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!
Score 3 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Software Version
5.4.37C
Overall Satisfaction with ChiroTouch
- 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
- 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 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.
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
- 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
ChiroTouch Support
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
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.