Owl Practice - Avis

Absolutely essential for private practitioners

Commentaires : Owl's been fantastic; an absolute necessity for me within my practice. Invoicing is quick and easy, and I love that it comes with a therapist listing site.

Avantages :

I can do everything through one piece of software: billing, records management, note-taking, client scheduling, and more.

Inconvénients :

For the most part, my experience with Owl has been positive. The only thing that I found difficult was setting my supervisor up to have access to my account. This process could maybe be a bit less complicated. It would also be great if there was a split-screen option so that I could have two sections open simultaneously. Otherwise, can't really think of anything I've needed or wanted from Owl that hasn't already been included.

Alternatives envisagées : Jane

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : Cost, I think. And it seemed to be better known amongst my peers.

OWL for Psychology Private Practice

Commentaires : The use of OWL has been a very positive addition to my practice. It has been invaluable particularly in the world of the COVID-19 pandemic as it has allowed for more electronic/virtual services, forms, and record-keeping. The customer service team is very responsive to questions and comments for improvements.

Avantages :

I started using OWL Practice to move my practice to electronic record keeping. This system allows for good note-taking options regarding client files. I was concerned with privacy and information staying within Canada which is a key feature I considered when selecting OWL. I appreciate this system was designed specifically for mental health practices as opposed to medicine-based options I have used in the past.

Inconvénients :

Forms - being able to send forms through Owl is a great feature. It has taken some time to get used to how to create forms. Some of the features I would like to see added: - option for classification of a session as tentatively booked for a client so it can be held in my calendar without. - I have avoided using appointment reminders as I often use 'bookings' in the calendar to block off sections of time for client management/report writing. I wish there was a way to designate something that is linked to a client, but not a session that will send reminders/confirmations to clients.

Alternatives envisagées : Jane et Microsoft Teams

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : Security - information stays in Canada Jane - wasn't as popular at the time when I started using Owl.

Please include group video!

Commentaires : Just that it's so streamlined - that's been helpful! It keeps me organized and is generally pretty user-friendly for clients.

Avantages :

All of the features - that you can invoice clients, collect a payment, store notes, etc. all in one place. Customer service is phenomenal too!

Inconvénients :

I have a hard time with the video functions - that there is no option for group video, and when I try to do supervision where my supervisee is playing a video clip of a session on their computer, I can't hear it!!! At times the video glitches for no apparent reason - I had a session last week where for some reason, we could not hear each other for a few minutes. My supervisees are understanding, but it's a real bother to have to sort through video glitches like that. And setting up a group call for individuals who aren't in a family is frustrating! So much behind the scenes work for me to register them all, link the accounts, make a separate event just for the video session and individual ones for each of their invoices.... oy. It would be good to have more editing features for the forms too. AND to send certain forms out automatically the morning of an appointment! Like the COVID screenings - I would love to have that go directly to the client on the morning of a scheduled appointment so that I don't have to think about it and remember to send it myself. AND more options for note-taking that aren't just writing. I am an art therapist and working with children and youth. I also use play interventions a lot. It would be nice to have a case note that's more versatile with checkboxes and other features where you can include a photo right on the same page.

On balance, good enough to keep using, but customer service needs work

Commentaires : Meets my needs now, but I would have left them months ago out of anger at their service if it weren't such a hassle to switch.

Avantages :

The functionality is good and has been improving over the last year.

Inconvénients :

Months after switching, they suddenly stopped supporting my device. It took them a month to fix the issue. I had to buy a new device for my business to function. When I asked for a one month credit on my user fee, they refused, saying that it was accessible during that time (but I don't consider suddenly requiring a desktop computer and a corded connection accessible in this decade). It was a cold response from a company that had initially been very welcoming (before they had me dependent on them).

Alternatives envisagées : Jane

Pourquoi choisir Owl Practice : Offered Canadian privacy compliance and encrypted video functionality plus practice management. Also, support appeared to be much friendlier and more helpful in the beginning.

Logiciel antérieur : SimplePractice

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : Appeared to have better service and I didn't need all of the features of Jane that make Owl less expensive

Some super helpful features, ease of use isn't always high

Commentaires : It took me a long time to set it up and feel like I had a handle on things. For main functions, it works, but when I need to make deeper changes (like services with different fees, changing details within a client profile), I'm always floundering.

Avantages :

As a mental health practitioner working with partners and groups, I appreciate that OWL automatically links clients and **copies notes made in one chart into the charts of the other members of the therapy group.

Inconvénients :

It isn't always intuitive to find the functions I want, or make changes to existing sessions. There is a strong "tree" organization to the major sections, without pathways to access different sections without "traveling back along each branch toward the trunk" so that you can "travel along another branch." I hope that metaphor makes sense! It feels very linear in this way and often interrupts flow. I also find that certain functions along a theme will be located in different places, making it confusing. For example, not all scheduling or services changes are made in the same area. I find there are many sneaky buttons within windows! The creation of forms feels a bit clunky and, for lack of a better descriptor, old. And viewing of forms that clients have filled out is often limited. I can't "view" client forms and see their entire answers - I have to download the form, which I would otherwise choose to not do. ****The self-guided help guide is TERRIBLE. Searching help articles by keyword yields MANY results, many of which seem to be totally unrelated.

Alternatives envisagées : Jane

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : Integrated secure video function, which turned out to be less quality than using Zoom (which I didn't realize would be secure enough for confidential therapy). Now I use Zoom exclusively. I also use Jane for another clinic I work with, and appreciate the flow and aesthetic. I also appreciate the integration of credit card payments with automatic receipts mailed to the client.

Non-EMDR friendly

Commentaires : I was unpleasantly surprised when told this was my issue because my clients don't all have state-of-the-art equipment. I'd be interested in seeing any in my field who do.

Avantages :

pre EMDR, I liked it fine. It had issues and was useful only with Chrome, but all my clients were able to use Chrome.

Inconvénients :

as an EMDR practitioner, I have been forced to sue Zoom. I've been using OWL for a number of years, and pre-EMDR practice, I was perfectly fine with it. After I began to offer EMDR virtually, however, I was not fine with it. Simply put - I can't use OWL for EMDR sessions. when I reached out I was told it was my problem and not theirs. so, if you are an EMDR practitioner, don't bother with OWL.

Streamlined practice administration

Commentaires : OWL has been a game changer for my practice administratively. The customer service is second to none! I love them! They are responsive, friendly, and accessible.

Avantages :

This software has given my clients the ability to book themselves into sessions, which means less tetris for me! That capability freed up so much more time for me to do other things and stopped scheduling mistakes. The ability to for clients to also fill out therapy agreement forms that then auto populate in their profile in the system also made a huge difference! Having everything in one place for me and my clients has removed time and effort headaches. I love OWL!

Inconvénients :

I have been working with OWL to develop things I that would be helpful for therapists: such as drop-down menu templates for session notes.

Alternatives envisagées : Jane

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : Because of the personal care I got from the [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN]. He made sure I understood the product and was open to feedback. He has trained his employees to do the same.

Best Choice for Psychotherapy Practice Management

Commentaires : This has eased our electronic records management tremendously. We are big fans of the integrated forms and assessments.

Avantages :

The tool is well set up to manage the practice (although we do not use the billing functions) and the integration of video was timely and important. We also really appreciate the integration of the psychometric assessments.

Inconvénients :

It gets pricey as you add therapists and in particular part time therapists or interns. Also we find clients who have a gmail address do not receive any forms we send them through Owl.

Alternatives envisagées : Jane

Pourquoi choisir Owl Practice : Better design and geared to our industry specifically.

Logiciel antérieur : Jane

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : See above.

Makes Running my Practice a Breeze

Avantages :

The software is user friendly and intuitive. It doesn’t take long to get used to how to do things and OWL Customer Service representatives are fast at responding if you have any problems.

Inconvénients :

There are some minor things missing that would make the platform even better but not much has been changed in this regard in the two years I’ve used it. I’ve submitted user feedback but no changes have been made.

Alternatives envisagées : Jane

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : The pricing was slightly better. That was the main reason!

Essential

Commentaires : This made my business sky rocket in regard to organization, professionalism and making my life easier!

Avantages :

Absolutely essential to running my business and has allowed me to stay organized! I love having all the features at my fingertips that I need to keep things running- such as video, online booking, forms, notes, invoices etc. Could not survive without this. I find it much more user friendly than its competition. I'm also a sucker for the fun colours you can create on your calendar.

Inconvénients :

I don't find customer service is always super helpful. There are some simple things I really need to run my business that OWL has not established yet. Such as, allowing families to create an account with multiple people attached to their file. Sometimes I am seeing two members of a family and they need seperate names on the invoices but OWL only provides one account for each individual and I can't change the names. I also wish I had more ability to change info that needs to be on my invoices- such as client names etc.

Good for solo, cash-based practitioners, bad for US based insured or multi-state practices

Commentaires : Can forgive the technical issues, can't forgive the terrible service.Because of the dearth of technical issues, we spend dozens of additional hours a month manually resolving issues to ensure our claims are paid, our accounting is accurate, and our financial obligations under insured contracting are met.Despite repeated attempts at working with Sr. Leadership to coordinate and resolve issues, we are left in the dark without real progress. The front-line service folks do their best, but leadership fails to deliver on commitments and makes no effort at proactive communication. The corporate culture of communication is silence.

Avantages :

The UI is generally nice, and the workflow tools are helpful. This is likely a good platform for solo practitioners with a cash-only business who operate in a single time zone.

Inconvénients :

The service and lack of communication from OwlPractice executives. We've been plagued with technical issues resulting in delayed claims processing, accounting errors, and a workflow for US insurance claims that makes no sense. Our patients are presented with inaccurate invoices, receipts, and EOBs. Accounting data provided by the platform is inaccurate, with payments being mysteriously misapplied and transactions erroneously reporting revenue.

Alternatives envisagées : Power Diary et SimplePractice

Pourquoi choisir Owl Practice : Cleaner user experience, intuitive interface. Liked the workflow features.

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : We liked the intuitive user interface and workflow tools. Because of the complexity of US insurance billing, we were unable to test during the trial period and we really should have.

A Solid CANADIAN Practice Management Company

Avantages :

Customer service reps, across the board have not only been helpful, they have been a friendly lifeline when navigating through the more advanced features that OWL has on board. I have found it fairly easy and intuitive to navigate through the basic features that have allowed me to get started with the program. However, when dealing with the more advanced features, I have found the learning curve much steeper and more complex. The OWL customer service representatives have all been very patient and helpful, without exception. I LOVE the Workflow section!!! It has rescued me from billing oversights that could have easily slipped by without detection when I've been extremely busy. I LOVE the way that I can amend my billing amounts, right down to the minute when a session ends early, or runs overtime. The program automatically calculates the difference, right down to the penny! To my knowledge, no other practice management program offers this very helpful feature.

Inconvénients :

I wish that I had more control over what goes into the subject lines of emails that are sent to patients in relation to invoices and receipts, etc. For instance: please allow me to put "Invoice" or "Receipt" into the subject line, as opposed to my name and credentials and/or the name of my mental health practice that automatically shows up in the subject line. The way it stands now, automatically placing such overtly identifying information into the subject line renders the email less private for my clients. I have written numerous requests in relation to more control over email subject lines, but so far nothing has been amended.

Streamlined (and makes the daily work I do a little easier)

Commentaires : Overall, the platform is good. I can operate my practice without admin support (using online booking and accounting features).

Avantages :

Everything is in one place (bookings, video therapy sessions, payments, accounting, etc). It makes it so I (who has no office admin experience) can run my practice without admin assistance/bookkeeper. It is getting easier and easier to use/understand as I encounter difficulties/make mistakes and "learn as I go".

Inconvénients :

I would like to have more options or understanding of how to delete/modify receipts, payments, attendance, etc. Sometimes I simply hit the wrong button and things get really messed up and it takes a long time to figure out how to rectify. Also, more compatibility with Apple users interface. I hate talking to a black screen, which often happens to Apple users (although they can see me?). I try to walk them through how to rectify the problem, but seems to no avail. The success with Apple users accessing is inconsistent. Some get through, some dont. I think it depends on how tech-savvy they are, which would suggest things could be more user-friendly? Also, the system often freezes or loses connection with certain users during sessions. I frequently have to pivot to phone session when tech issues happen, as the time it takes to rectify them interest with the hour time limit to sessions. The fees that Stripe payment system take are a bit high, but I do like the convenience of it... I get that it's the cost of doing business but is still not preferable.

Almost there

Commentaires : I love using Owl, and I have had a pretty decent experience. The occasional glitch and things going down are really inconvenient- but understandable. 
I really HATE that I can't call Owl, but that they you have to email them and then wait for them to call you back- only if you request it. This needs improvement for sure!

Avantages :

I love the all of the features and the ease of invoicing and sending receipts. My clients like the ability to use the portal and to book their own appointments. I also like the ability to be able to send measures to clients.

Inconvénients :

It would be great to be able to share files through the Chat feature. It would be great to be able to create a setting to automatically charge a 'no show' fee. Right now I have to go into the 'more info' tab and change the cost of the session, then change the setting to 'no show'.  The availability feature is really overcomplicated and not effective- it can be really confusing between the generic and specific.  It would be helpful to add into the measure feature the ability to interpret the scores. Right now it just gives you a random number and it's up to the clinician to understand what that means. It would be VERY helpful to add integrations give some results or meaning behind the scores (even including a pdf with the information on how to interpret it).  Also when transferring information from one practice using owl to another - I was shocked to find out that the data doesn't translate and input into the correct allocations in the client's file. It simply remains as 'documents' that the clinician has to sort through to find any data. Integrating this would also be a game changer.

Alternatives envisagées : Jane

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : Because it's specifically for Mental Health Clinicians, the measures feature and the  price.

Choosing Owl

Commentaires : This software has been excellent to integrate everything that I need for my practice.

Avantages :

The editor for notes feels much more user friendly than most EMR software. The ability to have secure communication with clients inside the portal. Using the integrated video software. And the reminders that are automatically sent to clients.

Inconvénients :

The notes will oddly revert mid-typing to a smaller font and different font from the font that was selected. I often have to spend time editing the note at the end of session around this formatting.

Alternatives envisagées : OnCall Health et Jane

Pourquoi choisir Owl Practice : When the video software was integrated I dropped Doxy.me and I used Jane in my group practice which I left. However, I did receive competitive pricing which I'm considering (15 dollars less a month).

Logiciel antérieur : Jane et Doxy.me

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : There were video glitches with OnCall health when I was testing the software. The Jane software felt too clinical and EMR like.

Highly Recommended

Commentaires : I recommend this product to everyone. I save time and therefore money, feel supported, and efficiently manage my small counselling business. Thank you.

Avantages :

I LOVE this software. The platform is: - intuitive and easy to use; - it meets ALL of our administrative needs from client notes to billing to video calling; - I use it easily between devices; the client online portal offers our clients more autonomy (and saves us time) and is user friendly for all levels of comfort with technology; - the secure online platform offers a secure platform for communication which is already documented in the software; - the ability to download spreadsheets for accounting; - and most important of all, to me, is the costumer service is fabulous! Since having OWL I estimate saving at least 5 hours a month of scheduling and billing time, so very much worth the cost.

Inconvénients :

Owl Practice seems to always be improving their software. Since using OWL I have thought a few times, hmmm, I wish they had _____ and either: 1) I get an email saying they've added ______ or 2) I've emailed them and they say, It's coming or good idea, and shortly the update happens. Currently, I would like to see the option of clients being added to a cancellation list so they get a notification if there is a cancellation.

OWL does it all -- you will not be disappointed

Avantages :

I selected Owl because it has all the features I need as a clinician in private practice. Online record keeping, client scheduling, reminder emails/texts, invoicing and billing, secure messaging, questionnaire measures...Owl does it all. I like that all of these systems are integrated. Owl saves myself and my admin assistant several hours a week. I also appreciate the high level of security offered, the responsiveness of the tech support team and that it is a Canadian company.

Inconvénients :

While the software works very well, I would say some features are not as user friendly as they could be, especially on the client end (on the clinician end it works great!). For example I have heard from some clients that it is difficult to navigate the client portal. To figure out how to sign in, to find the clinician's availability, etc.

Awesome Product

Commentaires : I don't have anything to compare Owl to as I started with Owl when I opened my business. I am quite happy with how I don't have huge paper files to keep track of and that invoicing and receipts are automatically generated. That in itself saves me a LOT of time!

Avantages :

This software is easy to learn and use. The developers are always adding more features based on feedback from users, so I feel like my experience really matters!

Inconvénients :

I use my own templates for notes. It took a bit of getting used to not having full control over how the word-like part of the program works. As an example, it automatically gives you spaces between paragraphs when you hit enter. I don't always want 2 spaces. The things I don't like are minor though, and don't really cause issues for me.

A few recommendations but very happy overall

Commentaires : Time is saved as a result of not having to use a separate invoicing system. I know my clinical records are secure and meeting CRPO and privacy laws. The messaging system gives me peace of mind as well. Online booking is a nice feature. Overall I am happy with the system. I have also never used another system so I have little to compare it to.

Avantages :

It is an easy and intuitive software to use. I enjoy how comprehensive the features are. The invoicing is super easy. I also really appreciate the client portal, appointment reminders etc as well as the clinical measures and use them alot.

Inconvénients :

The forms have been tricky to create and time-consuming, the clinical measures don't offer a means to interpret the score- I have to google this witch takes extra time. There isn't a group video option yet. What really got me was the increase in price when I upgraded to the package with the most features. The cost increased significantly which is more expensive than other software like Jane. I would love to see the Client Portal have more options to customize in terms of graphics and additional fonts and colours.

This software rocks

Commentaires : My experience has been very positive and the fact that it was developed here in Ontario by someone knowledgeable about the practice of psychology and the demands of confidentiality as well as the learning challenges of someone not tech savvy has been invaluable. Personal shoutout and thank you to [SENSITIVE CONTENT HIDDEN] who has been very responsive over the years.

Avantages :

I started using this product a number of years ago and both I and the product have grown together. The first plus is the amount of time it saved me. So many valuable functions in one program-scheduling, invoicing, account records and now video calls with client and testing. And the digital records are also a plus.

Inconvénients :

I'm a sole practitioner so there aren't a lot of functions that I need that are missing. Actually as a not tech savvy person its hard to imagine what I need until they develop it. My only complaint is that some features added make things a bit more complex but I'm good.

OWL for group practice

Commentaires : Great- user friendly, easy set up. I haven't needed too much tech support and when I do, responses and fast

Avantages :

OWL has been very useful for my group practice. It functions well for client records and bookings. I wish it were more helpful for employees and taxes but this is an excellent program.

Inconvénients :

I wish that it would track HST better and allow for some accounting functions.

Alternatives envisagées : Jane

Pourquoi passer à Owl Practice : Other's recommended it

Functionality and Ease of Use

Commentaires : So far, so good. I understand that software needs to go through continuous improvements/enhancements (such as those stated in the 'Cons' section), but overall, we are happy with OWL.

Avantages :

1. Easy to keep the business centralized, and it automates what we other-wise would have to do manually. 2. Easy to use once you get used to it 3. Great customer support in answering queries

Inconvénients :

There's a couple of areas of improvement - specific functionalities that need to be improved: 1. the video feature is well behind other platforms, such as Zoom. This needs to be greatly improved. Even though we are using the Video functionality on a 6 month trial, many of our therapists are using Zoom as OWL's video functionality is lacking 2. Circle of care (Linked accounts): Everyone (i.e. clients) should receive alerts; linked accounts in Circle of Care circumvents this as only the "primary" client receives the alert; that is a big oversight! 3. Forms we send to clients often end up in their junk folders, so we spend a lot of time "resending and chasing clients" for the forms. A good work around would be a "Copy Link" button next to the form so that one could easily copy the link to the form(s), and email them to the clients from our own domain email 4. Limitations with payment processing choices. One can only use Stripe. Other platforms, such as Jane App, provide 3 to 4 options to chose from

Ashley review of owl

Commentaires : Overall pretty good, sometime video doesn’t work.

Avantages :

I like the quality of the video platform, it is much better the Jane. I also like how there are so many measures that can be sent to clients and how easy it was to create intake forms. Scheduling and finance section are also user friendly and help to keep track of payments. Lastly the stripe connection is great for accepting credit cards safely.

Inconvénients :

In Jane you can create surveys that get sent automatically to clients before their appt. due to COVID I send a screener form prior to the appointment. I wish Owl practice would find a way to send automatically like jane does to reduce my admin time.

Vital to my practice..

Commentaires : I am saving time and the integrated system my clients really like. I am not using it to the full potential given o find set up information unclear and some basic info not available. This has left me still using old methods like sending forms via email or zoom for clients accessing an online appointment from 2 different locations. This also means additional costs.

Avantages :

I love the hours I have save with the accounting details of my practice. The integrated system especially now with the client portal and the video application have proved invaluable.

Inconvénients :

It is not as intuitive as I would like. For example I still cod not know how to book two people in 2 different locations onto the same video call. There is no avail description on how to do this. There is info about the calander and the ability to book linked clients but not how to book a video session for 2 .

The customer service is what makes Owl stand out!

Commentaires : My overall experience is excellent, and the Owl group practice has really helped our team grow with a lot more ease.

Avantages :

Owl is fantastic for our group Psychology and Psychotherapy practice. As a supervisor, I can check on files and the team's schedules easily. The therapists all appreciate having their billing and files in the same place and so well organized.

Inconvénients :

Of course there are times we have to troubleshoot something as it's a comprehensive system with lots to learn. But I email the customer service team and they get back to me very quickly!