Smartfile
The project aimed to address the administrative challenges faced by physical therapists in the Netherlands, who were bogged down by non-clinical tasks such as billing and documentation. These tasks, essential for insurance purposes, detracted from their core responsibilities in patient care. Recognizing the need for a tailored solution, the client developed an application designed to simplify these administrative duties. The application, initially met with positive feedback, underwent continuous improvement through direct input from physical therapists, evolving to become a comprehensive tool ready for broader implementation.
Challenge
These tasks were further complicated by the need to interface with the Vekoso system, an intermediary between healthcare providers and insurance companies in the Netherlands.
The existing methods were time-consuming and prone to errors, leading to inefficiencies and reduced time for patient interaction.
The challenge was to create a solution that streamlined these processes, integrated seamlessly with existing systems, and reduced the administrative load on therapists.
Great tools that help us
Ruby
Ruby On Rails
Stimulus
Vuejs
DevOps
Solution
To tackle these challenges, Elixirator developed a multifaceted application with key features tailored to the needs of physical therapists:
Appointment Booking System: The application includes a dual-component booking system. The in-house booking functionality allows practice staff to manage appointments efficiently, while the online booking portal enables patients to schedule their own appointments. Both components integrate seamlessly into the practice's scheduling system, ensuring accurate and up-to-date appointment management.
Financial Management: The application automates invoicing processes, allowing therapists to generate and send invoices to patients and insurance companies with ease. This feature tracks services provided, calculates fees, and reconciles payments received, streamlining the financial operations of the practice.
Integration with Vekoso: The application interfaces with the Vekoso system to transmit crucial data about medical sessions to insurance companies and receive updates from them. This integration ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and simplifies data submission processes for practices.
Monthly Reporting and Invoicing: The application aligns with the monthly reporting cycles of practices, enabling practitioners to generate and dispatch invoices at the end of each month with a single click. This automation enhances billing accuracy and efficiency.
To support the growing user base and evolving needs of physical therapists, the Elixirator team focused on enhancing the application's stability and scalability. Key contributions included:
API Integration: Developing a minimal, robust OAuth2 API implementation for interfacing with Exact Online, ensuring seamless data exchange and reducing potential issues.
Data Import and Calendar View Optimization: Rewriting the data import and calendar view functionalities to improve performance, eliminate bugs, and handle large data sets efficiently.
Booking System Extraction: Working on extracting the booking system into a semi-separate Rails Engine solution, allowing for better management and scalability of service packages and calendars.
Angelo Richardson
Founder of Smartfile
“Elixirator's dedication to our project has streamlined our administrative tasks and improved our workflow. The automated booking system and efficient invoicing features have made a huge difference, allowing us to dedicate more time to our patients and less to paperwork.”
Results
The implementation of the application resulted in significant improvements for physical therapy practices in the Netherlands:
Reduced Administrative Workload: Physical therapists experienced a notable decrease in time spent on administrative tasks, allowing them to focus more on patient care.
Improved Efficiency: The automated booking system and financial management features streamlined operations, reducing errors and enhancing practice efficiency.
Seamless Integration: The integration with the Vekoso system and Exact Online facilitated smooth data exchange and compliance with regulatory requirements, minimizing disruptions in workflow.
Enhanced Financial Management: The automated invoicing and payment reconciliation processes improved cash flow and financial management for practices, ensuring timely and accurate billing.
Scalability and User Satisfaction: The enhancements made to the application’s infrastructure and functionalities supported a growing user base and received positive feedback from practitioners, solidifying the application’s position as a valuable tool in the physical therapy sector.
By addressing the core challenges and continuously evolving based on user feedback, the application has become an indispensable solution for physical therapists, enabling them to concentrate on delivering high-quality care to their patients.
