Reducing burdens with HIT
Technology solutions to improve efficiency in your dermatology practice
Managing a dermatology practice involves maintaining high-quality patient care while ensuring operational efficiency and financial sustainability. As regulatory requirements and patient expectations evolve, adopting the right technology helps your practice keep up. Technology streamlines workflows, reduces administrative burdens, and enhances patient care.
This guide offers an overview of essential tools that can boost practice performance, from patient scheduling and electronic health records (EHRs) to teledermatology and billing automation. Whether you're considering new tools or looking to optimize your current systems, you'll find practical insights to help you make informed decisions.
Technologies for improved clinical and administrative workflows
Responsible use of augmented intelligence (AuI) in dermatology
Patient engagement and online presence
Build and improve your practice’s web site
A well-designed and maintained practice website serves as a marketing tool, enabling online appointment scheduling, showcasing physician profiles, and providing educational resources for patients. It also enhances communication by offering FAQs, office updates, and a patient portal for easy access to forms and information. In addition, it plays a crucial role in educating patients about dermatologic conditions, treatment options, and preventive care.
Manage your online reviews and reputation
A robust online presence can significantly boost your practice’s reputation and patient acquisition. Positive reviews on platforms such as Google, Yelp, or Healthgrades build trust with potential patients, while active engagement on social media allows you to educate patients, promote services, and interact with the community. Additionally, optimizing your website for search engines (SEO), offering online appointment scheduling, using digital ads, and incorporating chatbots can increase visibility and convenience, helping attract new patients.
Technology to maximize office operations and workflow
Transform the waiting room experience
A well-equipped waiting room plays a vital role in setting a positive tone for a patient’s visit. By incorporating technology, practices can improve efficiency, reduce wait times, and provide valuable educational resources that enhance patient understanding of dermatologic care.
Install self-check-in kiosks: Encourage patients to complete intake forms electronically, reducing paperwork and speeding up the check-in process. This not only shortens wait times but also frees up front desk staff to focus on other important tasks. Additionally, it helps reduce the spread of infections by minimizing in-person interactions and long lines at check-in, ensuring a safer, more efficient patient flow.
Learn more about transforming the waiting room beyond technology.
Employ patient engagement tools: Use digital displays, QR codes, and mobile apps to provide educational videos, 3D models, and quizzes about dermatologic conditions. These interactive tools engage patients, improve understanding of their health, and encourage active participation in their care, enhancing both satisfaction and outcomes.
Learn more about patient education licensing opportunities.
Offer wait time notifications via mobile app or text: Keep patients informed in real time about their expected wait times, reducing uncertainty and enhancing the patient experience. By providing timely updates, patients can better manage their time, while your office can maintain a smoother, more organized workflow. This proactive communication helps reduce anxiety, improve patient satisfaction, and optimize waiting room efficiency.
Implement secure communication tools: Adopt patient portals and HIPAA-compliant messaging systems to streamline communication. Ensure staff actively promote these tools to patients, guiding them through the sign-up process and demonstrating how to securely use them for appointment reminders, follow-ups, and inquiries. This will improve patient engagement, streamline workflows, and ensure compliance with privacy regulations.
Learn more about patient portals and how to integrate them into your practice.
Streamline front desk operations
The front desk serves as the central hub of administrative activity. Efficient technology solutions can enhance scheduling, record management, and communication, leading to a smoother patient experience.
Implement practice management software: Automate appointment scheduling, patient records, and payment processing to reduce administrative tasks and improve efficiency. Ensure staff are trained to leverage these tools for smoother daily operations.
Adopt automated insurance verification: Speeds up check-in by instantly confirming coverage and eligibility, and copay or remaining balance, enabling upfront payment collection. This minimizes delays, improves patient flow, and ensures accurate financial processing.
Offer digital payment and billing systems: Enable contactless payments, automated invoicing, and flexible payment plans to streamline billing and reduce manual processing. These systems improve the patient experience by offering convenience, allowing patients to pay at their own pace and minimizing in-office interactions, leading to faster payments and reduced administrative burdens.
Use chatbots: Leverage chatbots to manage appointment confirmations, frequently asked questions, and basic patient inquiries, allowing front-desk staff to focus on more complex tasks. These tools can help streamline patient interactions, improve response times, and reduce staff workload, enhancing both operational efficiency and the patient experience.
Adopt an appropriate automated claim processing system: Streamline the claims submission process by using a system that generates and submits claims with pre-verified insurance data, reducing denials and delays. While automation increases efficiency, it's important to regularly review claims to ensure accuracy and address any cases that require additional attention, striking a balance between efficiency and accuracy.
Technology solutions for enhanced point of care
Incorporate digital tools in the exam room
In the exam room, precision and efficiency are key. Digital imaging solutions and other tools can enhance diagnostic accuracy and streamline patient consultations.
Implement secure EHR systems: Implement secure EHR systems to enable quick access to patient medical histories, prescriptions, and lab results during consultations. These systems streamline workflows, reduce administrative tasks, and ensure dermatologists have accurate, real-time information to support clinical decisions. Regular updates and maintenance ensure compliance with privacy regulations and safeguard patient data.
Learn more about EHR selection and integration.
Utilize digital imaging and dermatoscopes: Employ high-resolution imaging devices to track changes in skin lesions over time, aiding in early detection of conditions like skin cancer. These devices capture detailed images that allow dermatologists to monitor lesion growth and other indicators, ensuring timely interventions and improving diagnostic accuracy.
Leverage clinical decision support systems: Implement dermatology-specific platforms such as VisualDx to enhance diagnostic accuracy and support clinical decision-making. These systems analyze patient data against a vast database of dermatologic conditions, offering evidence-based suggestions to help physicians consider all possible diagnoses. By integrating with EHRs, they streamline workflows and improve both clinical confidence and efficiency.
Integrate digital consent forms: In the exam room, patients can sign digital consent forms for dermatologic procedures such as biopsies, photography for documentation or teledermatology, and other diagnostic tests. This process ensures patients are informed at the point of care, streamlining administrative tasks and maintaining compliance with legal and ethical standards.
Incorporate documentation aids: Use tools such as medical scribes, voice recognition software (VRS), and AI-powered solutions to streamline EHR workflows. Scribes capture patient information in real time, VRS converts spoken words into text, and AI tools auto-populate EHRs with clinical data. These technologies reduce administrative tasks, improve accuracy, and allow dermatologists to focus more on patient care.
Learn more about using documentation aids to reduce burdens.
Improve the physician office workflow
Integrating advanced technologies into the physician’s office enhances patient access to care, supports informed decision-making, and streamlines consultations. Teledermatology, in particular, expands care delivery by enabling virtual consultations and follow-ups, ensuring seamless communication and patient management.
Adopt teledermatology: Implement teledermatology to enable virtual consultations and follow-ups, improving access for patients unable to visit in person. Use secure platforms in the physician’s office for initial consultations, routine check-ups, and chronic condition management. Streamline workflows for successful integration by incorporating teledermatology into office routines, ensuring efficient communication, secure document sharing, and patient satisfaction. Establish protocols for managing patient images, obtaining informed consent, and ensuring HIPAA compliance. Equip your team to manage both clinical and administrative aspects of virtual care, boosting overall office efficiency.
Learn more about Getting start with teledermatology.
Review the AAD Teledermatology Standards.
Complete the online CME course “Making Teledermatology Work for You: Practice Integration, Training, and Coding.”
Maximize use of EHR systems: Continue using secure EHR systems in the physician's office to review patient history, prescriptions, and lab results in preparation for visits. After consultations, leverage EHRs to complete documentation, manage follow-up tasks, and respond to patient inquiries. Finish any outstanding documentation and ensure all necessary clinical notes are added for accurate coding and billing during office hours to streamline workflows and maintain compliance.
Learn more about EHR optimization.
Extend use of clinical decision support systems: Continue using dermatology-specific platforms such as VisualDx in the physician’s office to support clinical decision-making. These systems help manage patient care plans, track treatment progress, and ensure that clinicians have timely access to vital patient information, improving the accuracy of follow-up care and supporting ongoing patient management.
Technologies for improved clinical and administrative workflows
Enhance the non-physician clinical workflow
Nurses and medical assistants (MAs) play a key role in coordinating patient care. Integrating technology into their daily responsibilities supports clinical processes, improves communication, and streamlines patient management, ultimately enhancing care delivery.
Utilize medication management and pricing transparency tools: Leverage automated medication management systems to track drug availability and suggest alternative treatments in case of shortages. Integrate pricing transparency tools that provide real-time cost estimates for medications, ensuring patients are informed about treatment costs and helping practices manage expenses efficiently. This reduces delays in care by ensuring timely access to the most appropriate treatment options.
Streamline prior authorizations: Automate prior authorization workflows using digital tools that verify insurance coverage in real time, ensuring accurate, complete documentation. Integrate automated systems for submitting and tracking authorization requests to expedite approval for biologics and specialty treatments like isotretinoin, reducing delays and improving care delivery efficiency.
Learn more best practices and access the AAD Prior Authorization Appeal Letter tool.
Implement drug interaction checkers: Use drug interaction checkers to identify potential risks between prescribed medications, ensuring safe prescribing practices. These tools help detect harmful interactions in real time, improving patient safety, enhancing prescribing accuracy, and reducing the risk of adverse drug reactions, especially for complex dermatologic treatments.
Optimize administrative efficiencies
Administrative tasks are essential but time-consuming. By integrating technology, you can streamline operations, reduce manual work, and increase efficiency, freeing up staff to focus on delivering exceptional patient care.
Automate practice management: Use practice management software to automate billing, insurance claims, and inventory tracking. This eliminates the need for manual processing, saving time and allowing staff to focus on patient care and other important tasks.
Improve communication and data security: Implement secure messaging and email platforms to protect patient data and enhance communication between your staff. These tools streamline coordination and help ensure your practice complies with privacy regulations.
Support staff training and technology use: Provide ongoing training for staff to ensure they are proficient with all essential tools and technologies and stay updated on industry best practices. Regular training sessions enable your team to leverage new software, medical devices, and workflow optimizations effectively. This ensures that your staff is always equipped to streamline operations, improve patient care, and adapt to new technological advancements.
Responsible use of augmented intelligence (AuI) in dermatology
Augmented intelligence (AuI) holds significant promise in enhancing dermatologic care by supporting clinical decision-making, improving workflow efficiency, and potentially elevating patient outcomes. However, its integration into clinical practice necessitates adherence to ethical standards and active human oversight to ensure its effectiveness and safety.
Support, not replace, clinical expertise: Ensure AuI functions as an assistive tool, enhancing the dermatologist’s capabilities without replacing their judgment. Clinicians must remain central decision-making processes, utilizing AuI for data-driven insights and recommendations.
Ensure ethical and transparent implementation: Maintain transparency with patients regarding the use of AuI in their care and upholding ethical standards that protect patient privacy and data security. Clear communication about how medical information is collected, used, and stored is essential.
Select reliable AuI solutions: Carefully choose AuI tools from reputable vendors that prioritize accuracy, patient privacy, and compliance with industry standards. Ensuring the tools are aligned with best practices in ethical AI development is crucial.
Monitor and educate on AuI tools: Stay informed about the latest AI advancements and potential limitations. Dermatologists should regularly assess AI tools to ensure they continue to meet clinical needs and are free from bias, maintaining a high standard of care.
Expanding care beyond the office with dermatology
Patient care extends beyond in-office visits, and leveraging technology during the pre-visit and post-visit stages enhances communication, improves patient adherence to care plans, and streamlines follow-up. Tools like patient portals, appointment reminders, and secure messaging ensure patients stay informed and engaged in their care journey.
Streamline pre-visit processes: Enable online scheduling to allow patients to book appointments conveniently, reducing administrative work and conflicts. Digital intake forms streamline data collection ahead of time, improving accuracy and saving time during visits. Automated reminders via text or email help reduce no-shows and ensure patients are prepared with the necessary documentation.
Enhance post-visit communication: Use patient portals to provide easy access to after visit summaries, lab results, and follow-up instructions, which help maintain continuity of care and keep patients informed after their visit. These portals also provide a secure platform for patients to message their health care team with any questions or concerns.
Collect feedback for continuous improvement: Gather real-time feedback through surveys to assess patient satisfaction and identify areas for improvement. Use this data to refine processes and enhance the overall patient experience, ensuring ongoing quality care and service.
Additional resources
Explore the comprehensive AAD Health IT resources to gain valuable insights into the latest digital solutions. Assess your current technology infrastructure, identify any gaps, and take actionable steps to integrate these tools into your dermatology practice. Start optimizing your operations today to enhance efficiency, improve patient care, and streamline workflows.
Reduce administrative burdens with HIT resources.
Use our guides to EHR optimization, clinical notes, and more.
Access our teledermatology resources.
Read an interview about or AuI position statement.
See our resources on physician wellness, work culture, and more.
