheduling: View and manage all kinds of appointments, including recurring and virtual appointments, and handle reschedules and cancellations. Patients can self-schedule from the practice website and receive reminders via text, email or call.
Digital Forms and Resources: Enable patients to fill intake and registration forms digitally through secure links. Send any digital content, such as medical records, videos, treatment plans, surveys and more through links.
Predictive Analytics: Leverage its historical data-driven machine learning algorithm to predict no-shows and cancellations with over 90% accuracy.
Interoperability: Offers a huge list of prebuilt EMR, EHR and PMS integrations with complete calendar and patient data sync to seamlessly integrate patient engagement with other practice workflows. It offers a configurable API to facilitate custom integrations.
Security and Compliance: Maintain data compliance and security with HIPAA-compliant telemedicine, predictive analytics and patient messaging, self-scheduling, appointment reminders and registration. Ensures compliance with various other regulations, such as HITECH, E-Sign, COPPA and more.

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simplepractice

Start Price

^$29

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Why We Picked simplepractice

SimplePractice features a user-friendly interface and a complete set of tools for managing day-to-day medical operations. It offers advanced features such as HIPAA-compliant telehealth, a robust customer portal and a wide range of planning and notes options such as Wiley Planners, pre-built templates and a customized form-creation tool. Like many software solutions, there is a learning curve to master the features provided. Customer support is friendly and responsive. Many, however, wished it offered immediate phone support for a more streamlined workflow. Reviewers noted that it offers limited customization and would like the ability to add multiple people to video sessions.

simplepractice Reviews Visit Website

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Pros & Cons

Functionality: Around 97% of users who referred to functionality said it offers a comprehensive set of tools making it a one-stop-shop to manage day-to-day operations.
User-Friendly: All reviewers who mentioned ease of use liked that it provides an intuitive, user-friendly interface making it easy to use and deploy.
Customer Service: More than 82% of reviewers referring to customer support noted that included professional services are responsive and pleasant.
Seamless Billing: All users who specified billing liked that it allows structuring of each individual client's payments with ease.

Limited Customization: SimplePractice offers limited customization options, making it difficult to tailor the software to specific practice needs.
Glitches and Bugs: Users have reported experiencing frequent glitches and bugs within the software, leading to disruptions in workflow.
Lack of Integration: SimplePractice lacks seamless integration with other essential software, such as electronic health records (EHRs) and billing systems.
Limited Reporting Capabilities: The reporting features in SimplePractice are considered basic and may not provide the necessary insights for practice management.
Customer Support Issues: Users have expressed concerns about the responsiveness and effectiveness of SimplePractice's customer support team.

Key Features

Client Portal: View billing information, medical history, lab results and more using the designated portal. Clients can schedule appointments, send messages and video chat with their providers online.
Telehealth: Conduct secure online appointments with clients from anywhere, on any device. Clients are given a link to begin a telehealth appointment without requiring an account or password.
Billing: Helps run credit cards quickly and collects payments automatically. Credit cards can be processed using a phone, while cards can be stored with bank-level security.
Scheduling: Schedule appointments, send automated reminders, and sync appointments to Google, iCal, or Outlook calendar with online booking.
Claims Management: File claims faster and more accurately by doing so electronically. Claims can be created, submitted and tracked from one central place.
Mobile Apps: Available on iOS and Android, users can manage appointments, process payments, send client intakes, view client information and more.

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TheraNest

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^$39

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Why We Picked TheraNest

TheraNest provides an intuitive and user-friendly system for mental health providers. Users are happy with its telehealth feature as it helps them connect with clients virtually, even though it can have glitches sometimes. Most users who mentioned support found it frustrating that they were unable to speak to a customer service executive, and even when they did, the support team was unresponsive. While it offers Excel integration, the process is time-consuming. Credit card processing and billing are complex. Users say that it is not suitable for larger practices. A post-Covid increase in prices has not gone over well with some of its users.

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Pros & Cons

User Friendly: The system is easy-to-use and intuitive, as noted by approximately 85% of users who referred to the system’s usability.
Interface: Nearly 76% of the users who mention its interface find it intuitive and easy to navigate.
Tutorials: Almost 100% of the users who mention its tutorials, articles and webinars find them useful and said they helped them learn how to use the software.

Functionality: TheraNest offers a robust suite of powerful tools, as reported by 52% of the users who mention the product’s functionality.
Support: Support for the system can be very slow, with most users noting that getting a response from the support team can be very time-consuming, as reported by 51% of users who referred to support.
User Permissions: User permissions are not seamless as the administrator and supervisor were able to view completed and pending tasks for all employees, as said by 100% of the users that talked about user permissions.
Billing: Nearly 66% of the users who referred to the billing feature found it lacking. Also, its credit card charges are high.

Key Features

Therapy Notes: Create therapy notes like progress notes, treatment plans, initial assessments and more. Lets users co-sign, approve and sign notes. Print or download therapy notes with the users’ logo as a PDF for clients. Supports supervisory review, notifications about notes requiring approval and accepting staff and client signatures from the application.
Billing Tools: Streamlines payments and claims processes to help users get paid faster. Create, email and print superbills and invoices to claims submission with batch statements and invoicing. Charge credit cards to apply and process payments with batch statements. Generate staff billing reports for payroll.
Managed Billing: Get paid faster with claims scrubbing, appointment recording, denial follow-up, insurance remittance tracking and payment posting to client accounts. Provides a dedicated billing specialist to ensure billing success.
E-Prescribe: Maintains data and medication access histories, controlled substance e-prescribing (EPCS), drug legends and medication adherence support. Lets users manage medications, handle refills and write prescriptions.
Scheduling: Create group, individual, multi-staff and telehealth appointments. Filter calendar by staff member, service type and location. Set up recurring appointments.
Client Portal: Syncs client records automatically. Sign, fill out and submit intake forms online. Customize client invitation emails. Access the client portal from any device.
Practice Management: Add as many staff, billers and therapists as needed without any additional charges. Multiple permission levels ensure that staff can only view what they need to see. Brings all the clients, invoices and appointments to one place.
Telehealth: Gives physicians control over video and audio during sessions. Conduct video sessions for up to six participants. Lets clients and physicians share their screens and resources.

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Power Diary

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^$9.50

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Why We Picked Power Diary

Power Diary appears to be a popular choice among healthcare practitioners seeking a comprehensive practice management solution. Users frequently highlight its intuitive interface and user-friendly design, making it easy to navigate and learn, even for those with limited technical expertise. The platform's robust features, including appointment scheduling, billing, client management, and telehealth capabilities, streamline daily operations and enhance efficiency. Power Diary's telehealth functionality has received particular praise for its seamless integration and ease of use, enabling practitioners to conduct virtual consultations effortlessly.

While Power Diary offers a wide range of features, some users note that certain functionalities, such as marketing tools, could be further enhanced. Additionally, the platform's pricing structure, which is based on the number of practitioners, may present a challenge for larger clinics or those with multiple locations. Despite these considerations, Power Diary's strengths in user experience, comprehensive features, and telehealth capabilities make it a compelling option for healthcare professionals seeking to optimize their practice management. Its intuitive design and extensive functionality cater to solo practitioners, small clinics, and those transitioning to telehealth services, empowering them to streamline operations, improve patient care, and achieve greater efficiency.

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Pros & Cons

Streamlined Workflow: Power Diary helps practices operate more efficiently by centralizing appointment scheduling, client records, billing, and communication tools, reducing the need for multiple software solutions.
Enhanced Client Engagement: Features like online booking, automated appointment reminders, and secure messaging facilitate better communication and engagement with clients, improving satisfaction and retention.
Data-Driven Insights: Power Diary provides comprehensive reporting and analytics tools, enabling practices to track key performance indicators, identify trends, and make informed business decisions.
Customizable and Scalable: The platform can be tailored to meet the specific needs of individual practices and can easily adapt to accommodate growth and evolving requirements.
Security and Compliance: Power Diary prioritizes data security and adheres to industry regulations, ensuring the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive client information.

Limited Third-Party Integrations: Power Diary's compatibility with external applications is restricted, potentially hindering seamless workflows for practices reliant on diverse software tools.
Calendar Management Challenges: Users have reported difficulties with appointment scheduling and calendar navigation, impacting efficiency and user experience.
Customer Support Concerns: Some users have expressed dissatisfaction with the responsiveness and effectiveness of Power Diary's customer support, raising concerns about timely issue resolution.

Key Features

Calendar Management: Manage appointments and multiple calendars with one click using the universal calendar. Customize weekly or daily views, drag and drop appointments, and utilize colored flags for clarity. Control the availability of practitioners and bookable time slots on the online scheduling portal.
Waitlist Management: View waitlisted clients, practitioners of choice and availability to fill empty slots.
Alerts and Reminders: Automate and customize email and SMS appointment reminders for clients. Adjust settings to differentiate reminders by type of practice, clinic or appointment.
Telehealth: Conduct remote appointments without downloading additional software via camera and microphone-equipped devices. Send secure video links by email or text.
Custom Forms: Develop or modify customizable templates to minimize time spent on treatment notes. Collect client information with digital custom forms.
CRM: Manage client referrals, contacts, payment history and preferences. View past and present appointments, store insurance details and create custom classifications.
Digital Booking: Place a unique booking ID on websites, emails and social media, enabling clients to book appointments online. Set parameters for appointment availability, clinician preferences and cancellation policies.
Reporting: Assess performance metrics with access to 26 reports, ranging from client retention to financial analysis. Export and print reports to view and share.
Security: Turn on two-factor authentication and create user account controls to limit access within the account. Change user security settings and record user activity. Ensure data is compliant with GDPR, HIPAA and PIPEDA requirements.
Payment Management: Collect payments online and flag clients with outstanding balances. Control settings to accept payment upon booking and process credit card payments.
Easy Integration: Minimize time spent double-handling data by integrating with systems like Stripe, Xero, Google Calendar, Mailchimp and Physitrack.

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Price & Cost Guide

See the Price/User for the top Patient Scheduling software… plus the most important considerations and questions to ask when shopping.

Buyer's Guide

Patient Scheduling Software Is All About Automating and Streamlining Medical Scheduling Procedures

By Kashish Arora, Content Writer and Market Analyst at SelectHub

Patient Scheduling Software Buyer's Guide

During the course of any given day, your physician practice can expect to encounter many unplanned events and last-minute changes. Scheduling is command central to keep your practice running smoothly. In today's health care environment, patient scheduling software can help you function like clockwork and expeditiously navigate the overlapping needs of your patients, clinicians and staff.

In this guide we’ll cover what you need to know to find the right system.

Executive Summary

Patient scheduling systems automate and simplify appointment booking and tracking procedures.
Primary features include patient self-scheduling, tracking and alerts, a directory, recurring visits, and personalized calendars.
Current and upcoming trends include chatbot adoption, cloud-based deployment, wearable technology and more.
Gauge your facility’s current challenges and product requirements to make the correct buying decision.
To select a clinic scheduling software, there are some key questions to ask yourself and vendors to ensure you find the right fit.

What This Guide Covers

What Is Patient Scheduling Software?
Deployment Methods
Primary Benefits
Implementation Goals
Basic Features & Functionality
Advanced Features & Functionality
Current & Upcoming Trends
Software Comparison Strategy
Cost & Pricing Considerations
Questions To Ask Yourself
Questions To Ask Vendors
Next Steps
Product Comparisons
Additional Resources

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What Is Patient Scheduling Software?

Patient scheduling software is an electronic solution designed to improve the overall patient experience. It streamlines the scheduling process, including patient appointments, practice workflows and staff allocation.

It provides tools to coordinate patient, physician and staff schedules, which effectively minimizes patient wait times and no-shows.

Manage physician and staff shifts, time-slots and calendar, with color-coded, drag-and-drop scheduling.
Help capture patient demographics and essential information.
Provide a comprehensive suite of features for providers to book and manage appointments.
Manage cancellations and arrange follow-up appointments.
Monitor appointments, home consultations, updates and no-shows.
Update appointment confirmations and schedule changes in real time.
Offer patient self-service portals for appointment booking, management and pre-registration.
Assist in patient pre-registration.
Notify patients of approaching appointments with automated alerts and reminders via phone, text or email.
Improve patient-provider communication.

Practices can opt for a stand-alone patient scheduling platform or an integrated module in:

If you’re opting for stand-alone software, make sure that it has robust EHR/EMR and medical billing software integrations to streamline crucial real-time patient data accessibility and updates.

Before delving any further, let's clarify some common confusions about similar software categories and sub-categories:

Appointment Scheduling Software: As the name suggests, these systems focus on booking appointments with patient and physician portals and real-time scheduling calendars.

Medical Scheduling Software: Used synonymously with patient scheduling software, these systems typically include modules to manage staff, allocate resources and automate clinical workflows, encompassing preloaded clinical libraries and diagnostic codes.

Hospital Scheduling Software: These are medical scheduling platforms with specialized modules and capabilities for hospitals and ambulatory clinics.

Typically, vendors tend to market the same product for different categories, often with a few tiny tweaks and modifications. At the end of the day, it’s best to look past their marketing gimmicks and focus on getting the modules and features that you need.

Deployment Methods

When deciding between cloud-based and on-premise deployment for your practice, several crucial factors demand thorough consideration.

Your practice's unique needs and preferences should always take precedence. Here are key considerations to keep in mind when selecting a deployment strategy:

Cloud-Based

Cloud-based platforms eliminate heavy installation costs as they’re accessible online from anywhere with an internet connection.
They offer easy implementation by eliminating the need for setup costs or purchasing in-house tools.
Providers can schedule, cancel and keep track of appointments without being physically present.
This model can scale up or down according to your practice’s needs.
Cloud-based applications offer lower upfront costs, though they may not be as cost-effective long-term.
Practices often contend with security concerns due to reliance on vendors for safeguarding sensitive patient scheduling platform data.

On-Premise

On-premise platforms excel in flexibility and customization, accommodating practices unique demands effectively.
There are no monthly charges as you pay a one-time upfront cost exclusive of maintenance charges.
The onus of privacy is on the practice itself instead of the vendor, ensuring secure preservation of data.
Supports offline work.
These solutions are seldom cost-effective as scaling is a bit pricey.
Given the advanced requirements of setting up on-premise software, implementation becomes quite difficult.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top software

Primary Benefits

Patient scheduling software helps health care practices improve patient experiences from the moment they start scheduling an appointment until they leave the practice. The key advantages it can provide your practice are:

Patient Scheduling Software Benefits

Increase Employee Efficiency

Color-coded time slots, drag-and-drop features and centralized calendars simplify appointment scheduling tasks for your staff.

These functionalities not only speed up your scheduling workflows and patient data collection duties but also save significant time on admin tasks, enabling staff to prioritize patient care.

Boost Revenue and Profitability

Patient scheduling platforms boost practice revenue by maximizing appointments through reduced no-shows and wait times, filling gaps and providing 24x7 booking convenience.

Additionally, they decrease front-desk staff hours and workloads via scheduling automation tools, leading to reduced practice expenses and increased revenue.

Improve Patient Experience and Satisfaction

Medical office appointment scheduling software offers round-the-clock booking convenience to patients, eliminating issues such as inconvenient office hours, hold times, back-and-forths, communication gaps and multiple confirmation call needs.

A superior patient experience is instrumental in cultivating patient loyalty and increasing retention. By freeing up precious staff time through resource allocation and streamlining workflows, your staff can provide better care and attention to your patients.

Enhance Staff Coordination

Medical office scheduling software provides a comprehensive view of resource availability, including examination rooms, equipment, hospital beds, appointment slots and staff.

This transparency boosts staff coordination by maintaining up-to-date records for efficient and seamless resource distribution.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top software

Implementation Goals

Medical appointment scheduling is more than making and tracking appointments; it’s an essential business and administrative tool that impacts each phase of your patients’ experience with your practice. The right software solution can help with the following goals:

Goal 1 Reduce Patient Wait Times	Optimize appointment schedules and streamline staff workflows to free them up for patient-centered tasks, increasing patient retention. Grant patients real-time access to physician schedules to minimize discrepancies between scheduled and actual appointment times. Implement patient arrival notifications to reduce wait times for a more efficient and frustration-free patient experience.
Goal 2 Minimize No-Shows	Automatically remind your patients of upcoming appointments and follow-ups using alerts, calls, texts and emails, ensuring increased appointment confirmations with minimal manual effort. Use insights to monitor and analyze no-show and cancellation patterns to efficiently manage and send notifications, thereby reducing cancellations and no-shows.
Goal 3 Boost Remote Accessibility	Enable patients to schedule their appointments and make secure online payments via patient portals, connecting them to their care processes.
Goal 4 Improve Communication	Enable seamless patient-physician communication using secure messaging modules. Provide patients with access to helpful resources such as recall lists and physician schedules.
Goal 5 Centralize Information	Integrate with EMR, EHR and medical billing software to incorporate essential patient data into your practice's repository. Record patient data from all encounters, including demographics, medical history, appointment details, payment information and more.

Goal 1

Reduce Patient Wait Times

Optimize appointment schedules and streamline staff workflows to free them up for patient-centered tasks, increasing patient retention.

Grant patients real-time access to physician schedules to minimize discrepancies between scheduled and actual appointment times.

Implement patient arrival notifications to reduce wait times for a more efficient and frustration-free patient experience.

Goal 2

Minimize No-Shows

Automatically remind your patients of upcoming appointments and follow-ups using alerts, calls, texts and emails, ensuring increased appointment confirmations with minimal manual effort.

Use insights to monitor and analyze no-show and cancellation patterns to efficiently manage and send notifications, thereby reducing cancellations and no-shows.

Goal 3

Boost Remote Accessibility

Enable patients to schedule their appointments and make secure online payments via patient portals, connecting them to their care processes.

Goal 4

Improve Communication

Enable seamless patient-physician communication using secure messaging modules. Provide patients with access to helpful resources such as recall lists and physician schedules.

Goal 5

Centralize Information

Integrate with EMR, EHR and medical billing software to incorporate essential patient data into your practice's repository.

Record patient data from all encounters, including demographics, medical history, appointment details, payment information and more.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top software

Basic Features & Functionality

When evaluating key features and functionality, these are the core modules of most patient scheduling software:

Calendar	Use color-coding and drag-and-drop capabilities for accurate schedule displays. Automatically block off booked time slots and holidays. Enhance collaboration and coordination by providing real-time visibility into employees' schedules. Enable physicians and admin staff to check employee availability for meetings, appointments, conferences and other activities.
Administrator Interface	Track, manage, configure and assign changes to physician and staff calendars. Electronically update time slots and assign care providers to emergency situations in different locations.
Patient Pre-Registration	Tailor pre-registration forms to gather patient data. Collect medical history, insurance details, contact information and other crucial elements before their visit.
Appointment Management	Create, modify and cancel appointments. Offer patient-provider match suggestions based on diagnosis and treatment.
Tracking and Alerts	Track pending, confirmed, arrived, canceled or no-show patients. View patient appointment details and visit durations to notify receptionists when patients have been waiting too long.
Follow-Up Services and Return Visits	Create referrals to connect patients to specialists or other health care services without delays. Automatically send referral texts to patients and specialists, reducing missed appointments. Send follow-up surveys to measure patient satisfaction.
Recurring Visits	Schedule recurring visits by week/month and identify alternative slots when scheduled times are not available.
Directory	Create a repository for staff information, including their names, addresses, phone numbers and specific roles within the practice. Enable referring physicians access to a dedicated database containing information about specialists to enhance referral management efficiency.
Cancellation, Wait List and Missed Appointment Management	Notify patients when a booking cancellation creates an opening. Automatically identify missed appointments to offer patients alternative slots to reschedule, reducing no-show rates.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top software

Advanced Features & Functionality

These features are more advanced, expanded capabilities that not all practices use — and that, therefore, not all patient scheduling programs offer.

Events and Notes	Schedule non-appointments like staff meetings, lunch or breaks and add patient notes.
Automated Reminder by Insurance Payer	Enable automated payment source verification during check-in. Collect copayments while reviewing patient balance and insurance plans.
Reporting/Analytics	Generate daily and weekly reports to track patient activities, treatment times, clinicians' hours and resource usage. Use these reports to manage patient flow, predict staffing needs and optimize appointment slots.
Protocol/Procedure	Schedule a series of appointments with multiple staff, rooms and equipment, including annual physical exams or oncology patients who may need to meet with several doctors.
Payment and Billing	Use multichannel payment options, billing and invoice tracking to enhance financial operations, improve payment flexibility and ensure accurate invoice management, ultimately optimizing your financial processes.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top software

Current & Upcoming Trends

The health care sector is going through constant changes driven by numerous factors, including post-pandemic disruptions, ICD-11 introduction and an increased reliance on Medicare. The patient scheduling software market is also affected by these disruptions.

Keeping these circumstances in mind, here’s a list of upcoming patient scheduling trends to help you stay ahead of the competition:

Patient Scheduling Software Trends

Chatbot Adoption/ Robotic Process Automation

Many health care websites set up AI-driven chatbots to greet visitors, solve their queries and adapt to their responses based on interactions, streamlining assistance.

Although a largely controversial technology, chatbot adoption is booming in the global health care industry. The health care chatbots market value is estimated to reach $1.17 billion by 2030.

In addition to collecting patient data and issuing appointment reminders, AI- and NLP-enhanced chatbots can understand and initiate human conversations and add a human touch to automated scheduling.

Many vendors now offer chatbots that seamlessly integrate with EHR, practice management and patient scheduling software. Seeing how chatbots can significantly improve patient engagement, we might also see them as an innate feature of core medical scheduling software platforms.

One of the main concerns regarding chatbot implementation is data privacy and security risks. If you’re planning to adopt or integrate chatbot systems, ensure that the vendor provides robust cybersecurity.

SaaS/Cloud Adoption and Mobile-Friendliness

Practices of all sizes are moving towards the cloud for its crucial remote accessibility. The largest barrier to its adoption is the stigma regarding cloud providers’ data security, but it’s gradually decreasing.

Cloud-based medical appointment scheduling software offers crucial remote access, aligning with the health care industry's evolving demands, including virtual access and telehealth. Its seamless integration with EHR and EMR systems enhances data flow and patient care coordination.

Additionally, cloud platforms feature analytical tools that provide invaluable insights into patient scheduling trends. These insights enable informed decision-making and support-based appointment management.

Adopting the cloud enables convenient mobile app access, simplifying appointment management and boosting patient engagement, even when on the move.

Social Integration

Another notable innovation has been patient sign-ups through social media accounts.

Instead of a lengthy registration process, letting patients sign in through their verified social accounts enables providers to pull relevant patient information and quickly schedule appointments.

Vendors also give patients the option to share health care feedback on social media.

Wearable Devices

Wearables play a pivotal role in scheduling by sending timely reminders, synchronized with patient appointments, to ensure effective treatment follow-up.

They continuously track long-term health data using predictive analytics to anticipate potential health issues. For instance, a rise in blood pressure can trigger recommendations for regular check-ups.

This combination of wearables and predictive software enables proactive care management, enhancing patient outcomes and well-being.

5G Data

Due to its fast data transfer speeds, 5G technology in patient scheduling software minimizes scheduling delays, enabling instant appointment bookings, modifications and confirmations to streamline workflows.

Its low latency and high bandwidth combination enhances telehealth capabilities, helping patients swiftly schedule and participate in virtual appointments. 5G provides top notch video and audio quality, enhancing access to health care services.

The growing role of the IoMT in health care, combined with 5G connectivity, integrates wearable health monitors into patient scheduling software. This integration enables real-time health data collection and enhances appointment booking based on patient health statuses.

Additionally, 5G facilitates augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) integration into patient scheduling software, enriching the client experience through virtual facility tours and interactive appointment scheduling interfaces.

With 5G just a few years old — making its debut for home connections in 2018 — 6G is already on the horizon, promising to boost connections even more.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top software

Software Comparison Strategy

There’s no perfect patient scheduling system, but choosing one doesn’t have to be daunting.

Follow a few simple steps to collect requirements, run them by decision-makers and shortlist vendors based on your needs to find the perfect software for your practice.

Identify Your Practice Requirements

Gathering input from clinicians, administrators, staff and patients is crucial as each stakeholder has unique needs in the patient scheduling process.

Patients seek convenient and minimal-wait-time appointments, doctors aim for efficient time management, staff want smooth workflows, and administrators focus on resource optimization for revenue.

To enhance work productivity and automate daily tasks, you need insights from office staff to tailor the scheduling software to your specific requirements.

Evaluate Software Vendors

Thorough evaluation is essential when considering software solutions. While vendor references provide valuable insights, it's important not to rely on them solely, as they tend to offer positive reviews.

Ideally, you should also engage with additional contacts to gather diverse information and opinions, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of the solutions.

Key Considerations While Buying

This section will try to highlight specific features to look out for according to your practice needs.

Security and Compliance: While choosing a solution, make sure it complies with privacy and data security policies to ensure Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance. Consider the following compliance factors:
- Encrypting data transmission
- Locating safe server locations
- Providing data protection, backups and disaster recovery
- Safeguarding data with strong firewalls
- Implementing user verification modules
Integrated vs. Standalone: Integrated platforms provide comprehensive solutions, including patient records, practice management and billing. They simplify integration and are ideal for those seeking a holistic approach. Standalone platforms are separate but can be suitable if you already have billing and practice management software, provided they’re interoperable.
Integrations: Whether you’re going for a standalone or end-to-end solution, ensure that it integrates seamlessly with your existing solutions and third-party apps.
In-Portal vs. Portal-Independent: In-portal adoption involves extra login steps and suits practices with established portals. Portal-independent platforms offer greater patient access and convenience, making them a more intuitive choice for most clinics.
Standard vs. Customized Appointments: Extensive customization is a must, and most applications let you regulate appointment type and duration. Some solutions also offer appointment configuration filters for certain slots and days.
End-to-End Automation vs. Form Request: Requesting forms can be tedious. Seek end-to-end automation from your vendor. Clarify what clients and the practice can access.
Auto vs. Manual Approvals: Self-scheduling solutions can be a bit intimidating for practices as the possibility of chaos increases, if all is left to the client. Choose customizable appointments with auto and manual approvals. This offers control to practices while saving time for both patients and providers.

Does software buying feel challenging to you? Explore our nine-step Lean Selection methodology for an in-depth guide to comparing and choosing an ideal solution.

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top software

Cost & Pricing Considerations

As with any solution, implementing a patient scheduling platform can turn out to be a long and expensive process.

This section will give you a preliminary idea of what some additional costs can be and how to negotiate.

Vendors typically offer a flat fee or per-provider, per-month model. They may also charge an initial implementation fee. Several factors determine the price, including:

Opting for integrated solutions with a comprehensive suite of features.
Factoring in maintenance, training and data migration costs.
Negotiating long-term contracts for reduced recurring expenses
Exploring bundled services for cost-effective integration
Considering beta testing platforms at a lower cost
Agreeing to serve as a vendor reference for potential discounts
Choosing a flexible and scalable solution to avoid hidden feature costs

Price Guide for Patient Scheduling

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Questions To Ask Yourself

Ask your company's primary stakeholders and potential users the right questions to define your requirements checklist.

Use these questions as a starting point for internal conversations:

What specific areas of my practice do I want to improve?
Do we want on-premise or cloud-based deployment?
Does my practice need a scalable solution?
How many physicians and staff members will need access?
Do we need any customizations?

Questions to Ask About Patient Scheduling Software

Questions To Ask Vendors

Use these questions as a starting point for conversations with vendors:

About the Software

Is there drag-and-drop and cut-and-paste functionality for scheduling appointments?
Does it easily allow you to attach files to appointments (e.g. JPEGs of X-rays or PDFs of physician instructions)?
Is the solution HIPAA-compliant?
Can the platform integrate well with your existing solutions?
Does it have a mobile app?

About the Vendor

How do you handle data security issues?
What support and training options do you offer?
How do you handle updates?
Can you refer some clients for feedback?
Do you provide help with implementation and installation?

Expert recommendations and analysis on the top software

Next Steps

Whether you’re starting a practice or looking to replace your current patient scheduling software solution, our guide can help you stay on top of the latest trends, newest improvements and best solutions for your practice.

Need help choosing the right product? Dive into our free and interactive comparison report. Explore top-rated products and compare their reviews, user ratings and features to see how they stack up against one another.

Product Comparisons

Additional Resources

About The Contributors

The following expert team members are responsible for creating, reviewing, and fact checking the accuracy of this content.

By Kashish Arora

Technical Content Writer

Kashish Arora was a Technical Content Writer at SelectHub who specialized in developing content for accounting, EHR, EMR, practice management, patient scheduling and EPM. She holds a master's degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication. When not writing, she eats fictional quotes, listens to Latin jazz and reweaves the missing parts of her spiritual tapestry.

Technical Research By Dhanasri Yasam

Senior Analyst

As a Senior Research Analyst, Dhanasri Yasam works in key categories like EHR, EMR, business intelligence and HR. In her role, she conducts primary research, collects and analyzes empirical data, and draws evidence-based conclusions. She also has extensive experience gathering requirements for client projects. Dhanasri holds a B-tech in Computer Science and Engineering from Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute, Chennai and an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Aurora's Business School, Hyderabad.

Technical Review By Manan Roy

Principal Analyst

Manan is a native of Tezpur, Assam (India), who currently lives in Kolkata, West Bengal (India). At SelectHub, he works on categories like CRM, HR, PPM, BI, and EHR. He has a Bachelor of Technology in CSE from The Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology, a Master of Technology from The Institute of Engineering and Management IT, and an MBA in Finance from St. Xavier's College. He's published two research papers, one in a conference and the other in a journal, during his Master of Technology.

Edited By Ryan McElroy

Content Editor

Ryan McElroy is a Content Editor and Senior Market Analyst at SelectHub who writes and edits content on various software types, along with their broader concepts and the industries they serve, including medical, construction, CMMS, supply chain management and legal. He studied at the University of Missouri (Mizzou) and earned his BA in Journalism in 2016. During his free time, you’ll find Ryan playing video/card/board games, sipping coffee and reading speculative fiction, or listening to music his loved ones often describe as “headache-inducing.”