EHRs/EMRs are not just a modern technology. It is a necessity. Implementing an EHR/EMR system is essential if you want to avoid federal penalties, reduce physician burnout and provide value-based healthcare. It can be difficult to choose the right solution from a variety of EHR or EMR products. It is important to compare multiple EHR vendors according to your needs.
A report from Grand View Research shows that the CAGR for the EHR market between 2021-2028 is 3.7%. The report also forecasts that the revenue for 2025 will exceed $33.41 billion. Although there are many EHR vendors on the market, the top five to seven vendors hold a significant share of the revenue metrics and subscribers. This is why it's important to think twice about investing in an EHR system.
What is an EHR?
An EHR simply means that a patient's paper record has been converted to digital media and stored in either the cloud or on-premise servers. They are now digital versions of paper records. They provide a more comprehensive view of the patient's history and health. The patient portal allows you to access patient records in real-time. EHR records medical history, patient encounters and treatment plans. You can also access laboratory results, radiology images, allergy reports, and medication immunization dates.
You can also create, share, and store population and patient health data in secure digital formats. These systems offer evidence-based tools that can be used to aid in decision making and streamline and automate operational workflows. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act made it a requirement to adopt an EHR in 2009. This has resulted in market growth in the U.S. and other countries.
Types of EHR
Sometimes we think deployment is not a big issue. But what if we told you that deployment can have a significant impact on your business model? To make strategic decisions, you need to be aware what EHR vendors have to offer. Let's now discuss the deployment options available.
Physician-Hosted
This system allows you to store EHR data on the server of your company. You only need to purchase the software, hardware and server necessary to access it. An employee will be needed to manage updates and troubleshooting. This deployment method is a great option for large medical organizations. This method speeds up data entry and is a reliable source for information.
Physician-hosted systems offer you granular control to ensure data security. It is easy to access information even if the internet connection is interrupted because it is installed on company servers. It is best suited for large healthcare companies.
Remotely-Hosted
Remotely hosted systems transmit data from doctors to third-party server. This external entity is responsible to ensure data security, backup and system maintenance. It doesn't mean you have to hire dedicated IT staff. This allows you to focus on patient care and not technical headaches. This deployment type is ideal for small practices.
Three broad categories include remote apps:
Subsidized If you have a relationship to any hospital, they will help fund the implementation of an EHR. You won't be able to control the data.
Dedicated Information can be stored on the vendor's servers. You will be able to see the exact location of your data.
Cloud Many industries in the health care sector use cloud-based products today. This allows you to access files electronically anywhere and at any time.
Top EHR Vendors
To compile a list of top-performing competitors, our dedicated research team examined dozens of electronic health record companies. These EHR solutions were rated by our analysts based on their strengths and limitations, as well as user reviews. These are the scores:
athenahealth
DrChrono
EpicCare
Cerner Ambulatory
eClinicalWorks
Each of these features has been given a summary, along with their benefits, limitations, and features.
AthenaHealth
Athena EHR offers cloud-based solutions that help hospitals, medical practices and insurance companies improve their financial and clinical processes. It helps you to comply with all applicable health care regulations and guidelines. You can enhance client experiences using patient engagement modules. You can improve your financial results by using revenue cycle management capabilities.
Epocrates is a medical decision support tool that allows you to access clinical information such as drug information, diagnosis and treatment guidelines. Within minutes, you can identify potential drug interactions that could be harmful.
The vendor provides a team to assist you in monitoring MIPS and MACRA changes. You can also get assistance from the team in submitting denied claims within the deadlines.
Modules with the highest ratings
Electronic Prescriptions
Medical billing
Mobile EHR
Management of Clinical Workflows
Collaboration
Benefits
Increased Traffic: Patients can manage their appointments online and check-ins via patient portals before they visit. These procedures can be automated to reduce wait times and increase daily traffic.
Revenue Multiplication Increase your organization's traction by receiving regular monetary incentives. These benefits can be applied for by implementing solutions that show meaningful use of qualified facilities.
Patient communication: Increase patient retention by engaging patients with treatment discussions and making health care decisions. Facilitating patient portals allows for secure and direct communication between patient and physician about treatment plans, prescriptions and laboratory test reports.
Reduce time: Automate cognitive, administrative tasks such as file-keeping, appointment scheduling, billing, and documentation to increase staff morale. The electronic modules make it easier to manage daily tasks and allow you to focus more on providing excellent patient care.
Increase Efficiency: Allow quick access to medical files, patient databases and health information across organizations to decrease administrative burden. To save time and allow you to focus on more important tasks, use electronic billing and documentation.
Limitations
Assistance with evasive situations
Automated generation of message notifications, without the need for new texts
It is difficult to find individual patient data.
It is difficult to understand the language used in claim management modules.
Clearing claims can be difficult.
DrChrono
DrChrono EHR provides cloud-based solutions that help medical professionals simplify their business operations. It offers practice management, billing and scheduling as well as charting, revenue cycle, and e-prescribing modules. Unlimited data can be stored in a central database. To protect data confidentiality, you can grant access permissions based on role to authorized employees.
Vital flowsheets allow you to monitor vital information such as temperature and BPM. With just a few clicks, you can send lab orders. Automatedly generate and submit CMS-1500 claims forms to the payers. To avoid denials, assign precise HCPCS, CPT codes and ICD-11 to bills. For speedy payments, produce flawless superbills.
To help you increase revenue, the vendor offers MACRA and MIPS attestation services. A team of billing specialists is available to assist you in resubmitting rejected claims within 48 hours. They can also help you optimize your front-end workflows.
Top Benefits
Streamline Workflows Use practice management tools to increase productivity and improve patient experience. Automate repetitive tasks to reduce time. Automate appointment reminders for patients to reduce no shows.
Increase Profitability: Create revenue reports to optimize financial processes. To find the root cause of your problem, use the denial analysis tool.
Data Security: To ensure secure data exchange, the system uses SSL AES256-bit encryption.
Be compliant: To avoid legal trouble, follow the Surescripts e–prescribing guidelines (DEA, NIST, and SIST). Use a secure messaging portal that is HIPAA compliant to exchange vital information with your patients.
Remain mobile: Allow physicians to record patient encounters. Access schedules, view refill requests, and respond to messages via iOS devices. The iPad EHR app integrates seamlessly with medical billing, patient engagement, and scheduling modules.
Primary Features
Electronic Prescriptions Use the GPS locator to send prescriptions to your client's preferred pharmacy. Superscripts allows you to access the prescription history of patients. To avoid prescription drug fraud and abuse, you can use the EPCS capabilities.
Smart Shortcuts Create macro buttons for past medical notes to be reused in similar appointments. This allows you to save time and eliminate mistakes in data entry.
Appointment profiles: Add durations, reasons for visiting and billing profiles to appointments. Predetermine appointment type to deliver quality care.
Telehealth - To engage patients who live far away, you can schedule and conduct video consults. You can access and modify the client's record without leaving the appointment. Patients can book appointments via the patient portal.
Charting Add notes and images to help you understand the issue. Markups can be saved as clinical notes so that patients can access them via their mobile devices. To document the correct information, use customizable templates Use speech recognition to capture patient data.
Limitations
It doesn't provide seamless data migration.
Users experience frequent crashes.
It doesn't offer robust charting capabilities.
EpicCare
Epic EHR can be used by large medical practices. It can also be hosted on-site or in the cloud. It allows physicians to keep track of patient records over time. It allows you to manage all aspects of operations, including appointment scheduling, billing and payment posting. It provides revenue cycle, care management and reporting functions. It is home to experts from many specialties.
You can speed up authorization turnarounds. To improve care coordination, automatically send payers accurate patient data. Review care gaps to improve quality and clinical outcomes. To see a complete overview of bed availability, visit the bed huddle dashboard. Use discharge management tools to decrease length of stay (LOS).
Key Benefits
Obtain Interoperability: Regardless of the EHR used by other health care organizations, doctors can share patient records with them.
Remain mobile: Allow patients and doctors to access documents through Android or iOS devices. You can log in to the app using your face, fingerprint, or four-digit code.
Embezzle on the Cloud: Allow employees to access information via mobile devices to improve operational efficiency and decrease administrative burdens.
Enhance Patient Experiences - Clients have the ability to schedule appointments, send messages and complete questionnaires via the patient portal.
Stay compliant: Access information via a HIPAA-compliant message portal. Keep up-to-date about billing and coding regulations to avoid fines. It is ONC certified.
Primary Features
MyChart Portal for Patients: Allow patients to access their family and personal health information on mobile devices. They can request assistance from a physician, access educational materials, and check their schedules. They can also communicate with doctors and complete questionnaires.
Billing Increase patient engagement, consolidate outstanding balances and communicate with doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare professionals in one document. To reduce patients' financial burdens, you can create payment plans. Automate billing to reduce coding errors, increase revenue and decrease A/R days.
Scheduling Decision Trees allow you to book appointments without having to worry about the scheduling rules of each department. This tool provides predetermined questions that will increase scheduling accuracy. It can also help you reduce cancellations and no-show rates.
Artificial Intelligence & Analytics: Allow people to ask questions, create custom dashboards and make customized decisions. Combine clinical, financial and quality data from multiple sources and combine them into one data set. Distribute analytics content online. It embeds machine-learning algorithms in hospitals. Cloud-based dashboards allow for the deployment of AI models.
Clinical Support Use workflows, screens and predictive analytics to leverage specialty applications, embedded decision-making capability, and workflows. Recruitment of study participants, conducting research and integrating findings into clinical documents.
Limitations
There is no recognition of handwriting.
It doesn't populate the office software with operative report.
Users are not able to print multiple labels on the same label for their patients.
Cerner
Cerner EHR is an EHR that can both be installed on-premise or in the cloud. It supports over 40 specialties and works well with practices of any size. It seamlessly integrates with all types and levels of healthcare providers by using industry standards and communication protocols, as well as information exchanges between local and national authorities. It also offers patient portals, billing and clinical documentation. It is ONC and Meaningful use Stage 1 and 2.
Key Benefits
Increase Clinical and Operational Efficiency. Automate workflows and transfer processing. Collect payments or copays prior to care delivery. Validate benefits and eligibility. Provide interactive lists for managing work loads. The portal allows physicians to log in with one username and password. They can also log into virtual desktops and have instant access to clinical workstations.
Correct Information: Use Dragon Speech Recognition to quickly capture data. You can search for information related to a word, or clinical concept using the search bar.
Deliver Quality Healthcare: Clients can download educational materials that will help them understand their journey to health. HealtheLife allows customers to interact with their doctors.
To avoid federal penalties, Comply with Health Care Regulations and Guidelines The dashboard allows you to track and analyze where you stand in relation to regulatory changes. To avoid legal trouble, ensure compliance with HIPAA laws. It is ONC-ATCB certified and Meaningful Use Stage 1 & Stage 2 certified.
Reduce Financial Barriers
Primary Features
Documentation Capture data with text or voice commands To identify evidence that can be used to support a diagnosis, you can trigger document quality reviews. The enterprise master patient index database allows you to manage patient identities such as relationships, employers and demographics.
Customer Portal: Customers have the ability to message their physicians about allergies, immunizations, lab results, booking and changing appointments, refill requests, file transfers, and updating information in a matter of minutes.
Scheduling Allows you to make multiple appointments at different locations, confirm medical necessity at various points, manage procedure interactions and handle adverse consultations.
Revenue cycle Management: Connect financial and clinical data to improve revenue results. To capture correct charges, it is important to determine the correct CPT or ICD codes. To increase cash flow, calculate expected reimbursements and identify payments variances.
Care Management Patient kiosks allow customers to confirm and verify their appointment information. To complete registration forms, clients can access and edit their insurance information and demographics. Use HealtheIntent to create a single record for each patient.
Limitations
Navigational problems can be experienced by users.
Steady learning curve
It is difficult to alter existing data.
eClinicalWorks
eClinicalWorks EMR, a cloud-based module, is suitable for medical organizations such as ambulatory care, health centers, urgent and hospital. It supports 50+ specialties, and offers functions like revenue cycle management and patient engagement. It is ONC Health-certified.
Patients can access their records remotely using the Healow app. They can schedule appointments, view prescriptions and set medication reminders. Patients can also exchange information with doctors.
Key Benefits
Obtain Interoperability: Use the nationwide CommonWell or Carequality networks to exchange data with other hospitals, practices and doctors. With a single click, you can save external records. Cross-reference patient identifiers from multiple EHR systems in order to match and identify each record. Perform global patient searches, combine duplicate records with enterprise master patient index (EMPI).
Ensure Data Consistency: You can integrate with medical devices such as Holters, blood pressure monitors or vitals trackers like spirometers, ECGs, and spirometers. Integration with non-medical devices such as thermal prescription and label printers and iris recognition system can be done. With pharmacy systems that support IP/Port and HTTPS communication, it supports refills and new responses.
Improve Patient Satisfaction. Allow patients to monitor their activities and track blood sugar, blood pressure, body mass index, and sleep quality. Healow Open access allows customers to schedule appointments. Customers can also pay online using a link in text messages.
Embezzle on the Cloud: Data security is assured by the grid cloud system. To prevent losing important information, you can set up automatic backups. Access to data can be done from any internet-enabled device. Through eClinicalWorks Nimbus, it allows you to stay connected with your EHR system even during outages.
Increase cash flow: Track claim statuses in real-time. The dashboard allows you to assess the financial health and performance of your practice. RCM Console will notify you when collections are received or refunds are issued. To gather information about patient payment experiences, you can send electronic satisfaction surveys.
Primary Features
Revenue cycle Management: Perform eligibility checks for insurance to avoid denials. You can monitor A/R days and allocate resources using work queue dashboards. Clearinghouses like eSolutions and TriZetto Provider Solutions can help you simplify the processing of claims.
Analytics Import patient data automatically in the documents section by using HL7 messaging It supports embedded PDF reports. The enterprise business optimizer allows you to create custom reports. To optimize workflows, perform financial and clinical analysis.
Telehealth Send pre-visit questions to patients to collect vital sign to aid in personalized care. Screening functionality allows you to screen patients for illnesses and examine the social determinants (SDH). To remind patients of their appointments, send them emails or texts. Televists can be shared on your screen to provide a detailed overview of patients' health care journey.
Population Health Management Use the clinical decision-support system to develop clinical measures for improving chronic and preventative healthcare. Remote patient monitoring functionality allows you to collect physiological data from the wearables of patients. Use integrated patient engagement modules to contact patients and calculate clients' risk adjustment factor (RAF) scores.
Virtual Assistant Allow physicians to view a patient's account balance, progress notes, and flowsheet using Eva the virtual assistant. You can view educational videos, recall patient history, compare progress notes from the past and present, view patient information, and book appointments without interrupting workflows.
Limitations
It can be difficult to post payments.
Poor customer service.
Users experience occasional crashes.
Compare Software Vendors
We understand the difficulties businesses face in finding a system that meets their needs. It can be overwhelming to find the perfect solution when there is so much data on the internet. Conduct an EHR readiness assessment before you start implementing an EHR system. This will allow you to identify and fix potential problems before you implement the EHR system.
Once you have completed an EHR readiness assessment, you can begin your software selection journey. To avoid replacing costs, you should choose a platform that is scalable.
We have listed some things to consider when comparing EHR applications.
Software that could have a major impact on your finances and cause budget overruns is not something you want to do. It is important to ask about the cost of the application. Don't forget about asking if you will have access for a monthly or lifetime.
To learn more about hidden costs, visit our EHR price guide.
Next, create a requirements list. You should include all features you want in your EHR application. This will allow you to compare vendors based upon the features they provide. These requirements may come with an additional cost.
Interoperability is a must for EHR applications. You should remove any vendor that doesn't provide secure data exchange.
Find out what deployment options are available from the provider. Cloud-based solutions allow you to access data via mobile devices. On-premise systems must be installed on company computers. You will lose money if the app does not work with your devices. To avoid unnecessary costs, make sure you check your operating system before purchasing a product.
The EHR Implementation process is often tedious and time-consuming. There are many factors to consider. It would be helpful to have someone help you navigate the changes. Many EHR vendors offer assistance with implementation. Ask vendors if they offer these services.
Technical problems are possible at times. Many distributors offer phone and email support. Many distributors offer training courses as well as a knowledge base.
Integrating the EHR system with other digital products is a must. Transferring information from one application can be time-consuming. Look for products that integrate with other applications.
Ask other doctors about the vendor's reputation. Do not rely solely on testimonials from the software vendor.
Conducting a Vendor Evaluation
It is difficult to vet all providers within a day. The steps below can help make it easier.
Define SMART (Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic and Time-Bound) Goals
We are not able to achieve our unrealistic goals. We don't want the endless pursuit of unrealistic goals. We just need to set SMART goals. It is impossible to get up in the morning and say that you need an EHR application. Before you can make a decision, you need to plan!
Analyze current workflows
Analyzing your organization's workflows is one of the most important things you can do. This will allow you to spot potential errors and present a convincing case to stakeholders about why an EHR system is necessary.
Collaboration fosters harmony and transparency. You will also be able to identify problems more accurately when working together. To find out what problems your employees will face with EHRs, you can conduct a survey. You can distribute the survey among your teams. These questions can be used as a starting point for conversations with employees.
Is the platform going to solve our documentation issues?
Are we able to use a cloud-based application?
Is there a solution to billing assistance?
Can the application be used to help us comply with state and federal guidelines?
Are we going to need a flexible system or not?
You should make a list of the integrations you want from the application. It is possible that you are already using the system. You don't want spend your time moving data between systems. Instead, you want to be able to concentrate on patient care. To be able to identify the right integrations, you will need to keep a list.
Ask Vendors Questions
Always be willing to answer questions. A single hesitation could cause delays in your workflows or financial problems. Ask vendors about costs, implementation fees and upgrades. Also, ask about support options.