--- title: 3 Signs You Need a Healthcare CRM description: A Healthcare CRM can help companies to get organized, control costs, provide valuable reports and insights, and even improve patient satisfaction. image: https://blog.gravitydigital.com/hubfs/Stock%20images/Double%20exposure%20of%20businessman%20hand%20points%20human%20resources%2c%20CRM%20and%20social%20media%20as%20concept%20.jpeg --- [![gravity-digital-logo-1](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gravity-digital-logo-1.png?width=171&name=gravity-digital-logo-1.png)](http://gravitydigital.com/)   - [Home](https://gravitydigital.com/) - [About](https://gravitydigital.com/healthcare-marketing-agency/) - [Results](https://gravitydigital.com/results/) - [Video Campaigns](https://gravitydigital.com/video-campaigns/) - [Blog](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/) - [Try a 90-Day Scale or Bail Campaign](https://gravitydigital.com/90-day-scale-or-bail-campaign/) [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.gravitydigital.com%2F3-signs-you-need-a-healthcare-crm%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on LinkedIn](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/linkedin-24x24.png)](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.gravitydigital.com%2F3-signs-you-need-a-healthcare-crm%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dlinkedin) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.gravitydigital.com%2F3-signs-you-need-a-healthcare-crm%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.gravitydigital.com%2F3-signs-you-need-a-healthcare-crm%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=3%20Signs%20You%20Need%20a%20Healthcare%20CRM) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.gravitydigital.com%2F3-signs-you-need-a-healthcare-crm%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fblog.gravitydigital.com%2F3-signs-you-need-a-healthcare-crm%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) # 3 Signs You Need a Healthcare CRM [Casey O'Quinn](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/author/casey-oquinn) / March 9, 2017 / [Healthcare Marketing](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/topic/healthcare-marketing) A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application is essential for every business, including providers and practices in the healthcare space. Some applications claim to be industry specific, like a healthcare CRM. Other applications are universal in nature, but also customizable. Overall, a CRM can help healthcare companies to get organized, control costs, provide valuable reports and insights, and even improve patient satisfaction. ![Healthcare CRM patient data](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stock%20images/Double%20exposure%20of%20businessman%20hand%20points%20human%20resources%2c%20CRM%20and%20social%20media%20as%20concept%20.jpeg?width=772&name=Double%20exposure%20of%20businessman%20hand%20points%20human%20resources%2c%20CRM%20and%20social%20media%20as%20concept%20.jpeg "Healthcare CRM patient data") # 3 signs it’s time for a Healthcare CRM **1. You are inefficient.** Inefficiency can take on many different looks. All of these are a telltale sign that you’re in need of a CRM: - Sometimes, inefficiency looks like clunky and time-consuming processes, procedures, and workflows. - Other times, it looks like a team entering the same information into multiple systems. *(This is inefficient in terms of time and cost!)* - On the more dangerous end of the spectrum, it could be data that contains errors and leads to mistakes. The [New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/us/health-system-waste-tallied.html), covering an Institute of Medicine study, revealed 30 percent of U.S. healthcare spending (about $750 billion) was wasted in 2009, on byzantine paperwork and excessive administrative costs among other problems. **2. Technology gaps are affecting patient experience.** What is a technology gap? It’s simply an issue, process, or missing element that could be solved or “*closed*” by implementing software or other technology.  While a technology gap can be hard to spot, here are a few symptoms that you're dealing with in your practice: - Patients complaining about intake process. - Patients have to provide the same information multiple times. - Patients that don’t know what to expect during an office visit, exam, procedure, or surgery. - Patients unclear on when they will receive results and reports. - Patients do not have a clear method of delivering feedback. **3. Your patient outreach is lacking.** A healthcare CRM allows providers to communicate with *specific* groups of patients. Here are some outreach issues a CRM can address: - You are unable to segment your patients for specific outreach. For example, sending results of a new study to patients with diabetes. - You don’t have a tool to send patient education materials to patients, especially materials that could improve patient outcomes. - You don’t have a way to market to your patients. For example, informing patients about new equipment and capabilities within your practice. A note about HIPAA and PHI:  There are obvious concerns to address when storing patient information in a CRM or Healthcare CRM. Referring to a CRM as HIPAA compliant is not quite right. A CRM, at its core, is a database and it *can be* HIPAA compliant. As with any database, it’s all about security, user roles, record-level access, and the data that’s stored inside of it. Consult with your compliance department to determine your specific requirements as it pertains to HIPAA and PHI. **Conclusion** You’re not alone. Issues stemming from a lack of a CRM solution reaches to every industry and profession. *40% of salespeople still use informal means such as Microsoft Excel or Outlook to store customer data. (HubSpot, 2016)* There is a wide range of options from “off the shelf” CRMs, Healthcare CRMs, and universal/customizable CRMs. [![Try a 90-Day Scale or Bail Campaign!](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2103944/7f14422f-b39f-4916-81fd-df064a3bc167.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2103944/7f14422f-b39f-4916-81fd-df064a3bc167) ![](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/837d1c611170325ac1cad8390cb0217f)About the Author [Casey O'Quinn](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/author/casey-oquinn) Casey founded Gravity Digital in 2000 after serving as the Internet Services Director for a Nashville-based Ad Agency. He's a rare breed that operates both left and right brain, so along with oversight of the company he's active in the creative process for our clients. Follow Casey O'Quinn: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseyoquinn) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/caseyoquinn) S [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2103944/8eaa05cc-1d19-4b18-bccc-f48d723c860c.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2103944/8eaa05cc-1d19-4b18-bccc-f48d723c860c) ### RECENT POSTS ### CATEGORIES - [Healthcare Marketing (22)](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/topic/healthcare-marketing) - [Sales & Marketing (18)](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/topic/sales-marketing) - [Website Best Practices (15)](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/topic/website-best-practices) - [Doctor Marketing (11)](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/topic/doctor-marketing) - [Social Media (4)](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/topic/social-media) - [Creating Awareness and Engagement (2)](https://blog.gravitydigital.com/topic/creating-awareness-and-engagement) see all ### Subscribe to Email Updates COPYRIGHT ©2020 GRAVITY DIGITAL. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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