Introduction
Foothold Technology is a practice management system that offers solutions to a range of different businesses looking to elevate their services. Although Foothold Technology has some great aspects, the platform isn’t perfect and we’re here to show you why, and then offer up some alternative systems. Let’s get started!
What is Foothold Technology?
Foothold Technology is a platform that caters to a wide range of different services. Healthcare is a predominant one of these, and the system is designed to assist practices that offer care to patients with developmental disabilities, mental health disorders, substance use, and homelessness.
Features integrated into Foothold Technology’s platform include:
- Appointment scheduling and booking management
- Intake and admission
- Billing
- Reporting
- EHR
- Forms and assessments
- Analytics
Foothold Technology uses web-based technology and is entirely HIPAA-compliant. The platform takes security seriously and adheres to a range of different compliance regulations, with various electronic safeguards in place. Foothold Technology also has fantastic customer support, allowing users to resolve any issues that may arise as soon as possible.
However, although the platform has many benefits, it isn’t perfect. There are certain areas where Foothold Technology could improve, including the following:
Mobile app
Unfortunately, Foothold Technology doesn’t have a mobile app. The system can be accessed via a web browser on any device, but without a mobile app, the functionality of this process is significantly decreased. As more and more practitioners are looking for remote ways they can access their work, finding a platform that offers a mobile app is often a high priority.
Clunky software
User reviews also indicate some of the software can be a bit clunky, and although Foothold Technology frequently updates its system, clunky software is never a good sign.
Pricing
To receive a quote for Foothold Technology’s platform, get in touch with them directly.
Given these reasons, perhaps it’s time to look for a suitable alternative to Foothold Technology. We’ve done a bit of research and have identified five suitable solutions that you may find preferable to Foothold.
5 best Foothold Technology alternatives
Carepatron
Carepatron is a cloud-based practice management system that offers solutions for a wide range of different healthcare fields. Designed in collaboration with practitioners, Carepatron strives to address the needs of the healthcare industry and help practices improve their administrative processes and achieve better clinical outcomes. Carepatron is integrated with a wide range of different practice management tools, including:
- Appointment scheduling
- Workflow management
- Patient portal
- Calendar sync
- Medical billing and coding
- Mobile health
- Clinical documentation assistance and clinical note templates
If you choose to go with Carepatron, you’ll undoubtedly experience a wide range of benefits, including the following:
Reduced no-shows
Carepatron is integrated with automated appointment reminders. These can be sent out to patients prior to their upcoming bookings, ensuring they are kept informed. Carepatron’s reminder software has been shown to reduce no-shows by up to 99%, helping your business save both money and time.
Telehealth at no additional cost
Carepatron has recognized the need to offer virtual care solutions to patients in need. With robust telehealth features, Carepatron facilitates effective healthcare solutions that can be accessed by anyone, no matter where they are in the world. Following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has become increasingly important, and this is an area that Carepatron excels in.
An effective mobile app
As opposed to Foothold Technology, Carepatron offers a mobile app. This allows users to access important information from anywhere in the world, helping them to complete work on the go.
As you can see, there are numerous benefits associated with using Carepatron. The system is entirely HIPAA-compliant and has high-quality electronic and physical safeguards in place. Carepatron also offers 24/7 customer support, ensuring that its users can resolve any potential issues in a timely manner.
Pricing
- Starter: Free Plan
- Professional: $12 per user/month
- Organization: $19 per user/month
Get started with Carepatron now for free!
Kareo
Kareo is one of the most popular practice management systems that is currently available. The system offers a robust set of tools designed to elevate the clinical and administrative processes at a healthcare business. With innovative technology and constantly updating software, Kareo can help your practice stay competitive in the highly competitive healthcare industry. Some of the features included in Kareo’s system are:
- Billing assistance
- Clinical documentation management and storage
- Online payments
- Analytics
- Patient engagement resources
Kareo pros
Telehealth
Kareo offers robust telehealth features, helping practitioners reach a wider clientele of clients. In addition to improving patient engagement, telehealth services eliminate accessibility barriers, ensuring that patients in need can get the care they deserve.
Mobile app
Kareo is integrated with a mobile app, which is fast becoming an essential component of practice management systems. Mobile apps allow practitioners and patients to book appointments, check their schedules, and make online payments - with only a few clicks.
Kareo cons
Customer support
Kareo’s customer support isn’t always fantastic. It can be hard for users to get in touch with the platform, making it frustratingly difficult to quickly resolve issues.
Best suited for larger businesses
Kareo’s platform is best suited for bigger healthcare businesses. If that’s what you’re looking for, then that’s fantastic. However, for startups or solo practitioners looking to invest in a practice management system, it’s probable that Kareo isn’t the best fit for you.
ICANotes
ICANotes offers a practice management system that has been designed for a range of different healthcare fields, with a focus on organization, productivity, and compliance. ICANotes is entirely HIPAA-compliant and takes security seriously. Some of the features integrated into their platform include:
- Telehealth
- E-prescriptions
- Charting
- Appointment scheduling and automated reminders
- Document management
- Secure patient portal
- Secure messaging
- Billing
ICANotes pros
Telehealth
The telehealth features that ICANotes offers are very robust. They allow practitioners to deliver healthcare solutions to patients remotely without compromising the quality of care.
Free training and good customer support
ICANotes offers free training for its new users. This is a fantastic aspect of a practice management system as it ensures new practitioners can learn the system quickly and effectively. ICANotes also has a good customer support team.
ICANotes cons
Costly add-ons
Many of the add-ons that ICANotes offer come at an additional cost. More importantly, these add-ons are pretty essential to optimizing a healthcare practice. They include telehealth, e-prescriptions, automated reminders, and credit card processing. Having to pay extra for necessary add-ons can increase the amount you are paying by quite a lot.
Pricing
The pricing for ICANotes is a little bit complicated:
- Full-time prescribing clinician: $155.30/month
- Part-time prescribing clinician:$105.30/month
- Full-time non-prescribing clinician: $75.30/month
- Part-time non-prescribing clinician: $46.30/month
- First non-clinical user: $6.30/month
- Additional non-clinical user: $45.30/month
Practice Perfect
Practice Perfect is another practice management solution that has developed solutions for healthcare businesses looking to optimize their clinical and administrative processes. With Practice Perfect, your business can attain growth, widen its clientele and focus on delivering quality care solutions. Some of the features integrated into the platform include:
- Appointment scheduling
- Clinical documentation
- Analytics
- Patient profile
- Task management
Practice Perfect also offers a range of additional plug-ins that include telehealth, automated reminders, patient check-in, online intake forms, and online prescriptions.
Practice Perfect pros
Tutorials and training resources
Practice Perfect has a range of different tutorials and video tours that outline how to use their features. Having these resources readily available can help new users learn the system much faster, leading to better results.
Scalability
Practice Perfect understands that healthcare businesses are continuously looking to grow. With robust analytics features and revenue growth tools, the system helps practices identify areas that require improvement.
Practice Perfect cons
Additional costs
Although Practice Perfect has extensive plug-ins, these all come at an additional cost. We understand why practice management systems have tiered pricing plans, but putting a price tag on very essential tools (including telehealth and appointment reminders) can lead to businesses paying a lot of money in order to elevate their care delivery.
Pricing
Practice Perfect costs $180 USD/month. This plan includes 4 users, and it is a further $15/month per additional user. It’s important to keep in mind that with the plug-in associated costs, the monthly fee is likely to be much higher.
NextGen Healthcare
Finally, NextGen Healthcare is a HIPAA-compliant platform that offers practice management solutions for a range of different healthcare businesses. Using cloud-based technology, NextGen helps healthcare practices elevate their organization, productivity, and communication. NextGen is integrated with the following features:
- Analytics
- EHR
- Patient engagement
- Appointment scheduling
- Patient collections
- Revenue cycle management
NextGen pros
Healthcare specialty range
NextGen has developed features that cater to an extensive number of different healthcare specialties. These include, but are not limited to, ambulatory surgery, behavioral health, dentistry, dermatology, neurosurgery, podiatry, pediatrics, urgent care, and women’s health. As you can see, tailoring their software to such a diverse selection of health fields helps ensure the solutions they offer are suitable for everyone.
Innovation
NextGen is constantly updating and improving its technology, and coming up with new ways to deliver quality care solutions to patients in need. Finding a practice management system that focuses on improvements and listens to feedback is very important, and something that NextGen does well.
NextGen cons
Pricing
NextGen’s pricing isn’t available on their website but users indicate it begins at $299 per provider per month and goes up to $549 per provider per month. Regardless of the features that NextGen offers, this is a lot of money to be paying for any kind of practice management software. Finding solutions to improve your productivity shouldn’t put you in debt - especially when there are plenty of (much more affordable) alternatives!
What should you be looking for in a practice management system?
Every healthcare practice has its own needs and preferences and this will be reflected in the practice management system that they choose. Nevertheless, there are a few components of these systems that we think are absolutely essential:
Compliance
Using a compliant practice management software is a no-brainer. When you are looking into different options, you need to conduct thorough research into their security protocols. Practice management systems should have various electronic and physical safeguards in place and they should also be willing to enter into a BAA with you.
Implementation process
Finding a practice management system that has a smooth and easy implementation process is ideal. Cloud-based systems that don’t require any new hardware or software are usually the best option. You won’t have to spend money on new equipment and the systems don’t usually take very long to set up.
Affordability
This is an obvious one, but you want to find a platform that fits within your budget. Some practice management solutions are pretty expensive, and although they may offer robust features, there are undoubtedly more affordable options that are just as good!
No long-term contracts
Sometimes you start using a practice management system and realize fairly soon that it’s not the perfect fit for you. When this happens, you don’t want to be locked into a long-term contract. Looking for a practice management system that allows you to back out whenever you want with no additional costs is always a good option.
Conclusion
Although Foothold Technology offers various benefits for healthcare practices, it probably isn’t the best solution. That being said, most practice management systems have their own pros and cons, and the best way to figure out whether it suits your needs is to give it a go! Regardless of what decision you end up making, implementing practice management software into your business is a fantastic option. This type of technology offers countless opportunities for healthcare businesses that are looking to improve their administration, patient engagement, and clinical outcomes - which is something everyone should be looking to do! We hope we’ve given you some insight into the different platforms that are currently available and you feel more equipped and informed to make the best decision for your practice.
Further Reading
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