5 Underutilized Practice Management Software Tools: Don’t Overlook These Super Useful Features

Some of these most underutilized PMS tools could help improve your practice’s revenue, client compliance, patient records, team efficiency, and, best of all, patient care.

Published Oct 28, 2020

Reduce appointment no-shows by up to 50% by using online scheduling with automatic email and text reminders.

by Caitlin DeWilde, DVM

According to one report, the average veterinary practice uses just 20% of the functionality of its practice management software (PMS). Here are some of the most underutilized PMS tools that could help improve your practice’s revenue, client compliance, patient records, team efficiency, and, best of all, patient care.

Central Messaging and To-Do Lists

Keep a single, central list of duties, messages, or requests assigned to individual team members, accessible throughout your hospital (or even remotely!). Forget the sticky notes and handwritten messages, and ensure that your team members can see their to-dos (often along with time-date stamps, supporting info and files, and a record of who assigned the task) in one spot. Avoid having to retype or rewrite a request in a patient’s file, and assign follow-up tasks to another team member without having to call or walk around the hospital until you can find them to discuss it.

Examples: Worklist (AviMark), Callback (Cornerstone)

Medical Record and Glossary Templates

Having medical record templates ensures consistency and prompts a complete record. Don’t reinvent the wheel by typing out your normal otoscopic exam findings or your go-to recommendations for monitoring for vaccine reactions. Using medical record templates or glossary notes within your PMS, you can complete records faster, craft a more thorough and detailed record, provide more client education, and move on to caring for the next patient.

Examples: Glossary Notes (AviMark)

Client Discharge Summaries

Today’s clients want, and rightfully deserve, better information. We know that clients retain only a fraction of what we tell them in the exam room. Providing a discharge summary can increase clients’ understanding of the care and recommendations we provide and, therefore, increase compliance, perception of value, and ultimately, patient outcomes. Giving your client a printed (or digital) summary of each visit can be worth the effort, and many PMS systems offer templates and automatic generation. Pair this with your glossary notes and medical note templates to save time typing and create a consistent, professional, and complete report.

Examples: Report Cards (AviMark), Clinical Summaries (ezyVet)

Giving your client a . . . summary of each visit can be worth the effort, and many PMS systems offer templates and automatic generation.

Scheduling, Confirmations, and Appointment Reminders

Reduce appointment no-shows by up to 50% by using online scheduling with automatic email and text reminders. In addition, free up your receptionists’ time to serve clients physically in your practice and deal with fewer ringing phones and pinging emails back and forth to determine appointment availability. A few hours spent with initial customization of an online scheduler, your practice’s appointment availability, and automatic confirmation emails and day-of reminders will save your practice time and money in the long run and allow it to care for more patients.

Examples: Rapport (AviMark), Customer Portal/Online Booking (ezyVet)

Lapsing or Lapsed Patient Reports

Practices may slip into allowing all their patients to come to them rather than being proactive about booking appointments. Running a lapsing patient report will identify patients who have not been in the practice for 18 months or who have overdue services. Identifying and then contacting these clients to book appointments will keep appointment calendars full, provide clients a valuable service of not having to keep track of what pets are due when, and ultimately give patients the best preventive care.

While there is no shortage of veterinary practice management software features, it is important to know and focus on what features can best help your teams and your patients. A little time invested in training and customization can pay off in dividends when you use what these programs have to offer.

Caitlin DeWilde, DVM, is CEO of The Social DVM, a social media consulting firm.

Photo credits: PrettyVectors/iStock via Getty Images Plus