Chapter 12
The 3 Biggest Mistakes when Choosing Software
Mistake #1: Rushing
I totally understand that most doctors get into the software search because they’ve finally hit a breaking point. They can’t stand something about their software, and they want a quick fix. Maybe their software company got bought out or is going out of business.
It’s a lot like what patients experience. They are in pain and just want a “crack,” thinking that will solve their problem and prevent it in the future.
This is where you get taken advantage of. You get on a call with ChiroTouch, ChiroFusion, or Platinum, and they immediately jump to all the fancy features specific to the “pain” you came in with. They show you a very low price, and your problems are solved—at least you think they are.
The cause of your real problem is still there. You have decreased collections, lower patient retention, less compliance, and your staff is still running to dozens of reports missing steps, losing patients—and you are managing by fire.
Switching systems is a decision you only want to make once. You don’t want to rush. A mistake could cost you thousands of dollars. And even though you may be losing thousands per month, it is hard to justify spending more money. Switching systems is also draining on your team, so even if you switch and then realize you’ve made a mistake, it may be too much on your team to ask them to switch again anytime soon.
Lessons:
- Take your time. Look for solutions, not features, to your real business management problems.
- Do not buy on price alone. Remember all the hidden costs that occur without automation and Single Point Management. They are real.
Mistake #2: Old Technology
Platinum, ChiroTouch, and others are built in a software language that is the equivalent of Sanskrit—ancient. It means they are limited to the functionalities of that language. Future improvements will be extremely limited.
Cloud-based systems have many advantages. The software language can be improved over time with no interruption to your system. It is like repairing a plane while you’re flying it. Genesis literally has a completely different language now than when we started.
That means that new capabilities will be added, and you will never realize it. It means better integrations with other technologies. It means your data are more secure (see the next chapter for more on this). Don’t forget that it also means you are joining a network of doctors using data to beat insurance companies at their own game.
No cloud, no centralized data, no research.
Lesson:
Go with the cloud and join a system like Genesis that is using collective data analytics to help the profession.
Mistake #3: Price vs. Cost
There is a huge difference between price and cost.
A flip phone’s price is less, but the cost of not having a smartphone is huge. A phone is just one of the many examples out there.
You get on a demo system, they show you a low price, you buy it, and it costs you for the rest of your career.
Proven return on investment (ROI)
Why don’t they ask you about your practice—your goals, your dreams, your patient volume, your no-show rate, your reschedule rate, your accounts receivable numbers, your collections, your documentation time, your management hours? If they did, they could tell you how much your current solution is costing you, right? Then you would know what kind of return you would get on their price.
Software is not like a car. It is not an expense. It is more like a house, which is more of an asset. You should be able to calculate what your return will be if you buy it.
The reason you never hear this conversation is because other systems were never built for ROI. They were built for a quick sale. They are not looking at before-and-after data across thousands of users, especially if they are not in the cloud, since that would be impossible. They simply could never tell you what your ROI would be.
Even a cloud-based system without Single Point Management could not give you an ROI. Any claims they make about improved collections and efficiency are anecdotal at best.
With Genesis’ Dream Practice Analysis, we do just that. We look at where your practice is, and we can show you what the real cost of your current system is or another one you are considering.
- If your accounts receivable are high, retention is low, collections per visit are low—what is that costing you?
- How much time is your staff spending doing things that Genesis will automate? What is that costing you?
- A true cost of ownership is what you want. Slow down and take the time to do it.
- Price is a relative number and should always be looked at in the context of cost.
Lesson:
Software should never cost you anything. You should get an ROI on your investment (the price). You should be looking for a software that can prove an ROI specific to your practice.