7 minute read
What used to take two people one day to do in billing, now takes one person five minutes.
From the outset of establishing their now-booming dermatology practice, Pennsylvania Dermatology Partners (PDP), owners Andrew Frankel, COO & co-founder, and Daniel Shurman, MD, FAAD & co-founder, knew that their business’s future growth would, in large part, be reliant upon technology and choosing the right medical office software. Their goal, when opening their practice back in 2012 and still today, is to provide excellence in patient care and dermatology. According to Dr. Shuman, the key to meeting this goal was to effectively address the needs of their patients and attract and retain leading doctors.
Addressing the Needs of Their Patients
Like other medical office practices, PDP sees dozens of patients daily, each with varying needs. From overexposure to the sun and harmful chemicals to life-threatening cancer to recurring rashes, their patients often have urgent medical issues that require exceptional dermatological care. With the needs of its patients top of mind, PDP set out to create a patient-centric backbone for the business. Mr. Frankel and Dr. Sherman sought out a best-in-class back-end technology to ensure their practice was as efficient as possible, provided the best patient service and was a model where doctors could thrive and grow.
Mr. Frankel and Dr. Shurman sought out a best-in-class back-end technology to ensure their practice was as efficient as possible, provided the best patient service and was a model where doctors could thrive and grow.
Attracting and Retaining Leading Doctors
As another leg to their growth strategy, Mr. Frankel and Dr. Shurman prioritized operational efficiency to meet their goal of attracting and retaining leading doctors. They knew that if their doctors could spend less time on paperwork and more time providing outstanding medical care, they would have a satisfied workforce who would want to grow with them and others who would want to join them.
A Complete End-to-End Software Solution for Medical Offices
Finding the right medical office software solution was paramount to accomplishing these goals. Mr. Frankel and Dr. Shurman sought out a best-in-class back-end technology to ensure their practice was as efficient as possible, provided the best patient service as possible and was a model where doctors could thrive and grow. They opened their practice on solid operational footing with Rhythm, a medical office software platform offered by AdvancedMD, a Global Payments company.
Now, seven years later, they couldn’t be happier with the software’s ability to help them expand their business.
“The future of medicine is being able to provide the best services to our patients,” said Mr. Frankel. “We absolutely would not be able to understand and expand our business in this manner without having built it around the AdvancedMD Rhythm technology platform.”
AdvancedMD Rhythm adds several efficiencies to their business, helping them and their staff work smarter.
A Focus on the Patient Experience
The patient experience begins even before that patient arrives at the doctor’s office. It starts online when a patient looks up contact information to schedule an appointment. Through its platform, AdvancedMD gives PDP the ability to offer online scheduling at any hour, easing the frustration of appointment scheduling after hours or when the doctor’s staff is not available.
“The fact that patients can schedule appointments for issues they deem urgent at any hour of the day is a huge benefit to our practice,” Mr. Frankel said.
He reports that 214 visits were scheduled online in April 2018, and the number of patients who schedule their appointments online continues to grow month to month. In a recent PDP patient survey, the majority of those responding gave positive ratings to the practice’s patient portal and online scheduling.
AdvancedMD is always adding new features to its complete software solution. PDP recently adopted voice reminders allowing them to customize reminders within the software and keep their practice at the forefront of their patient’s minds.
“AdvancedMD continues to invest in its Rhythm platform, incorporating new tools that were once standalone options,” Mr. Frankel said. “This mirrors our own investment in technology, as we grow, we roll out new advancements as part of an integrated whole.”
Reputation Management
Just like the patient experience doesn’t begin in the doctor’s office, it doesn’t end there either. Medical office practices are built through referrals, and now overwhelmingly, through social referrals.
“By logging into our AdvancedMD dashboard, I can easily see the 153 reviews we received in the past seven days, 132 of them with five stars. I can also analyze feedback provided by our patients, and aggregate reviews by category, such as by office or practitioner,” said Mr. Frankel. “We work hard to keep our patients happy, and it’s rewarding to see that good work reflected in so many positive reviews.”
Data and Analytics for Financial Success
Like any other business, medical offices need to produce positive financial outcomes in order to stay in business and ultimately, grow. AdvancedMD offers PDP a full suite of data and analytics to make informed decisions for the success of the practice.
Among a variety of features and functionalities, Mr. Frankel and Dr. Shurman are able to manage productivity, pinpoint areas of improvement, analyze financial information and complete billing quickly. According to Mr. Frankel, "What used to take two people one day to do in billing, now takes one person five minutes."
AdvancedMD platform is easy to use, according to Dr. Shurman. Information is easily managed on one screen allowing for the flexibility to pull any number of reports to help make strategic business decisions.
Today, PDP has 12 offices serving southeastern Pennsylvania, clocking over 7,300 patient visits a month, and still growing.
“A testament to the software is that seven years later, we’re still here and continue to grow,” Mr. Frankel said. “AdvancedMD provides us with the tools we need to succeed.”
