Why traditional CRMs do not work in healthcare
Many clinics and medical centers (oh, almost all of them) once in a while discover, that their EMR lack any client relations functions. At this point, they start to seek the solution. Then they want to integrate (or it would be better to say "to shoehorn") some of the world's leading CRMs with their EHRs. Usually in leads to great costs and prolonged depression.
SalesForce, AMO, Bitrix etc. are undoubtedly great CRMs, but, unfortunately, they do not work in healthcare, and here is why.
Designed for traditional sales and e-commerce
Most CRMs are designed to fit traditional sales process - get a lead, warm it, close the deal. It's that simple. For example, you are selling TVs. You get a lead from AdWords, work with it, try to sell additional stuff with it, then get the money and deliver it. It's all linear, and CRMs are made for it. Here is the basic scheme of most client relations management systems:
Lead, Contact, Deal. Sometimes, repeat deal.
But in medical centers & clinics it's a bit more complicated. First of all, it's not about one deal. Medical business gets profit from LTV (Life Time Value, all the money patient has spent in clinic), not from one first consultation or service. And traditional CRMs are all about working with the one time deal. Even if it's a repeat lead, you still get the same linear process.
But medical business looks more like this:
Bloody mess, compared to a civilized TV sales. Patient can call or text you multiple times before making the appointment, reschedule it couple times, or even cancel it.
But, what's most important, when he or she has made it to the first appointment, it does not mean that the deal is closed. Lord, it's just the beginning. If it was that simple, no one would have been afraid of going to a doctor. What goes after first appointment is most vital for a medical center. Treatment plan, next visit management, service calls and all the things, that occupy your call-center for 80%.
So, if you are the clinic, that makes all the money on the first visit, give me a call, because I've never seen anything like that, and would really like to take a look=) Otherwise, the traditional CRMs architecture won't fit you.
Traditional CRMs are blind for healthcare
When a call comes, the call center operator has to be en garde and well prepared. It means, that he or she should be able to answer 95% of requests from patient from that particular window, without switching to other windows (like EMR). If you don't have that, your call handling time will go to space, and SLA will be stretched like S size T-shirt on Mr. Olympia.
What do you need to help patient right here right now? Oh, we have really big amount of data about that. That list covers about 95% of requests in most medical centers:
- Find the suitable slot (תוֹר), with error-controlling mechanics (so you could make an appointment only for the right doctor, right time and for right service)
- Reschedule or cancel appointment
- Provide answer about lab tests status (or resend them to patient)
- Check the treatment plan and propose options to patient (for example, physician stated that this patient needs specific ultrasound every 3 month)
- Get the data about previous visits ("please, I want to go to the same specialist I went to in January")
How many of these points can a traditional CRM cover? Well, none. I've seen countless attempts to make CRMs do it, but in fact it means "let's duplicate all EMR inside CRM".
Treatment plans are key to retention
Most patients are not able to solve their problem during one visit. Most of them need at least make some lab tests or diagnostics, and then make the next visit. Chronical and complex patients may have treatment plans for years to come (literally).
When physician tells patient he should make ultrasound in half a year to check the progress, in 90% cases everybody will forget it. Patient, obviously, doctor (who has dozens patients a day), and call-center. That's why you need a system, that will convert recommendations in EMR to tasks in CRM automatically, and track their fulfillment.
Some of our partner clinics make treatment plans for literally years, and it helps them to provide the best level of service on the market, because nobody can compete doing it manually.
Most clinics, after couple month of using that kind of system, get increase in their revenue from repetitive clients from 30% to 90%. I mean, it's hard to get new private patients, and not working properly with ones you already got should be illegal.
Summary
Do not try to trim your nails with Surgitron. It's a great instrument, but it just doesn't fit. Same with the traditional CRMs - you need to get inside them 50% of your EMR and change their basic architecture to make it usable for medical centers. Try using CRMs implemented inside EMR from the very beginning, and you will never go back.
