Is SimplePractice losing its way?

Much of the inspiration I get from SimplePractice is also acting as validation. Issues slowing down care for therapists using SimplePractice are largely things we are already aware of and are hard at work solving. 

We know what therapists want and need in an EHR and practice management platform because we’ve talked to them. By the thousands. 

Here are just a few of the issues that have an increasing number of therapists rethinking their relationships with SimplePractice. 

SimplePractice gets into the loan business

Therapists who have apparently demonstrated “strong financial performance” recently received a loan offer from SimplePractice. This revelation — that SimplePractice is apparently evaluating the business finances of its customers — came as a surprise (one of many) to the platform’s clients. Some therapists are feeling exploited, and rightfully so. 

From my perspective, the money grab isn’t so surprising given that it’s coming from a venture-backed organization. But it is an awful look for an ERH and, worse, an unambiguous clue about their priorities. Ethics be damned, let’s use our customers for as many revenue opportunities as possible before we gut it and sell it. 

No doubt, therapists would rather see news about innovations that make mental healthcare easier to deliver. 

The infamous new T&Cs

It was the popup heard round the EHR world. New Terms and Conditions from SimplePractice appeared in a 2023 module that came without warning. And the clock was already ticking on acceptance. Customers had just a few days to agree to the new Terms or access to the platform would be denied. 

My goodness. Could the brand be much colder and more impersonal about the rollout?

Clients were up in arms about the short window to review and explore changes and also voiced a myriad of concerns about the new Terms themselves. Confusion and chaos reigned in the initial days after the release of the updated Terms. Issues such as data privacy, HIPAA compliance, PHI integrity, and artificial intelligence were alarming to therapists who were attempting due diligence in a rushed read through. What’s this? You’re selling my data to AI?  

SimplePractice responded to the self-infused hubbub by pushing back the deadline for agreement while working mightily to quell the uprising. Not necessarily to the full satisfaction of all, SimplePractice clarified some issues raised about the Terms, and appeared to walk back others. 

But the strong-arm tactics didn’t sit well with SimplePractice customers. The dubious brand impression only gave therapists more reasons to ask whether Simple Practice’s ethics were aligned with their own. A fair question. 

Little sympathy for out-of-network practices

In the face of ever more complicated relationships between healthcare and insurance, many therapists are opting for an out-of-network business model. 

Who could blame them?  

But for therapists currently using SimplePractice, that business decision is fraught with caveats. SimplePractice is notoriously lacking in the features and processes that are necessary to accommodate out-of-network billing and is even void of the customization flexibility to get there. 

This is a major stick in the craw for out-of-network therapists using SimplePractice. Providers report high levels of frustration and time-consuming system workarounds that are stealing time away from patients and pushing workdays into nights. 

Exhibits D, E, F, & G

Here’s another set of issues that make for lively exchanges on chat boards and discussion forums. We also hear about these issues directly from therapists using SimplePractice:  

• Unreliable telehealth technology, and the need to jump to another solution (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet), when SimplePractice breaks down. 
• Lack of features for setting up group practices, and a general feeling that SimplePractice isn’t easily scalable. 
• Rates. SimplePractice’s starter plan just when up to $49. Many therapists find that tier to be inadequate for even the most basic of features to run a practice. To get to the full package, $99/mo. The math hurts.
• SimplePractice Learning was once a popular resource for therapists, until it was shut down. Why? For me, it’s another clue about the priorities of a VC-backed enterprise with greater focus on revenue-generating programs (especially where data has currency, which is virtually everywhere).   

A slow drip turns rapid

It’s not hard to argue with the growing sentiment among therapists that SimplePractice is increasingly misaligned with their ethics, values, and business goals. As one therapist put it in a popular discussion forum, SimplePractice technology is becoming “progressively less usable.” 

Unfortunately, many (thousands, perhaps) therapists feel stuck with SimplePractice. There are a couple of valid reasons for that. First, they don’t see a viable alternative for an EHR and practice management platform that is more suited to their needs. Secondly, there’s the inherent difficulty in switching platforms. 

Frankly, therapists should never feel stuck with any technology, be it SimplePractice or MediSprout.  

Among the hundreds of fixes we’re designing into the MediSprout platform and service is the capability to migrate quickly, easily, and safely to technology that’s flexible enough to customize so that you can run and grow your practice your way. That’s especially important for out-of-network practices. But it also represents design thinking that’s focused on solving problems, not creating new ones. 

Final thought (for now)

It strikes me as silly — and with some frustration — to think of doing the right thing as innovative. But in today’s same-old, same-old healthcare tech landscape, that’s the reality of it. From a technology design standpoint, the issues that create the broken technology that is so pervasive in healthcare today are not that difficult to solve. We know how. But it takes common sense and some gumption, and we’re full of both.

We’re driven by the many voices of our partner therapists who have joined our movement to help us get this right. We’re inspired by their mission to help people; we’re aligned on that calling. 

We’re inspired also by the misfiring technology and dubious priorities of antiquated EHR and practice management platforms that make the case for MediSprout every day. 

So, thank you, SimplePractice. In your own clumsy way, you’ve helped make the pathway to better healthcare technology so much clearer. 

Ben Putland is the chief operating officer at MediSprout.