Key Features, Benefits, and Top Platforms for 2024
Health systems form a fundamental part in defending and improving the public health of every country. It is responsible for providing and delivering appropriate and on-time healthcare services, preventing mass epidemics, and increasing the average lifespan.
Thanks to impressive technical inventions and developments, it has become easier to access medical care.
On the other hand, though the digital health market has demonstrated steady growth (reaching $171.9 billion in 2024) for several years in a row, many countries still face medical staff and infrastructure shortages.
This has raised the workload of medical personnel to some extent, and it has become almost impossible to administer the growing patient databases (both off- and online), medical records, and treatment recommendations without third-party technical assistance.
As a result, public hospitals, private clinics, and even independent healthcare providers must get smarter to keep up with this pressure and implement supporting software, such as healthcare CRM.
What Is a Healthcare CRM?
In general, a CRM is a program that helps companies take control of everything related to their clients. It stores contact details, keeps conversations and requests, as well as manages deals and sales.
Healthcare CRM solutions are not something very different. In general, falling under the definition of a standard system, the only difference of such software is the users, who are medical personnel.
It helps accumulate and rationalize patient info, appointments, communication, and more, all while making sure a medical facility stays compliant with healthcare decrees. On top of that, healthcare CRMs normally function in tandem with other medical systems like EHR/EMR.
Benefits of Having a Good Healthcare CRM System Within Your Institution
Good healthcare CRM software can make a big difference for both patient care and how well your establishment runs.
On the business side, a CRM takes care of different consimilar tasks which, however, mustn’t contain mistakes and inconsistencies, such as making appointments and sending reminders.
Also, the application can independently systematize resources, making sure your staff and equipment are properly scheduled, so you don’t end up overbooking or missing medical check-ups.
Plus, with built-in analytics, you (as an owner) can track everything happening in real time and make wiser decisions that satisfy both your patients and your business.
On the client side, a medical CRM can help your patients feel more valued since you can send personalized offerings and reminders. When patients are happy with your service, they’re more likely to stay and spread the word among their acquaintances.
Finally, a proper CRM for healthcare providers can keep you compliant with numerous regulations like HIPAA that may vary from country to country (if you operate internationally), ensuring you avoid any legal and license trouble.
Features Every Quality Medical CRM Must Have
Healthcare without order and consistency doesn’t make sense. That’s why a decent healthcare CRM system must have plenty of features that help healthcare providers work without a hitch and build better connections with patients.
Patient Data Management to Retrieve Necessary Records
A central feature of any medical CRM is its ability to keep patient information organized and easy to access. This means healthcare providers can quickly find the records they seek to give a personalized and prompt treatment plan.
Appointment Scheduling and Reminders to Set up Meetings
A CRM should be able to set up appointments and independently send reminders via email or text. Such functionality is a must to guarantee no appointments are missed, and patients can get the care they need when they’re supposed to.
Patient Communication Tools to Simplify Tet-a-tet Dialogues
CRMs should have tools that let healthcare providers send updates, reminders, and follow-ups to patients through different ways, like email, text messages, and in-app notifications.
Medical History Tracking to Create Personal Treatment Programs
CRMs must follow a patient’s medical records so that medics can give more personalized and wise care. Having all the important details in one place makes it easier for them to see what to advise in each case.
Data Security and Compliance to Sidestep Penalties
Since patient data can’t do without being kept private and safe, CRMs are obliged to follow HIPAA/GDPR/PIPEDA (depending on a country) directions to demonstrate that sensitive information is protected from anyone who shouldn’t have access to it.
Analytics and Reporting to See What Needs Adjustment
Clinic CRMs should have good instruments to show how well things are going, how satisfied patients are, what needs amendments, and so on.
Popular CRM for Healthcare
When it comes to getting a CRM for healthcare, you can come across several options: pick a market solution or create your own program. Below, we’ll introduce some leading ready-to-use platforms, but keep in mind they aren’t customizable and might not fully cover your conditions.
Salesforce Health Cloud
Salesforce Health Cloud is renowned for being loaded with all the tools to keep patients engaged. It can track patients from their first visit all the way to follow-ups, creating a holistic patient experience.
Microsoft Dynamics 365
If you’re already using Microsoft products, this platform is a great match. It integrates well with tons of instruments for patient engagement, data examination, and automating workflows precisely for healthcare.
SugarCRM
SugarCRM is a flexible and affordable alternative, perfect for smaller organizations and private practices. It contains tools for supervising patient records, setting up meetings, and automating notifications.
Zoho CRM
Zoho is an inexpensive program packed with essential components like patient administration, contact tools, and workflow automation. Zoho can often be found in small medical facilities and individuals with a medium-sized practice.
Pega Healthcare CRM
What makes Pega special from its opponents is its use of AI to automate tasks and real-time communication tools. These features let healthcare providers work more accurately and respond fast to patient necessities.
Why Is It Better to Develop Custom CRM Software
Market CRMs undeniably have their strong sides, but building brand new software has some seriously awesome benefits.
For instance, with CRM development services, you can obtain a system to precisely match your uncommon workflows or specific circumstances.
Secondly, custom medical software can grow and shrink with your institution, letting you add or remove features, whatever you require.
Additionally, going custom makes it easier to unite your business CRM with the programs you already use, such as EHR/EMR platforms and accounting software, and set up stricter security measures to keep sensitive patient information under lock.
If you need help with a custom platform—like advice, development, integration, QA testing, or updates—SCAND has got your back! Our team is excited to team up with you to create the perfect app just for you.