Dynamic Chiropractic recently reported the results of a survey on chiropractors' software needs, which explains further what technology chiropractors are looking for and what they are currently using.

Sixty-three percent of respondents use "front desk only" software while 37 percent use electronic health records (EHR) software. "Front desk only" software includes scheduling and billing systems.

EHR software, however, encompasses a wide variety of functions including front desk, sign-in, billing, appointments and electronic health records. Doctors were also asked what other functions they would like included within their software.

Doctors who use "front desk only" software were more likely to need the features seen within EHR software. Other aspects of EHR software to consider implementing include care plan management, imaging systems, subjective systems and credit card processing. More than 25 percent of doctors surveyed show need for these features.

A major reason to purchase EHR software over "front desk only" is the ease of documentation EHR provides. This type of technology allows doctors to decrease time spent on documentation.

However, a chiropractor must not rely solely on this technology as it will not do the work for him or her. A doctor of chiropractic must note all specifics when interacting with a patient, according to an article by Nataliya Schetchikova in American Chiropractic Association. For instance, when adjusting a region of the back, one must document which segment of a thoracic or cervical region was treated.

The recent advancement within health IT technology is the cloud-based system which allows physicians to access patient data quickly through a high-speed protected Internet connection instead of relying on large computer networks set up in the medical office.

Along with a cloud-based system, purchasing web-based medical software will provide immediate installation, online access and an optimized chiropractic practice.