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Introduction
Practice management systems are revolutionizing the way businesses approach their care delivery. With sophisticated streamlining tools, these platforms help practices elevate many of their administrative and clinical processes. For this reason, investing in a practice management system is one of the best decisions you can make for your healthcare business. With all of the available options, knowing which one to choose can be a bit daunting, which is why we’re here to help.
In this guide, we’ll tell you what to look for in a management system and offer some alternatives to Pabau. Hopefully by the time you’ve finished reading you feel more equipped to make the best decision for your practice. Let’s get started!
How to choose the best practice management software?
Choosing the perfect practice management system is hard. It’s also largely dependent on the specific needs of your business. Nevertheless, here are some of the most important features we think you should be on the lookout for:
HIPAA-compliance: Choosing a HIPAA-compliant system is an absolute must. These vendors manage your ePHI and need to have quality physical and technological safeguards in place. They also need to sign a BAA with you. When you are conducting research into potential management systems, it’s your responsibility to make sure their protective measures are up to scratch.
Implementation: Implementing a new system into your business will always take a bit of time. Your staff will need to learn how to navigate the new platform and you need to ensure the software and hardware you have in place is compatible. That’s why we think looking for a cloud-based solution is undoubtedly the best option - these ensure that you don’t need any expensive (or extensive) implementations and that getting the platform up and running is as seamless as possible.
Customer support: It is more than likely that you’ll run into some technical issue when using a new practice management system. While this is inevitable and can usually be resolved quickly, you may need to reach out to a customer support team. For that reason, we think it’s essential that the vendor you go with has an accessible and highly knowledgeable support team ready to help you at any given moment.
Introduction to Pabu: Benefits vs Limitations
First thing first: what is Pabau? Pabau is a specialized clinic management system that helps healthcare businesses streamline administrative processes and improve patient engagement. Pabau’s platform is specifically tailored towards medi-aesthetics, physiotherapy, wellness, GP clinics, spas and salons, cosmetic surgery, and vaccine clinics.
Some of the robust tools included in Pabau’s software include:
- Client management
- Appointment scheduling and online booking
- Reporting and analytics
- Client portal
Pabau is used by a range of different providers and it has been shown to reduce the amount of time that is spent on various administrative tasks. This saved time can subsequently be spent doing more important things - like caring for patients.
Pabau is also integrated with marketing features. Together with their reporting and analytics capabilities, these tools help practices obtain a greater number of patients and broaden their clientele. Figuring out innovative and reliable methods for improving patient engagement should always be a top priority for healthcare businesses, and these resources are perfectly suited to this.
Pabau also offers a free version of its platform. This is accessible to solo providers with less than 50 clients. Although most healthcare practitioners are always looking to achieve growth, this is a good beginning point for start-ups. To get a quote from Pabau for your business, get in touch with the platform directly.
However, while we don’t want to discredit the good work that Pabau has done, there are still some drawbacks.
Customer Support: Pabau has poor customer support, making it difficult for businesses to have issues resolved in a timely manner.
Implementation: Unfortunately, Pabau’s platform isn’t overly easy to implement. There are some complicated processes that require customization in order to be truly effective. The main purpose of practice management systems is to make businesses more efficient - and if the setup process is overly complicated, then this efficiency is already compromised.
Given these reasons, we think it’s a good idea to consider some of the alternatives to Pabua. So let’s take a look.
5 Best Pabau Alternatives
Carepatron
Carepatron is the best practice management system that’s currently available. The platform is integrated with a robust set of features that streamline processes depending on your business needs. Carepatron is used by a range of different healthcare professionals working in various fields.
Carepatron is entirely HIPAA-compliant, ensuring that you and your patients are protected at all times. This is an absolute essential when it comes to practice management systems that manage your ePHI. Carepatron has high-end encryption, physical safeguards and also generates a BAA for each of its clients.
Carepatron’s features include (but are not limited to):
- Billing and coding features
- Online payments
- Appointment scheduling
- Appointment reminders
- Unlimited 24/7 support
- Telehealth
- Patient portal
- Health records
- Client relationship capability
Telehealth at no additional cost
Carepatron is integrated with telehealth features at no additional cost. In the aftermath of COVID-19, having access to quality remote care is becoming increasingly important. For healthcare providers, this means implementing telehealth services. With Carepatron’s platform, you can offer your services remotely, helping you reach a broader clientele and ensuring that patients in need are being cared for.
Mobile app
Carepatron also offers a mobile app, facilitating better remote care. Not only does this allow patients to make payments online and book their appointments with a few simple clicks, but it also ensures providers always have access to their work, regardless of where they are in the world.
Reduced no-shows
No-shows are a hard reality that many healthcare businesses have to deal with. They disrupt the workflow, change the schedule, and waste time and money. With Carepatron’s automated appointment reminders, you can reduce the no-shows in your practice by up to 99%. Patients can be reminded of their upcoming bookings and can confirm with a few quick clicks - what’s not to love?
Pricing
Carepatron understands that practice management systems are vital components of healthcare businesses, and as such, should be affordable. They offer their product according to three pricing plans:
- Starter: Free Plan
- Professional: $12 per user/month
- Organization: $19 per user/month
Get started with Carepatron now 🎉
TheraNest
TheraNest’s platform has been designed to help mental and behavioral health practitioners. The system is integrated with a wide range of tools that help these providers streamline administrative tasks, including appointment scheduling, a client portal, secure messaging, and customer support. Having access to these resources allows healthcare practices to optimize their services and ensure client needs are being met.
TheraNest pros
Customization
TheraNest integrates with customizable features. When your business uses clinical note templates, you can adjust these to suit your specific needs. Having customizable features is a necessity when it comes to practice management systems. While streamlining is good, you always want to make sure you can adjust certain tools.
Customer support
TheraNest has developed a good customer support system. They listen to their users and heed the advice, which are great qualities in a practice management platform.
TheraNest cons
Billing features
Although TheraNest is integrated with billing management tools, these are difficult to set up and don’t streamline the process as much as you would hope. Billing is one of the most complex aspects of the healthcare industry and finding a practice management system that simplifies this is very important - unfortunately, this is an area that TheraNest hasn’t quite perfected.
Pricing
Get in touch with the platform directly to get a quote on pricing.
NextGen Healthcare
NextGen Healthcare is a practice management solution that caters to a wide range of different healthcare specialties. Focusing on clinical care, financial management, patient engagement, and population health, NextGen has a robust set of features designed to streamline your business processes, saving you both money and time. Some of the tools offered in NextGen’s platforms include:
- Care coordination
- Electronic Health Records (EHR)
- Telehealth
- Patient engagement tools
- Clinical documentation
- Revenue cycle management
NextGen Healthcare pros
Telehealth
NextGen has created some robust telehealth features. In addition to offering patient-provider virtual appointments, NextGen has a guest visit feature. This is targeted to all members of a patient’s care team, helping ensure all relative parties are informed and the treatment process is as transparent as possible. Finding sophisticated and HIPAA-compliant ways to make virtual healthcare more accessible is becoming increasingly important, and this is an area that NextGen does well.
NextGen Healthcare cons
Difficult to navigate
NextGen Healthcare’s interface isn’t very user-friendly. It’s hard to navigate and can take a lot of time to get used to, which is pretty much the exact opposite of what you should be looking for in a management solution.
Cap on claims
NextGen also has monthly claim caps depending on what plan you have. While we understand why different plans have different features, this seems like an essential component that is being restricted.
Pricing
NextGen’s pricing isn’t listed on their site. Get in touch with the platform directly to receive a quote.
Kareo
Kareo is a very popular practice management solution. The solutions can be tailored to your business needs and Kareo offers a robust set of features for a range of different healthcare specialties. Some of the tools that are integrated into their system include telehealth, online payments, analytics, a mobile app, billing assistance, and clinical documentation.
Kareo pros
Reliability
Kareo has been in the game for a long time and so has been able to develop a successful and reliable customer support process. Having effective support is an absolute must for practice management systems, as providers need to be able to resolve issues in a timely manner.
Intuitive
Kareo has developed a system that understands the importance of intuitive navigation. As such, new users will be able to quickly adapt to the platform, making the implementation process much smoother.
Kareo cons
Business size
Kareo is most well suited to large practices and healthcare organizations. While this in itself isn’t bad, it can be a bit expensive for startups or solo practitioners looking for practice management solutions.
Patient engagement features
Although Kareo offers patient engagement tools, including a client portal, can be difficult to use. Without knowledge of the system, users find it hard to navigate and access essential information. As you can imagine, this can be a very frustrating experience for patients.
Pricing
Kareo doesn’t display prices on their site. To get a quote, contact the platform directly.
Cliniko
Cliniko’s platform offers customizable practice management solutions for healthcare businesses that are looking to streamline their clinical and administrative processes. Cliniko is entirely HIPAA compliant, ensuring that you and your patients are protected at all times. This allows you to safely manage, create, store and share your ePHI without compromising the confidentiality of your clients. Some of Cliniko’s features include:
- Telehealth
- Appointment scheduling
- EHR
- Financial assistance Analytics
- Clinical note templates
Cliniko pros
30-day free trial
Cliniko offers a 30-day free trial for new users, allowing providers to spend some time getting used to the platform before they properly commit. Having access to a free trial can help make this decision easier - after all, you’re making a big investment and you want to ensure you’ve made the right choice.
Intuitive
Cliniko’s platform is very intuitive and easy to navigate. It won’t take users long to become experts in the system, ensuring that their features are optimized to your advantage.
Cliniko cons
Integration capabilities
Some Cliniko users have indicated that their integration capabilities are lacking. When it comes to using multiple programs, it is essential for these to work seamlessly together. Xero, a popular billing software, doesn’t always integrate well with Cliniko, which can cause difficulties for healthcare practices.
Pricing
Cliniko does their pricing a little differently:
- 1 practitioner for $49/mo
- 2-5 practitioners for $99/mo
- 6-8 practitioners for $149/mo
- 9-12 practitioners for $199/mo
- 13-25 practitioners for $299/mo
Final Thoughts
Finding the perfect practice management software for your business may take a little time, but hopefully, this guide has pointed you in the right direction. The best way to tackle this process is to take your time. Remember that you are making a reasonably big decision and want to ensure your business needs are being addressed appropriately.
With that being said, deciding to move practice management systems is exciting! There are many solutions available, like Carepatron, that will successfully and efficiently optimize your systems and allow you to deliver quality clinical results. As you’ve likely noticed in this guide, many systems have their different pros and their cons, and as the person who knows your business needs best, you’re in the perfect position to decide which software will cater to these.
Regardless of your final decision, we wish you the best of luck with this process!
Further Reading
- Best Cliniko alternatives (features and pricing)
- Best Theranest alternatives (features and pricing)
- Best Counsol alternatives (features and pricing)
- Best Therapy Notes alternatives (features and pricing)
- Best Nookal alternatives (features and pricing)
- Best My Clients Plus alternatives (features and pricing)
- Best Halaxy alternatives (features and pricing)
