The challenge of streamlining health information and patients’ care through digital medical records is gaining momentum. With technological advances that help manage and automate the process of handling medical records, it’s no wonder why employment for health information technicians has soared, with projections estimating an increase of 18% over the next four years.

Medical billing software, used to increase collections and simplify the process of organizing patient billing data, isn’t just reserved for large hospitals and medical offices. Small organizations — such as private practices and outsourced collections businesses — benefit from the effectiveness of these systems, as they help to reduce the time spent fetching after late payments, having to manually track medical procedures, and applying the proper insurance codes for billing, following up on incomplete claims, and manually billing for services provided.

Medical billing software helps to minimize repetitive tasks that are often prone to errors or outdated information. Medical office administrators with this software have all the up-to-date information they need when looking to verify patient coverage, communicate bills and insurance records electronically, apply payments, and run reports for third-party collections companies.

There are a number of bonuses for small medical practices that wish to implement this kind of software. In addition to on-demand reporting, tracking payments, and assisting with coding, medical billing software offers a number of perks. These include:

Remote Access
Medical billing professionals should be able to work virtually from their home office or anywhere they wish to, since an internet connection is typically all you need to get to work. Many of these systems are web-based, allowing administrators to bill patients electronically, follow up with health insurance companies, and attend to Medicaid and Medicare claims through any device that is connected.

Integrated and Streamlined Office Procedures
Medical billing software typically makes it seamless to integrate office scheduling into the billing system. This helps to streamline the process from patient check-in all the way to billable services. When it comes time for medical record audits or to answer patient inquiries, medical staff are able to rely on one cohesive system for all the information they need.

Electronic Health Records
It’s surprising, but many small medical offices still rely on rows and rows of paper medical files to record patient information and keep track of services and procedures that patients have undergone. Electronic health records help to keep errors to a minimum and fill in the gaps that are typically had by paper systems. What if a code is incorrectly interpreted based on someone’s handwriting, or a patient was seen for one procedure but another is inputted into the system? Having a comprehensive electronic record reduces errors, increases productivity, and saves the patient from the hoop-jumping that results from frustrating insurance confrontations.