5 Signs Tech Might Be Holding You Back

As a healthcare provider or business owner, you interact with your technology ecosystem daily: from your EHR system to practice management software, not to mention physical computers and devices. While this familiarity can feel easy and comfortable, it can also lead to blind spots. It’s likely that you and your team have adapted to inefficiencies or created workarounds without realizing the overall impact on the business. 

In today’s competitive landscape, the right tools can create a powerful competitive advantage. Using outdated or misaligned technology, or even just not making improvements, can hold you back as others improve their own systems. 

In this post, let’s explore five key questions we ask our clients to help spot areas where they might be unknowingly held back. After all, in today’s digital-first healthcare landscape, having the right technology isn’t just about keeping up, but standing out. 

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Are you making real-time, data-driven decisions?

Just like monitoring a patient’s vital signs, having access to real-time data is crucial for making business decisions. You may be familiar with traditional metrics like daily patient volume and denial rates, but those reports often reflect outcomes of upstream workflows and decisions. Having access to data at a more granular level can help you identify blockers before they become a bigger downstream issue, as well as help uncover opportunities to capitalize on emerging trends. 

Here are some reporting capabilities you may not realize are possible:

• Real-time dashboards for metrics like wait times and lab results
• AI-driven analytics that help you spot positive or negative trends 
• Projected shift costs, with recommendations to minimize expenses
• Workflow bottlenecks, to identify the cause of door-to-door times or other blockers
• Revenue cycle trends that quickly spot lost revenue

A quick win that our clients often see is the ability to easily identify no-shows and follow up, offering same-day or same-week rescheduling. This attentive customer service shows a commitment to continuous care, while also filling schedule gaps.

Can your technology grow with you?

Whether you’re dreaming of opening new locations or simply want to serve your current patients better, your tech stack should be your growth partner. If this sounds strange, you may not realize that tools shouldn’t just sit unused, waiting to be picked up. Technology can be as strategic and adaptable as a medical team that gets better the more they work together. 

Thinking about your current system:

• Does it require constant updates or upgrades? Not to be confused with small fixes or automatically pushed feature releases, your technology should improve seamlessly without causing disruption.
• Is it easy to learn? Complicated systems that require excessive onboarding (e.g. our clients can start using the Carby within a day) take your team away from being productive. 
• Can it scale to multiple locations? Managing multiple sites should feel as easy as managing one. 
• Does it allow for workflow customization? Every practice is unique, so the ability to tailor workflows to your specific needs - whether through self-service tools or a responsive support team - is essential.
• Is it cloud-based? If you’re still relying on bulky servers or hardware, it’s time to free up that space (and maybe create another exam room). 

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Are you delivering a modern patient experience?

As consumers, we’ve become accustomed to reading peer reviews before making a decision - healthcare is no exception. All medical practices face evaluation on every aspect of the patient experience, from the quality of care to the insurance process, and across a myriad of digital platforms and word of mouth. With such diverse feedback, maintaining a positive reputation requires consistent, excellent care delivery. 

Fortunately, with the right technology, you can manage both patient expectations and streamline operations. Here’s how:

• Real-time availability. Patients want easy scheduling that includes integration with platforms like Google or Yelp. Your scheduling platform should work seamlessly with providers’ real-time availability, account for changes like walk-ins or cancellations, and predict wait times. Our platform is designed to block time as appropriate for the booking reason, allowing us to serve more patients without increasing staffing. 
• Messaging capabilities. Beyond basic two-way communications, modern systems enable appointment reminders, post-visit follow-ups and surveys, and call intent. These kinds of features help patients feel cared for throughout the journey, as well as free up your staff to focus on patients who require additional attention. 
• Digital intake forms. Save time for everyone, especially patients, who appreciate seeing their provider as quickly as possible. From an operational perspective, capturing the right insurance also helps you collect the right amount at checkout and minimize the time to payment processing. 

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Are your teams working seamlessly together?

In healthcare, software is often specialized for specific users, such as billers or clinical staff, but modern systems are designed to break down silos and facilitate collaboration. For example, Carby automatically suggests E&M coding based on the visit, leading to more appropriate billing complexity and less errors from the clinical team to the payments process. When errors do occur, the billing team is able to work from a single source of truth to identify the cause and create rules to avoid them in the future. 

To evaluate your system for collaboration, look for:

• One central hub or source of truth for all teams to access
• Shared tasking and workflows to keep everyone on the same page
• Real-time updates or shared dashboards that prevent duplicative work
• Easy reporting of bugs - and quick fixes!
• Feedback mechanisms to improve system performance

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Is your technology driving better outcomes?

Delivering exceptional care goes beyond the exam room. As a healthcare provider and leader, you must demonstrate improved health outcomes and value to partners and payers as well. With Carby, we help close care gaps by integrating care coordination and communications, ultimately leading to better outcomes. 

Here’s an example of how Carby helps a provider stand out amongst other urgent cares:

“With virtual follow up, Carby can send someone a note via the messager to say “Hey, how are you? Just checking in.” It’s foreign in urgent care. It’s a differentiator compared to competitors and our patients tell us they can tell we actually care, it’s not just about getting them in and out.” - Acey Albert, MD, FACP

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Remember: practices that embrace innovative technology don’t just keep up, they set the standard.

The right system can transform every part of your experience for every member of your team, delighting current patients and attracting new ones. Let’s work together to make your practice best in class. 

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