Streamline the Technology in Your Medical Spa

The universe of medical spa technology is vast. There are so many options that help elevate a practice’s operations, from online booking to membership management and more. That’s precisely the challenge, however. Tech-savvy practices are juggling so many systems–it often leads to overspending and underutilizing the technology that was intended to make them more efficient. 

In this article, we discuss how to get the most out of the technology in your practice.

Medical Spa Technology Solutions that Enhance Operations

There are some fabulous tech and software solutions out there for medical aesthetics practices. As the industry grows, so do the innovations that help businesses scale. 

In order to figure out which systems your practice needs (and which it doesn’t), you need to know what your options are. Below, we outline some types of technology to consider (some are must-haves) at your medical spa. 

If you’d like to read more about considerations for integrating technology in your healthcare practice, read our article here. 

Overall Operations 

To run your business, you’ll need a centralized software system to be able to manage booking, scheduling, patient intake, payment, and more. Some practice management systems offer expanded capabilities to manage memberships or patient communication. 

• Practice Management System (needs to include an EMR, electronic medical records)

Enhanced Patient Experience

One primary function of technology is to remove friction from the patient experience. Technology should make booking, paying, and communicating convenient for patients. Any kind of software that can help streamline this process will elevate the overall patient experience and reduce cancellations, dropped leads, and missed opportunities. 

• Convenient online booking capability
• Patient communication (automated appointment reminders, including text, email, and phone)
• Texting capability (with your phones or practice management system)
• Patient portal to collect electronic forms and consents
• Payment portal that includes a text-pay option

Marketing and Sales

Look into software and AI platforms that can help turn curious online browsers into patients. For example, Liine uses AI to record calls or track online forms to better follow up with leads. There are also tech solutions that collect online reviews with post treatment surveys or upon payment. 

• Marketing lead management (a resource to capture incoming leads to put them into the lead funnel)
• Sales CRM
• Collecting online reviews

Membership Management and E-commerce

You’ll need a way for your members to autopay on a monthly basis, schedule treatments, and more. It might be aligned to your practice management system or your e-commerce site. RepeatMD manages members and includes features like rewards and financing, along with e-commerce.

• Platform to manage memberships (lined up to autopay)
• E-commerce site for retail or service packages

Medical 

You can streamline the way you collect and store patient health and medical information with the right technology. Telemedicine makes Good Faith Exams and patient follow-ups more convenient. Photo management systems (like RxPhoto or TouchMD) offer a secure space to store sensitive patient health information like before and after photos, even on a phone or iPad.  

• EMR (part of Practice Management System)
• Telemedicine capabilities
• Post treatment surveys
• Photo management software (HIPAA compliant and secure) 

Training and Development

Finally, you might consider a system that helps your staff with training and professional development. In the fast-moving medical aesthetics space, your staff can stay up to date on new treatments and products for patients. 

• Learning Management System

The Fragmentation Challenge: Too Many Systems

As you consider which technology is right for your practice, keep in mind that the medical aesthetics industry is still relatively young and fragmented. The technology reflects this. Despite there being many sophisticated solutions, the systems don’t all communicate with one another. There’s not a one-stop-shop for software that handles your practice management system, marketing, CRM, online booking, and every other capability you’re after. (But, software companies like Promptly are working on it.) 

What does this fragmentation lead to? Inefficiencies. Staff members have to enter the same data across multiple platforms. Owners purchase two systems that do relatively the same thing–just because one has a feature the other lacks. Patients are overwhelmed and confused by too many apps. 

Have you experienced technology overload? Consider the strategies below to prevent the challenges that come with too many software systems. 

Reduce and Streamline Your Tech Stack

When we find a practice that’s overspending on technology, one of our biggest undertakings is to streamline the tech stack. Sometimes, it means swapping out three systems for one with more capabilities. Reducing the number of platforms you’re using requires truly understanding the functionality of each system, calculating the ROI, and reducing redundancies or underutilized features. It’s not always easy, but it can be a big boost to your bottom line and improve the experience for your patients and staff.  

Ensure You’re Fully Leveraging the Technology’s Features

Some systems can be complex. Integrating a CRM, for example, requires a heavy lift at the onset. You’ll spend time training, entering data, and syncing with other platforms. On the other side, however, a well-run CRM can offer huge value because of the way it fosters relationships with customers. 

If you’re going to invest in technology for your practice, make sure you’re truly leveraging it. Meet frequently with the software company’s account manager and assign an internal “expert” who is making sure the technology is working to its full potential and that the team is all fully trained and using it appropriately.

Track and Measure Success

As you take inventory of your technology, measuring success is easier when you attach a metric or KPI to the problem you want the software to solve. For example, a clinic with high appointment cancellations might integrate text automated appointment reminders. If the team tracks the number of appointment cancellations over time, they’ll better understand the impact (and ROI) of the text automation. 

Streamline Your Medical Spa Operations and Technology with Skytale Group

The technology at your practice can be a double-edged sword. It delivers amazing benefits, like enhanced patient communication and operational efficiency. However, the amount of software systems available to help your business operate can be overwhelming. Our management consulting team can untangle your complex systems and operations to make them work to their full potential. Learn more when you reach out to us.