Any comments on good/ bad software for a new medspa. Looking to do appts,inventory,possibly payroll!!!!!! Thanks

Sev: I have had good luck with ORCHID and I have spoken with several other med spa owners who are happy with it. It is VERY reasonably priced and they have several options for WAN and LAN if you need more features. You can check their web site and work with a free trial copy for several weeks.

I too have had great success with Orchid. Very user friendly.

Yes Orchid is v. good and can track all transactions, incentives and inventory.

I use Envision MedSpa - the user interface is exponentially better than Orchid and it does everything and more.

what's a good price for envision? will they negotiate like laser companies do? Should I get the unlimited warrenty?

Has anyone used MSpa Software? How does this compare to Orchid? Can someone give me additional infor on Envision too?

I just purchased orchid and got a discount. They have added more online functionality with the 9th version and a VPN to access the two cpu's in the office that have the software downloaded. It really is a good system for the money.

Is anybody using the SpaMedWare software created by SpaMedica International under Dr. Mulholland?

I’m taking the time to write what I have learned about Medical/Spa software over the past 5 years in efforts to help others needing some guidance. It’s a complicated process, and can’t be summed up in a simple paragraph, but those of you seeking advice on medical spa software will likely find reading this post worthwhile. I am a partner in a fairly new start-up, free-standing, Urgent Care & Wellness Center (aka medical day spa). I have learned that finding the right software/practice management system an EXTREMELY difficult and daunting task, We have a need for a COMPLETE system for our urgent care center that can provide all the features required of an ambulatory medical clinic, such as the EMR/EHR, practice management, insurance claims scrubbing/billing, integration of our in-house digital imaging, laboratory testing, point of care dispensing, and inventory management. If that isn't hard enough to find, we also were needing something (preferably 1 integrated system) that will also manage our wellness center patients, including the registration, appointment booking, documentation (ie Botox/Juvederm diagrams), photo anagement, retail, point of sale, gift cards/loyalty, ecommerce, marketing, plus staff management. I have come to the realization that this "PERFECT" system does not exist.

On my quest to find the ultimate system, I have personally done about 40 software demo's. There are some really good systems out there; unfortunately, I have yet to find one that does IT ALL. I have, however, noticed somewhat of a trend in their capabilities.

1. Medical/Surgical Software (EMR/EHR/PM) The systems geared to general medical/surgical practices have the best insurance billing and EMR/EHR and integration with diagnostic equipment. They will also be the ones that are ONC certified, CCHIT certified, and will monitor/help you qualify for the stimulus money. However, very few of these systems have inventory management, and almost none are capable of employee/time management, retail (point of sale/inventory/commissions/loyalty tracking/gift cards etc.) Most of the medical systems that are full featured are rather pricey and implementation requires significant financial resources as well as a lengthy time commitment from the entire team.

2. Spa Software - These tend to have awesome appointment scheduling systems that are capable of scheduling staff members as well as resources (ie. rooms, equipment, etc.). Some even have capability to provide patient reminders via text and/or phone calls. They also integrate retail, point of sale, inventory, loyalty point systems/ gift cards, employee management, time tracking/commission tracking, booth/room rental, marketing, and CRM. However, these systems significantly lack on the ability to document a full medical encounter (usually just client preferences), and many do not integrate an insurance based billing system, nor do they have Rx writing/e-prescribe modules. Last but not least, these are not going to be ONC certified for meaningful use (if you are a medical practice and need this).

3. Dermatology/Plastic Surgery Medical Record Software - These systems have a mixture of features from both of the medical systems and day spa systems. Most are geared toward these two specific medical specialties, especially plastic surgery. (ie Modules to manage operating room bookings/equipment/supplies, etc.) These systems can be very pricy, thus cost prohibitive for use by new or small medical facilities or for day spas.

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEMS I HAVE ENCOUNTERED:
NexTech (great medical documentation capability, including integrated Botox/Juvederm diagrams, photo manager, inventory mgmt, has an awesome marketing/letter writing module that can send out promos/letters/etc via mass emails without ever leaving the system, and much more)

Patient NOW - Medical record system specifically made for Wellness Centers and Medical Spas. Claim to be the only medical spa software program with complete integrated electronic medical record, insurance billing, marketing, email blast, scheduling, inventory, point of sale, photos (and Canfield Mirror or United Imaging integration), quoting, custom gift certificates and much more.

SuiteMed – It is a single comprehensive integrated system. Registration module creates & prints barcoded patient ID cards, allowing quick patient self-registration via lobby kiosk, comprehensive online patient portal, POS, insurance billing, inventory mgmt, comprehensive reporting, marketing/letter writing, preference based documentation, E-Rx/Dispensary, although fully customizable, they have systems tailored to a variety of specialties, including dermatology and chiropractic practices.

OTHER SOFTWARE CONSIDERATIONS:
Another thing to consider is whether you are going to have an "in-house" server system, a hosted system, or SaaS (cloud) based system. This can be very confusing....- "In-House" System - means you have to purchase a server, you purchase the software (and hopefully it includes a lifetime of upgrades). Everything "lives" on your own hardware that you have to buy, it usually resides in your office, and you have to ensure maintenance, back-up, disaster/recovery plans are in place, and HIPAA security rules are followed. This model has the largest upfront cost.... often ranging from 75K-100K +, and it requires you to have a reliable and readily available IT team. Hosted system - means you purchase the software, or a component of it anyway, but the software itself lives on the software company's server, they maintain it, back it up, monitor the security, etc. Some software companies will charge an upfront fee, plus a hosting fee, others allow you to pay the software costs up front or over a period of time, but the hosting fee will always be there. Some systems require additional remote access licenses / VPN's (Citrix, etc). Lastly, the latest trend is taking everything to the "cloud" and the use of software-as-a-service (SaaS). Cloud based / SaaS models offer comprehensive systems for a monthly or yearly subscription fee.... or perhaps a "per use" fee that often far more affordable that any software purchase. Everything is kept on the world wide web, on the software company's server, accessible from anywhere, on most any device. Cheaper, however, is not without sacrifice..... or at least a good plan. The problem is, you are putting all your eggs in 1 basket. EVERYTHING is on THEIR server(s).... HIPAA compliant? Disaster Recovery? Internet goes down? or What if they go out of business.... with your data? If you discontinue subscription, are they going to give you access in a format where you can run a conversion to a new system? The concept is still fairly new, so there is a lot to think about and sort through

Also, price can vary depending on other services you may purchase. For example, the software charges may be different if the software company will also be handling your insurance billing..or credit card terminal.. If so, they may charge a % of collections, plus a per/provider fee.....WATCH THE MINIMUMS! For example, if a company charges.... say 6% of your collections…Not so bad right? Well, what if the 6% must total a minimum of $6K? Not so great anymore! Before you buy any system, It is important that you carefully read your contract with the software company BEFORE signing it, making sure all these issues and any other questions you may have are answered first. Make sure you completely understand what it would take/cost to get out of the contract if need be. Know everything they are going to provide vs. what you will be required to provide/pay for, from equipment, software, upgrades, implementation, to tech support. Sticking with a reputable company that has been in the software industry for a long time is also very important! I am not an expert by any means.... just a small business owner, starting up with limited funds, and wearing many hats!!! More than I ever wanted to! Hope this info can help someone else who finds themselves standing in my old shoes.

Shayla Chambless, M.S., P.A., C.E.O.
Options Urgent Care & Wellness Center, LLC

Any updates on medical spa software? I am starting a spa, so it's not a big database yet. But I want email marketing, text alerts, online scheduling, reports and charting. Do most charge an additional cost for email service, I have seen some that do, and others not. Also, one I watched charged per every text? What is an average monthly cost I can expect to pay?
So far, I have looked at booker, envision, and aesthetic pro.