Plastic Surgery practices, especially those focused on cosmetic procedures, understand the effect patient engagement can have on practice growth. Due to the shift in demand from reconstructive to elective treatments, which results in increased patient out-of-pocket spending, cosmetic surgery practices must ensure a positive patient experience in order to increase retention and referrals. According to a British study, a better patient experience is associated with increased engagement and clinical efficacy.

When consumers make virtually any purchase, the final choice is most often driven by price. They’ll also want quality, suitability for purpose, etc., but once those criteria are satisfied, price can determine where the purchase is made. This has not traditionally been the case with health care.

Plastic surgery physicians understand the importance of embracing technology — in the treatments and procedures they perform, and also in running their practices. Using outdated technologies can reduce their productivity, increase costs and worse yet, negatively impact the patient experience, which is the foundation of any successful plastic surgery practice.

If you're a plastic surgeon or work in a plastic surgery office, the importance of implementing the right practice management software is crucial to the success of the clinic. With a proper practice management system, plastic surgeons can quickly access pertinent data and information as well as maintain schedules and keep track of inventory all in one place. That kind of efficiency not only saves the practice a lot of time on various administrative workflows but it helps reduce stress as well.

Last month at the 2016 Annual Aesthetic Meeting, longtime Nextech client and board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Daniel Mills was elected as the new President of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS). “It is an honor to assume the role of President of The Aesthetic Society," Dr. Mills said in an ASAPS press release. "We are truly a unique organization, consisting of top-tier board-certified aesthetic plastic surgeons. I welcome the opportunity to work with our Board of Directors and specialized committees to advance our public and physician education enterprises as well as our patient safety initiatives." Dr. Mills is currently the Medical Director at Laguna Beach Rejuvenation and Wellness and performs aesthetic operations at his Laguna Beach practice, Aesthetic Plastic Surgical Institute. He has been a Nextech client since 1997.

In January, Nextech acquired plastic surgery EMR and office management provider SupraMed, further cementing the company’s commitment to delivering top-tier specialty-specific EMR and practice management solutions. We caught up with Dr. Robert Pollack, SupraMed founder and board certified plastic surgeon, to tell us more about what the acquisition means to the plastic surgery market.

Every year, Black Book Market Research releases 2015 healthcare industry surveys across multiple specialties, ranking the top electronic health record vendors in each specialty. We’re thrilled to announce that Nextech was ranked as the No. 1 Plastic Surgery EMR vendor in Black Book’s 2015 Plastic Surgery Survey! This newest accolade adds to what has already been a very exciting year for Nextech as we’ve introduced new tools, solutions and improvements since January. Our recognition as the top Plastic Surgery vendor further proves our position as the market leader in Plastic Surgery software.

Unless some kind of unexpected zero hour delay occurs between now and the October 1 deadline, ICD-10 is coming to a Plastic Surgery practice near you (in fact, it’s coming to your Plastic Surgery practice). It’s the Final Countdown, people! Somebody cue me up a 1980s-style “get ready” montage!