Tech Tools, Apps & Software that Medical Assistants should know how to handle

Apps and Software for Medical Assistants

How many different responsibilities do you think medical assistants balance on an average shift? From keeping track of patient records and scheduling appointments, to running the operations of their office, their job can get overwhelming fast. The demands to keep supplies organized while rendering effective care can be overwhelming. But here’s the part that makes it all easier technology is ready to take that weight off your shoulders! Medical assistants can streamline their work, alleviate stress, and utilize medical office apps and software to boost overall office efficiency with the right tools.

This article covers some of the best tech that you can leverage to make your routine as a medical assistant easier and organized as well as less chaotic! Whether you’re enhancing your office management or improving patient care, tools like these are game-changers, helping medical assistants to do their jobs better and more efficiently. So, let’s take a look at how the role of the medical assistant is being transformed by technology!

Electronic Health Records (EHR) Software

The top tools of the trade for medical assistants is Electronic Health Records (EHR) software. Electronic health records are electronic systems that house patient data including medical history, test results, medications and more. Additionally, EHRs ensure that medical assistants can access patient records easily without having to sift through mountains of paper.

Example EHR systems include Epic, Practice Fusion, Cerner, Athenahealth, and Veradigm. These systems are meant to be simple to use and help medical assistants to update patient information faster. Some of these EHR systems can even integrate with other tools like appointment scheduling or billing systems so everything is organized in one place. This cuts down on time and eliminates the risk of making human errors commonly made with paper records.

Appointment Scheduling Apps

There are apps that help make scheduling appointments much easier, as it can sometimes be a headache. These applications assist medical assistants in increasing appointments, reminders and allow patients to even schedule their appointment themselves online. Medical assistants don’t have to screen phone calls or enter appointments from scratch with appointment scheduling apps.

A few common scheduling apps: Zodiac, Simple Practice, Appointment Plus.These software apps serve as a tracking platform for all appointments for medical assistants and help them stay organized. It automatically produces reminders to patients as well, which decreases missed appointments and facilitates the work in the office.

Telemedicine Platforms

Telemedicine is becoming increasingly popular as sick individuals are choosing to visit doctors virtually. These platforms assist with virtual visits so that patients can forgo in-person appointments.

Features of Telemedicine Platforms

•         Medical assistants assist with virtual doctor visits.

•         No need to visit the office at all for the patients.

•         Help in patient registration and technical problems.

•         Prepare for visits as smoothly as possible

•         Provide secure video conferencing for privacy.

•         Reminders and follow up notifications

Common platforms for elemental health

•         Teladoc: Virtual visits with medical professionals.

•         Amwell: Video appointments with doctors and specialists.

•         Doxy.me: Virtual healthcare made easy and secure.

•         MLive: Virtual or text consultations for minor health problems.

•         Doctor on Demand: Visitations including for mental care.

Billing and Coding Software

They often assist with billing and coding, an extremely critical task most healthcare offices have. Billing and coding software assists in ensuring that visits are billed correctly to both insurance companies and patients. The right software minimizes errors and accelerates payments, getting clinics their money sooner. A few examples include Kairo, AdvancedMD, and Athenahealth, which are the billing and coding software many healthcare settings use. These systems can assist medical assistants in accurately coding procedures and diagnoses, validating insurance, and submitting claims electronically. This software enables medical assistants to be free from billing errors and smoothen the process of insurance claims.

Prescription Management Tools

Medical assistants also help manage prescriptions. Prescribe management software for tracking prescriptions as well as administering timely medication to patients It enables medical assistants to transmit prescriptions electronically to pharmacies and to ensure that there are no errors in the process. DrFirst are other system that help medical assistants process prescriptions quickly and securely. These platforms connect to the EHR systems, so medication information is current for each of the patients. This simplifies getting prescriptions filled for the patient, with fewer errors that are detectable in an electronic prescription compared to handwritten prescriptions.

Speech Recognition Software & Dictation Software

Medical assistants sometimes need to take notes or jot information about patients quickly. Medical assistants can dictate their notes using voice recognition software instead of typing everything by hand. The speech-to-text technology converts what was said into documentation in less time. One of the most popular dictation tools is Dragon Medical One. It serves up written records to medical assistants by transcribing voice recordings. This enables them to jot down essential details, while freeing their hands to aid patients. This quicker and more accurate documentation enables medical assistants to work more efficiently while minimizing the risk of potential errors.

Patient Portal Software

These portals simplify involving patients in their own health care further and lessen the workload on medical assistants. Examples of patient portal software include MyChart, Follow My Health, and PatientPop. They give medical assistants the tools to help patients access their health information, answer questions and monitor requests like prescription refills. These tools allow medical assistants to make communication more efficient for patients’ healthcare management.

Tools for Collaborative Task Management

Medical assistants interact with other health care professionals frequently, so being organized and a team player are essential. Task management and collaboration tools keep a handle on the work and ensure it gets done on time. These tools keep medical assistants organized in their responsibilities and allow for easy communication with colleagues. Trello, Asana, and Microsoft Teams are good task organization and teamwork apps. These platforms allow medical assistants to make to-do lists, assign tasks to other people and monitor the progress of various projects. These tools help medical assistants keep track of things and ensure that nothing falls through the cracks.

Inventory Management Software

We need a lot of supplies in medical offices including medical devices, drugs, and office supplies. Medical assistants use inventory management software to manage all of these supplies and make sure there are enough stocks available. It can also help avoid shortages by alerting medical assistants when it’s time to reorder supplies. Medical assistants can do this with inventory management software like Upon, EZ Office Inventory, and Med Keeper. These systems can ensure that the office is constantly stocked with the necessary supplies, without having to over-order or run out of important items.

HIPPA Compliance Messaging Apps

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act): a law that protects patient privacy that medical assistants must adhere to when communicating about patients with patients or co-workers. Apps that comply with HIPAA ensure the safety and confidentiality of all messages and patient data. These apps securely allow medical assistants to send and receive patient information. HIPAA-compliant messaging apps include Tiger Text, Imprivata and Ohm. These platforms enable medical assistants to send secure messages to doctors, patients or other team members. These apps can help assure medical assistants are operating within the law and have protected patient information.

Conclusion

With technology changing the way medical assistants perform their jobs, managing patient records, communicating with colleagues, and handling administrative tasks has never been easier. The tools, apps, and software recommended in this article help medical assistants save time, reduce mistakes, and improve the overall patient experience. By leveraging these technologies, medical assistants can do their jobs faster, allowing them more time to focus on what matters most, delivering quality care to patients. Behavioural trends like this support all kinds of advances in the next ten years, as the applications that help medical assistants do their jobs are developed and released to get the most out of their days.