Having second thoughts about signing up to Halaxy, nee HealthKit?
Well, you're not alone.
Irrespective of whether it's because of their questionable privacy policy or hard-to-use platform, it's understandable! That's why we've written this article.
That being said, who does offer the top alternative practice management software?
As you probably already know, there are a tonne of online practice management systems available for practitioners. This article is here to help you cut that list down to make the best decision possible for your practice.
This article will run through the best alternatives for you and provide a comparison of all their capabilities... Basically, what we're trying to say is that we've taken the 'search' part out of your research, so all that's left for you to do is re...re...relax!
Sections:
- Carepatron
- Nookal
- SimplePractice
- Cliniko
- TheraNest
But seriously, we know Halaxy isn't the best product the market has to offer, and here's why;
Confidentiality
Formerly known as HealthKit, Halaxy is a practice management software that provides software solutions for health practitioners in medical facilities and clinics. While offering several different capabilities such as billing, appointment booking, and record-keeping, there has been much chatter going around within the healthcare community questioning the ethics behind Halaxy's privacy statement and T & C's.
Halaxy’s privacy policy is…different. The policy indicates that information entered into the system by either the patient or the practitioner can be collected by Halaxy. It then goes on to list the permitted purposes that dictate usage and disclosure of this personal information, which include some rather unusual circumstances (including for research, marketing, and promotional opportunities).
What about patient consent?
Good question. This is where it gets a little tricky - Halaxy’s privacy policy states that patients should be informed about how the system is using their information. Sounds about right. However, the policy outlines that as a practitioner who uses Halaxy, you have not only informed your patients of how Halaxy can use their health data, but you have also received consent for this.
If you’re interested in finding out more about Halaxy’s privacy policy and how it can impact your patients - it’s available on their website for free! Have a read-through and see for yourself whether or not it holds up to genuine HIPAA compliance standards.
This major issue aside, there are a few other things about Halaxy we think they could work on...
Pricing
We can't work out the pricing plan, what it means, or even how much one practitioner can expect to pay. While there is a free limited version from reading the information on their website, it looks like you can expect to incur any number of hidden costs... Not something a solo practitioner or small practice needs.
Design
This is a little more personal, but just like the payment scheme, the whole platform is challenging to navigate and can prove confusing. Let's just say the word intuitive isn't in Halaxy's vocab.
Top Halaxy Alternatives
So we take it this is what you're here for, the alternatives section!
Carepatron
This is our top alternative to Halaxy. We recommend you swap over today, or actually, maybe even yesterday!
Carepatron was co-created with Doctors, Psychologists, Physiotherapists, Nurses, Counselors, allied health, and mental health workers in mind. Carepatron aims to help healthcare practitioners live their best work life. It'll run on any device in any country. And yes, this includes the ability to work with android apps and IOS apps. Carepatron helps with scheduling client appointments, managing health records, automating billing and payments, and improving patient care on a global scale.
Carepatron's key features
Carepatron's telehealth tool enables practitioners to meet with each other, their clients, and anyone else they wish... online. Guess what we've found, their video calling quality is superior to others on the market, so you won't have to experience those awkward glitches with clients.
2. Workflow manager 💪
Nearly all the practice management platforms on the market today have basic scheduling tools. Carepatron offers more; it's an end-to-end workflow tool, which utilizes the newest technology to automate and streamline what practitioners do and how they do it!
Here are some of Carepatron's powerful workflow tools:
- Client appointment organizer
- The ability to share and manage tasks
- Auto Reminders
- Team Meeting Capabilities
3. AI-Powered voice-to-text transcription
Who doesn't want to type as fast as they can talk! This means you'll be able to take down notes on the move, no more late nights writing up client progress notes.
No more work computers in the lounge... From here on out, it'll just be you, your cat, and some of that delicious chocolate you found last week at the supermarket.
4. Client relationships
Managing client relationships is difficult, especially when you have a huge caseload, but with Carepatron you can directly contact, manage and allocate within their profile. Making everything easier for you and them!
Privacy and confidentiality aren't the sexiest part of software selection, but when selecting a software management platform for your practice, as we have found from Halaxy's example, it's definitely the most important.✔️
Carepatron is HIPAA certified, so unlike other software platforms, you can be sure that they'll keep you and your client's details safe.
Go ahead, sign up for free with Carepatron. 🎉
Here are some other excellent Carepatron capabilities:
- Note and clinical report software
- Fully functional free version available
- Unlimited 24/7 support
- Intuitive, user-friendly interface
- AI-powered voice to text transcription
- Client relationship capability
Carepatron Pricing
Carepatron has a robust free plan for unlimited users with a paid version at just $12 per user/month, pretty affordable if you ask us!
Nookal
Nookal is our second-best option, our silver, our consolation prize. Check them out. They're good at what they do.
What do they do?
They're practice management software created for allied health clinicians to help practitioners and therapists increase revenue. They help with the automation of payments and bookings, reminder messages, staff scheduling, invoicing, and some other standard stuff.
Pros:
- Automatic reminder capability
- Simple interface
- Fees free 30-day trial
Cons
• Non-HIPAA compliant
Surprisingly, these guys haven't bothered to become HIPAA compliant! As we've discussed earlier in the article, privacy and confidentiality are paramount in the healthcare sector. Nookal hasn't bothered to comply with the HIPAA regulations... this should concern you 🙋♂️
• They are expensive!!!!
For a platform that charges $55 per month, you'll get limited support and integration with external providers such as Mailchimp and Xero. That's not great for a mental health workflow.
Pricing
Nookal saas pricing starts at $55 per month. That's a lot for someone who isn't HIPAA compliant...
SimplePractice
SimplePractice is one of the better-known medical practice management platforms that's been around for a while. It claims to have a wide range of tools to assist any punter in streamlining their business management. This includes online bookings, medical billing, and referrals. We don't think it lives up to the hype, and we'll tell you why:
Documentation and Note Capabilities...
For a platform that's been around as long as SimplePractice, you'd hope they'd offer more capabilities in the progress notes and psychotherapy note functionality area. Other platforms, such as Carepatron are much better at making note-keeping and documentation a far more pleasant experience.
Customer Service
Social media and online review platforms don't paint a good picture for SimplePractice's customer service team. Forgive us for paraphrasing; reviews claim they're hard to get ahold of and lack the sense of urgency you'd hope to find in any CRM. Why? We don't know.
Pricing
SimplePractice offers two plans, both on a monthly payment scheme (listed below). The telehealth video functionality is also an additional $10 per month per practitioner.
- the essential plan is $39 monthly
- the professional plan is $59 per month
Cliniko
Cliniko gives healthcare workers an online tool to manage their daily tasks. They offer all of the core tools with their most exciting features being your standard:
1. Appointment Scheduling Capabilities
2. Online Billing and Invoicing
3. Document Management
Some of the reasons Cliniko isn't at the top of our list;
Where's the Patient Portal?
Patient portals are the perfect tool for practitioners; intake forms, messaging, appointment reminders, contact details, and online payments are just a few of the tasks that can be made far more straightforward through the use of a patient portal. Any good practice management software should possess this tool. Cliniko doesn't, just chose one that does!
Mobile App?
Being mobile in 2021 is imperative to your practice's success in helping your clients and making a living. You need to be able to access your practice management system from anywhere (even if you've fallen down a crevasse at the top of K2 on your personal mental health holiday).
Whether they use Android, iPhone, or iPad, you need to provide a user-friendly service for your patients. Cliniko doesn't have a Mobile App, and we just can't understand why!
Pricing
The majority of healthcare practitioners aren't rolling in cash. I mean, who are these days?
That means that pricing is a major factor in the decision-making process when it comes to choosing a software platform. Cliniko pricing, while simple, is expensive. Single practitioners will be looking at $49 per month as a minimum.
TheraNest
TheraNest is a web-based practice management software designed to assist healthcare businesses to streamline various tasks. TheraNest is integrated with a range of different features, including:
- Clinical documentation
- Note templates
- Invoicing and billing assistance
- Client portal
- E-prescriptions
- Analytics
TheraNest also offers a 21-day free trial, which we highly recommend before committing to anything long-term.
Limitations of the software
However, despite the capabilities that are evident in TheraNest’s system, it is not without its drawbacks. One of the most important limitations of TheraNest’s platform is in relation to its appointment scheduling functions. The system struggles to customize appointment lengths and book recurring sessions.
Pricing
TheraNest organizes its pricing plans based on the number of clients that you have per caseload.
- $39 monthly for under 30 clients
- $50 monthly for under 50 clients
- $60 monthly for under 60 clients
- $91 monthly under 80 clients
It is also important to note that certain features - including telehealth, practice planners, and client portals - are only available at an additional cost. It’s not hard to see how investing in these necessary tools may cause a significant dent in your finances!
Top Tips For Choosing a Healthcare Management Platform
When it comes time to choose the right practice management platform for your healthcare business, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind.
- Affordability: Unsurprisingly, the cost is a massive factor when it comes to finding the perfect practice management software. You want to ensure the platform you implement works effectively without breaking the bank - look for systems that offer free trials and have no additional or hidden costs!
- Patient experience: Although practice management systems are largely catered to streamlining administrative tasks, it is essential that you don’t forget about your patients. The best systems take the patient experience into consideration by integrating with client portals - helping to improve both communication and healthcare transparency.
- Compliance: It is absolutely imperative that your practice management software is HIPAA-compliant. Not only will this mean that your patient's privacy is maintained, but it will also protect you and your practitioners.
- Scalability: Lastly, you should be on the lookout for scalability. It is in every healthcare practice’s best interest to be thinking about how they can grow, and you want to use a platform that can accommodate this growth.
Thanks for taking that journey with us!
It really was...well...um...informative, to say the least!
I think it's fair to say that there's a clear winner here, but in saying that nothing is more full-proof than the old-fashioned 'give it a go.'
I mean, who has time for that these days, though? Seriously?
Just sign up for Carepatron. You won't be disappointed. Check out some other articles here: SOAP Note Examples, Practice Management Skills, and Best Free PMS.
Want to find out more? Have a look at the following comparison articles:
- Top 10 Alternatives to SimplePractice In 2022
- Best Power Diary Alternatives (Features and Pricing)
- Best Cliniko Alternatives (Features and Pricing)
- Best TheraNest Alternatives (Features and Pricing)
- Best Counsol Alternatives (Features and Pricing)
- Best TherapyNotes Alternatives (Features and Pricing)
- Best Nookal Alternatives (Features and Pricing)
- Best My Clients Plus Alternatives (Features and Pricing)
