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Solve These 10 Practice Problems with SaaS

SaaS (Software as a Service) is the most profitable trend in healthcare technology today. You can now find affordable, cutting-edge SaaS solutions for billing, scheduling, documentation, patient compliance and more.

The software is typically hosted on the vendor's web server, and users access the system through a standard web browser. Instead of buying the solution outright as you would with traditional software, you subscribe to the service on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Here's how SaaS can solve 10 of the biggest problems you face today…

Problem #1:
"We can't afford to upgrade our technology."
The main reason so many practices stick to slow, low-tech, manual ways of doing things is that it costs too much to automate. The upfront cost of a cutting-edge software system is often prohibitive. SaaS offers a low-risk, pay-as-you-go alternative that makes it much easier to add new technology that pays for itself in months…instead of years.

Problem #2:
"We need speed."
When people think of SaaS, they often think of low-end applications with minimal features. Fortunately, as SaaS has grown in popularity, so has the infrastructure to support it. The technology behind today's SaaS applications deliver speed and performance comparable with virtually any software system. "Our web-based AppointmentsEverywhere scheduling system delivers speed and features that even our industry-leading AppointmentsPRO scheduling software can't match," says Steve Petrie, CEO of SpectraSoft.

Problem #3:
"I didn't know software would cost this much."
Many practice owners simply compare the monthly cost of a SaaS solution to the purchase price of software – and then decide that SaaS is too expensive. An accurate comparison looks at the total cost of ownership (TCO), which includes:

Hardware. You often have to buy newer PCs, servers and back-up systems to use the latest software.
Additional software. For multiple locations or larger offices, you need application server software, a database, newer operating systems and more.
Implementation. You often have to pay and deal with IT consultants to install the software, integrate it, set up the servers and configure all your machines.
Maintenance. You will also need IT people to maintain the system.

When you consider TCO, it typically takes several years before software becomes less expensive than SaaS.

Problem #4:
"Whatever we get will be outdated in months."
Once you install software, you have to pay even more every time you upgrade it. If you have many users or locations, it's expensive simply to maintain all those workstations, much less pay the upgrade fees. With SaaS, enhancements to the software are installed on the vendor's server continuously, so you are always using the latest version – without touching a thing.

Problem #5:
"But we need that too."
The high cost of a top software system often forces a cash-strapped practice to cut back on perceived "frills" like technical support, data backup and more. These services are usually included in most SaaS offerings at no extra charge.

Problem #6:
"We can't afford to wait any longer."
Once you identify a problem that new technology could solve, you will continue to experience losses and frustration for as long as it takes to get a decision approved and the solution implemented. With traditional software, that can be a long, uphill trek: the prohibitive upfront cost leads to delays… any additional required hardware and software must be purchased… your IT person must complete the on-premise installation…and so on. SaaS solutions can solve your problem fast, since there are minimal up-front costs to approve and little or nothing to install.

Problem #7:
"Everyone here does the same thing different."
If your practice has more than one location or department, it's not uncommon that different users are using different methods to solve the same problem. For example, one hospital department may be scheduling patients with an appointment book, while another department is using spreadsheets. With SaaS, everyone in your organization uses the same version of the same integrated system, so everyone follows the same process and can share the same data.

Problem #8:
"We don't talk to each other."
In the recent past, many practices sacrificed the performance of best-of-breed software, to get the integration offered by "suites." These low-end systems made it easier for scheduling, documentation and billing functions to communicate with each other. Now there is no need to sacrifice. SaaS systems like SpectraSoft's AppointmentsEverywhere web-based scheduling integrate seamlessly -- both with other SaaS solutions like BillNetPRO web-based medical billing and with installed systems like DocuPRO rehab documentation software.

Problem #9:
"This is a disaster waiting to happen."
Practice owners used to worry about storing sensitive information at a third-party location, or that if the Internet goes down, their SaaS system would be useless. Now they realize just how vulnerable their in-house systems can be to breaches, crashes and down time. In fact leading SaaS vendors maintain security, redundancy and data backup standards that would be difficult or impossible for most healthcare organizations to match.

Problem #10:
"I can't see it from here."
Not everyone uses your technology from a PC at the office: many practitioners work at more than one location… billing staff telecommute from home…managers want to access data on nights or weekends. Unlike traditional software that ties you to your office, SaaS systems let you work anywhere you have an Internet connection – and that makes your practice more productive.

If you'd like to find out more about SaaS and how it can benefit your practice, email us at editor@practicemanagementnews.com. Did you find this article helpful? Let your peers know about it on one of these sites...

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