Software is dated but useful. Try to get a trial version before purchase so you know what you are getting into!
Updated February 16, 2016

Software is dated but useful. Try to get a trial version before purchase so you know what you are getting into!

Stephanie Nelson | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Software Version

5.4.37C

Overall Satisfaction with ChiroTouch

Pros

  • Allows for a lot of customization that can make the software work well for small and large practices
  • Can really replace anything you would normally put in a paper chart or use other programs for, with a few exceptions.
  • Manages all your patient data in one place
  • Uses iPad apps as well as desktop applications

Cons

  • The report features don't offer nearly as many functions as I would like. I usually have to export the data out and use Microsoft Excel to create graphs and other practice analytics at year end. Also their export feature still provides highly stylized excel reports, so I still have to do a lot of work to get them to a place where I can actually use them to get meaningful data out.
  • The calendar for scheduling has no option for confirmation calls. We had to find a work around to be able to know which appointments had been confirmed.
  • They have lots of add on features that cost extra money per month. In our demo they did not tell us that these were paid features, they made it seem like it was all part of the regular purchase price.
  • Their report features are not organized in any helpful way, and some of them are not named very clearly. I constantly have to search through them to find what I need. Also some reports that seem very basic and straightforward are not offered.
  • The process for sending electronic claims is fine once you get the hang of it, but it is not very streamlined. Also during our demo they never told us that ChiroTouch does not actually send the claims, they just prepare them for a clearing house, so you still have added steps of importing the files to your clearing house. Luckily Office Ally is a free clearing house, but I know other doctors who pay extra for some clearing houses.
  • The process for putting patient's insurance in the system is also not very streamlined, and can easily result in claims not being sent if not setup properly. Again, once you understand how it works in a detailed way, it is fine. But the process of training new staff is always difficult and I have to check their work for months after they start because it's so easy to do it wrong.
  • Practically everything requires customization. It takes A LOT of setup to get this functioning well for your office. I think this is a pro and a con - great if you can spend the time setting it up, but not so great that some things that seem very basic require you to set up yourself.
  • The SOAP note functions are only as good as you make them. The preinstalled buttons (called macros) that some with the system are pretty useless. And there are so many of them you will spend more time trying to find what you are looking for than actually doing patient notes. The system allows you to make an unlimited number of macros yourself, so if you spend time customizing this it's really great, but if you don't it's a mess. And the process for adding new macros is fine if you are tech savvy, but really complicated if you are not.
I have used ChiroTouch at three different companies. One was transitioning from Chiro8000 which is extremely out-dated and does not have nearly the capabilities of ChiroTouch. Another company was transitioning from old school paper charts and just a calendar program for scheduling. The third was transitioning from OfficeAlly, which is fairly rudimentary but super inexpensive (I think $30 a month) and actually has some functionality that ChiroTouch does not have!
I was only part of the decision making process for purchasing ChiroTouch at one of these companies, and at the time I believe I looked at every software out there. We went to the Parker seminar in Las Vegas and looked at several of them at the trade show and did other demos for companies that were not there from home. The other software company we greatly considered was Eclipse. Unfortunately this was several years ago and I don't recall the exact pros and cons. What I realize now I should have pushed for was a trial version of the software before purchase. I asked and they said no. Now after having done other software integrations in other industries, I realize this is a big red flag. If a company won't let you take the software for a test drive, you know something is not right. The demo with ChiroTouch seemed very polished, but when we got the product it was anything but. It is still a decent system and has helped tremendously in all 3 offices I have used it. However, I think there is just not a whole lot of stellar competition out there, so they don't put much time and money into their system moving with the times. Sad to say, when I looked into systems 4 years ago or so, there wasn't anything all that great out there. I hope it has changed.
I think ChiroTouch is a good system for a large practice or a small practice that has the time to get it properly setup. I know doctors who took it on without realizing what it would require and they end up not really utilizing the full system. If that is what you end up doing, there are tons of other systems out there that can do the same and for significantly less money. My overall impression of this system is that it is one of the more well-known practice management systems for Chiropractors, and there is not much competition out there, so they really don't go out of their way to make a great product. It seems like an old system and they tack on new functionality now and then when an actual system overhaul is what is needed.

ChiroTouch Feature Ratings

Using ChiroTouch

3 - Doctor, office manager and front desk admin.
1 - Basic IT and troubleshooting skills. Anything beyond that we call an IT consultant. It has rarely been needed.
  • Scheduling
  • Patient file management
  • SOAP notes
  • Electronic medical records / electronic claims
  • Financial reports
  • Tracking patients who have fallen out of care and contacting for rescheduling.
  • iPad app for patient to fill out documents. Currently we are still using paper forms and then scanning and saving them to ChiroTouch
  • Text messages for appointment confirmations

ChiroTouch Implementation

If you are not happy with your trainer, ask for someone new.
  • Implemented in-house
Yes - The software is installed and then you go through several training sessions with a ChiroTouch representative. Each step requires you to do some work and customization of the system on your end.
Change management was a major issue with the implementation - They threw in free data migration from our current system, but it only included a portion of the data as some fields could not come over into the system directly.
  • The training was not very good. We didn't get the correct answers to many questions, and the rep we were assigned was late on occasion and rude.
  • The implementation required a lot more customization than we expected.

ChiroTouch Training

  • Online training
The particular person we were assigned was not very well versed in the software. Several things we asked about we were told we not possible, and then I later figure out how to do them by myself after getting to know the software. I guess that is what comes from trainers who use the system in theory but not in an actual office. They are basically reading off a script that guides you how to set things up, nothing more. If she didn't know the answer, she didn't research it, she just told us it wasn't possible.

However, it was a multi-session training spread out over a couple weeks and they did walk you through all the basics. It does take a lot of customization, so this was appreciated. It would have been very intimidating to do without guided support sessions.

ChiroTouch Support

Their IT support is actually not bad. The few times we've had technical issues, they've been able to solve it without a whole lot of hassle, and the techs seem knowledgeable. However, as for using the system they are not knowledgable at all. I usually get the impression when I ask a question they are basically just looking it up in a manual. On SEVERAL occasions I have asked a question and was told the system could not do what I was asking, only to later find the exact functionality myself, or to find an adequate work-around. It's clear they don't work with the software in any real-world way, and thus can't answer anything outside of the basics. I would rather spend a significant amount of my own time trying to figure something out than deal with their support personnel (though they do tend to be polite).
ProsCons
None
Slow Resolution
Less knowledgeable
Problems left unsolved
Escalation required
Need to explain problems multiple times
Yes - You have to have a support contract in order to get tech support past the first year. Otherwise you are on your own, and also cannot get software upgrades.
Yes - It took them a short while and then they released a software update. And then another update a few days later.
I have never received exceptional support from ChiroTouch.

Using ChiroTouch

It is fine once it is up and running, but the customization takes a long time, does not have some things setup in advance that seem very straight forward, and for most people the learning curve is very high for learning the system even once it is properly setup and customized. However, it is "fine" not particularly impressive. Additionally, their customer support and training is substandard.
ProsCons
Easy to use
Technical support not required
Feel confident using
Unnecessarily complex
Inconsistent
Slow to learn
Cumbersome
Lots to learn
  • Nothing in this system is elegant to use.
  • There are some very basic reports that just do not exist
  • There is no system for confirming appointments unless you pay monthly for their text message service
  • The whole system is not very user friendly and seems overly complicated. I have a background in software integration, so I picked it up quickly, but every time I have to train a new staff member on the system it is unnecessarily complicated and takes them a longer time to master than I would expect.
  • The insurance billing process is overly complicated, and if not done properly can result in claims sitting in the system but not sent out.
Yes - They offer iPad apps that work pretty well. I used them in a previous office, but not currently. They do not have a smart phone app that I am aware of, but you can log into the website and see your schedule from anywhere, as long as you have a static IP address.

ChiroTouch Reliability

It's reliable, though occasionally has connectivity issues. Their support says it's our computing issue, not the software, but we don't have similar problems with other software. Definitely needs to be backed up daily. We use ChiroTouch's backup and it works well.
Sometimes we get weird error messages. We have been having a problem with our check-in computer and ChiroTouch hasn't been able to figure out the problem.
Generally we never have problems with speed. If we have, it's been because we needed to perform software updates, and then it went back to working quickly.

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