What Is Content Management Systems (CMS) & Why Use It To Manage Medical Practice Websites
Content Management System, or CMS for short, makes it easy for you to manage your website, so you don’t have to be a computer expert to keep it up-to-date and looking nice.
In the early days of the internet, most websites were static. Meaning each page was coded using HTML code. This system made it difficult for anyone who was not tech-savvy to update and manage their website.
Fortunately, web design has evolved and now the majority of websites use software that makes it extremely easy for anyone to create and publish content without knowing a line of code.
Content management systems provide a user-friendly interface for creating and organizing content, as well as for managing website functionality and appearance.
Even if you’re not sure how they work, there is a good chance you might have heard about WordPress, Drupal, and other popular CMS platforms. WordPress, by far, is the most popular CMS powering 42% of all websites.
Why Use Content Management System for Your Medical Practice?
There are several reasons why a CMS can be useful for managing healthcare websites:
- Ease of use:
CMS platforms are typically designed to be user-friendly, making it easy for non-technical users to create and manage content on a website. - Streamlined content publishing:
A CMS provides a central location for creating and organizing website content, making it easier to keep track of and update the content over time. - Customization options:
Many CMS platforms offer a range of customization options, allowing users to tailor the look and feel of their website to their specific needs and branding. - Integration with other tools:
Many CMS platforms offer integration with a variety of patient tools and services, such as email marketing platforms, analytics tools, and social media platforms. - Scalability:
A CMS can easily be scaled up or down as a website grows or changes, making it a flexible solution for managing websites over time.
How To Choose Best Healthcare CMS
When it comes to web design and development, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Each medical business has unique needs that require a customized approach to web design and development.
However, when it comes to the healthcare content management system (CMS) there are common features that every medical business should look for — especially if you want to have a high-quality, secure website.
Consider Your Medical Practice Needs and Goals
Choosing the right CMS for doctors and medical professionals is vital to their success, That’s why it’s important to choose a CMS that is specifically tailored to the medical industry. Why? Because healthcare providers face many unique issues when it comes to content management—and most generic systems won’t account for all of those challenges.
Below are a few important features you’ll want to consider when selecting healthcare CMS:
- A secure system that protects patient information & be HIPAA compliant
- An easy way for patients to submit feedback about their experience at your office
- The ability for staff members to easily update patient records
- CMS must be flexible and easy to scale.
- A system that’s able to handle different content and integrate new features
Medical websites need a CMS that can easily handle HIPAA compliance.
HIPAA compliance is a legal requirement for all medical websites. If you run a healthcare or medical business, you need to make sure that your CMS can handle HIPAA compliance requirements. And if it doesn’t have the right features to meet HIPAA compliance requirements, then you should look for another CMS that’s HIPAA compliant.
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The right CMS will have features that meet the unique needs of your medical practice.
A good medical website CMS will have features that meet the unique needs of your practice. For example, if you’re a primary care doctor, it may be important to integrate with your practice management system (PMS). This way, when patients book an appointment through the website and pay for it online, all information can automatically be sent to your PMS for billing purposes.
Security Is Paramount
Healthcare websites often handle sensitive patient information, so it’s important to choose a CMS with robust security measures in place.
As a healthcare and medical business, security is one of your top priorities. Your CMS should not only be able to handle HIPAA compliance but also have a good track record when it comes to security.
So make sure your healthcare Content Management System:
- Hasn’t been hacked in the past
- Is frequently updated for security issues
- Has good security plugins and features
- Includes regular backups and secure storage options
Patients should be able to access their medical histories from home or on-the-go; however, there are HIPAA rules that must be followed in order to ensure privacy and security. A good CMS will walk you through how this works so that everything runs smoothly for both parties involved!
Don’t Neglect Marketing Needs
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing a CMS is how it will impact your ability to run medical marketing campaigns and track their results.
Your CMS should be agile and allow you to optimize and customize your pages.
- A good medical CMS should allow you to easily create landing pages, forms, and surveys and integrate them into your website.
- These pages should be customizable so they can be branded with your logo, colors, fonts, and graphics without having to modify the code behind them too much. And if those features are not included in the basic package, they should be available as an upgrade at a reasonable cost or bundled together in some sort of premium package.
- The CMS should also have built-in analytics that helps you track visitors’ behavior on these pages so that you can better understand who’s visiting your website, how they find it, how long they stay on the site, what links they click, and what pages they visit the most.
Medical websites need is marketing tools, just like any other business, so doctors can learn about their target audience and come up with effective strategies to create the best experience for them.
Get feedback from other healthcare professionals
Another great strategy is to ask your fellow doctors what CMS they use to run their practice. Getting feedback from other healthcare professionals can provide valuable insights and help you make an informed decision when choosing a CMS for your healthcare website.
There are many benefits to asking doctors for their advice.
- Experience:
Other healthcare professionals who have used different CMS platforms can provide valuable insights into the pros and cons of each platform, based on their own experiences. They can offer practical advice on what works well and what to watch out for. - Best practices:
Other healthcare professionals may have recommendations for best practices when it comes to choosing a CMS for a healthcare website. For example, they may have tips for choosing a CMS that is user-friendly for both staff and patients, or for integrating with other tools and systems. - Compatibility:
It can be helpful to get feedback from other healthcare professionals about which CMS platforms are compatible with specific tools and systems that are commonly used in the healthcare industry. For example, if you use a particular patient portal or appointment scheduling system, it may be helpful to know which CMS platforms are compatible with those systems. - Cost:
Other healthcare professionals may be able to provide insights into the cost of different CMS platforms, including upfront costs and ongoing maintenance fees.
Popular Healthcare Content Management Systems
Open Source HIPPA Compliant Content Management Systems
There are many content management systems (CMS) that are popular with doctors and healthcare professionals that are HIPPA compliant. Some of the options include:
- WordPress: WordPress is a popular CMS that is easy to use and has a large community of developers and users. It has many themes and plugins specifically designed for the healthcare industry, including ones for appointment scheduling and patient portals.
- Joomla: Joomla is another popular CMS that is easy to use and has a large community of developers and users. It has many features that are useful for healthcare professionals, such as appointment scheduling and patient management.
- Drupal: Drupal is a more advanced CMS that is popular with developers and larger organizations. It has a large selection of modules and features that can be customized to meet the specific needs of healthcare professionals.
Keep in mind that these are open-source CMS systems that can be used to design any type of website.
Many Oen Source CMS platforms offer a range of features and functionality that can be customized to meet the needs of healthcare professionals. This might include appointment scheduling, patient portals, customized patient forms, and integrations with other systems.
By using plugins, widgets, and 3rd party tools, web developers can extend the functionality of CMS to ensure the platform is suitable for the individual needs of each practice.
Custom CMS Solutions
For the most part, it’s better to use open-source CMS platforms rather than choosing custom CMS solutions. One of the main reasons is the cost. The price of using Custom CSM can be fairly prohibitive, especially for smaller medical businesses.
“The average cost of custom CMS solutions ranges from $150,000 to $400,000 for the overall services package, including custom CMS design, development of custom features, configuration, and other related services.”
Souce: ScienceSoft
Why choose open-source CMS for your Medical website:
- Customization: Open-source CMS platforms often offer a high level of customization, as the source code is available for users to modify and extend. This can be especially useful for healthcare practices with specific needs or requirements. Open-source CMS is typically free. However, there are costs of hiring developers to customize a content management system (CMS) to meet the specific needs of your healthcare practice.
- Community support: Many open-source CMS platforms have large communities of users and developers who can provide support and guidance. This can be especially helpful for those who are new to using a CMS or who need assistance with customizing or extending the platform.
- Security: Many open-source CMS platforms have a track record of being secure, as the source code is available for review by a large community of developers. This can be especially important in the healthcare industry, where the handling of sensitive patient information is a concern.
- Scalability: Open-source CMS platforms are generally scalable, meaning they can handle an increase in traffic and user accounts as a healthcare practice grows.
- Flexibility. There are many companies specializing in WordPress development. If you don’t like one, you can hire another agency. When you use custom CMS, you’re stuck using the vendor who developed a custom website for you. You won’t have many options for switching to another company if you decide you don’t like to work with them.
Recap: Questions to Ask Before Selecting A Healthcare CMS
It’s important to choose a CMS that is easy to use and has the features you need for your healthcare practice. When choosing a healthcare content management system (CMS), there are a few important questions you should ask:
- How do you want your website to look and feel? Besides security and compliance, you want to make sure your content management is designed to be user-friendly and attractive.
- How easy it is to change content hierarchy? Your CMS must make it easy for you to organize your content and website navigation so your website is user-friendly and intuitive.
- What kind of functionality would be helpful on your medical websites, such as patient registration or appointment booking?
- How much time will you need to spend maintaining it once launched, on average?
- Do you have an existing online presence that needs to be integrated into the new site (e.g., social media accounts that need to be linked in somewhere)?
- Will this CMS work with other systems or software (for example, ERP or practice management software) that may already exist in your office or hospital?
- Does the CMS meet your needs and requirements? Consider the specific features and functionality you need, such as appointment scheduling, patient portals, and integrations with other systems.
- Is the CMS easy to use? Consider whether the CMS is user-friendly and easy to learn, especially if you or your staff are not familiar with CMS platforms.
- Is the CMS scalable? If you expect your healthcare practice to grow, you’ll want to choose a CMS that can handle an increase in traffic and user accounts.
- Is support available for the CMS? Consider whether the CMS has a strong community of users and developers who can provide support and guidance if you run into any issues.
- Is the CMS compliant with relevant regulations and standards? In the healthcare industry, it’s important to ensure that your CMS is compliant with relevant regulations and standards, such as HIPAA.
- What are the costs associated with the CMS? Consider the upfront and ongoing costs of using the CMS, including any fees for hosting, support, or additional features.
Need Help Deciding Which Healthcare CMS To Use?
If you’re still not sure what Content Management System is best for your needs, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask. We can provide invaluable advice and insight into whether or not a particular CMS will suit your medical practice needs.
Conclusion
Selecting a healthcare content management system (CMS) is an important decision for any healthcare practice. It’s important to choose a CMS that meets your specific needs and requirements, is easy to use, is secure and scalable, and has support available. It’s also important to consider the costs associated with the CMS, as well as any relevant regulations and standards. By carefully considering these factors, you can choose a CMS that will support the growth and success of your healthcare practice.
