Best Patient Intake EMR Software Buyer's Guide 2025
Mark Adams
Oct 09, 2025
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Mark Adams
Patient Intake EMR Software system is designed to help patients go through the check-in process on their own online, before getting to the healthcare provider's office for a scheduled appointment. The Practice Management (PM) Software is in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Conventionally, patient intake forms had to be filled out by patients either in the waiting room at their appointment time, or they could print out the form and submit it when they came to the physician for their appointment.
While both conventional methods had their benefits, it was a lot of hassle for the administrative team. All the forms had to be processed manually by verifying information from the patient’s insurance provider and then transferring the handwritten data into the computer-based system.
At times, illegible handwriting causes issues, which, in extreme cases, can put your whole healthcare practice at risk. These handwriting issues cause problems with insurance companies and also make patient history difficult to comprehend. In conclusion, neither of these options is convenient and risk-free, nor do they help reduce the wait time for the patients.
On the other hand, Patient Intake EHR Software allows patients to fill in all the paperwork online with their phones or computers. They can type in and proofread their forms before submitting them. These forms are then directly verified against the insurance company records, reducing staff workload. The use of Patient Intake EHR Software, the forms are processed much more efficiently, and in-office wait times for patients are greatly reduced.
This feature allows the administrative staff to conveniently view patient data all in one place. This data may include billing information, document availability, scheduled appointments, etc.
Allows the patients to fill in all the previously handwritten forms directly into the system. This data filled into the forms can be directly verified and integrated into the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software in use.
Patients can give their feedback to the visitors through these online forms. This feedback can help medical practices make their services even better.
Messages for form submission confirmation or even booking appointments can be sent through a patient portal. This portal can also help send appointment reminders or send promotional deals.
Small documents, such as notes or images, can also be shared through Patient Intake Practice Management (PM) Software. Additional features, such as the scanning of images and e-signatures, are also incorporated into this software.
| Electronic Medical Records | Electronic Health (EHR) Records software is software that assists in developing and storing patient medical records digitally. This unique system assists physicians in tracking patient histories, notes, medications, and demographics. The most popular features of EHR software include e-prescribing (eRx), E&M coding advice, and SOAP notes. Quality Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software also offers lab integration, voice recognition, tablet support, and device integration. |
| Medical Billing | Medical billing modules or Medical Billing software manage the development of patient statements and submission of insurance claims. Key functions of such systems include claim scrubbing, e-claim submission, coding, payment posting, eligibility inquiry, and reporting. |
| Patient Scheduling | This module is designed to automate the entire process of scheduling patient appointments. Core features of a good patient scheduling module may include sending reminders through phone, text message, and email, automated follow-ups, and multi-location support. Such modules are usually offered along with a billing module in a practice management software suite. |
| Radiology Information Systems | A radio information system (RIS) manages the workflow and operations of radiology imaging centers or large medical practices with radiology imaging departments. Such EHR Software or modules automate the entire process of storing, operating, and distributing patient medical images and related data. |
| Picture Archiving and Communications Systems | PACS is designed to manage, store, and retrieve DICOM images. Such systems are often used in combination with a RIS (Radio Information System) to perform the radiology workflow proficiently. |
| Medical Accounting | Medical accounting refers to a system designed to automate accounting processes for medical practices. Major functions of such systems include general ledger, A/P, A/R, and financial reporting. |
Today, over 600 companies offer EHR/EMR and Practice Management Software, and with this growing competition, selecting the right electronic medical records software or practice management software is always a challenging choice. EMRFinder understands your problem and provides a complete and comprehensive catalog of specialty-specific potential EMR Software that is perfect for your practice needs. There are several factors to consider when evaluating the use or switch to your current Electronic Health Records Software (EHR Software). This buyer’s guide covers every necessary aspect to consider before making a final decision.
EMR Software or EHR Software (Electronic Health Records) are terms used for the electronic documentation and maintenance of medical records for patients via computer or a mobile device. EHR Software systems can greatly improve the efficiency of practice by improving the accuracy of documentation of encounters, resulting in improved profitability. Its usability has been universally recognized, and it has become a part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) since 2004.
Besides financial profitability, practices have seen the following benefits of using Patient Intake EMR Software:
Specialty-specific software enables physicians and other medical professionals to store detailed clinical information, such as demographics, medical history, social history, lab reports, etc.
Specialty-specific EMR Software or EHR Software must be fairly customizable to the unique style and documentation requirements since all medical practices have a specific need based on the background and medical specialty. For example, Pain Management or Dermatology-specific EMR software should include the ability to store before/after photos and annotate images. Similarly, specialties like Pediatrics, Oncology, Podiatry, Ophthalmology, Neurology, Nephrology, Dialysis Centers, Rheumatology, and Chiropractic Care require their unique set of features to simplify adoption.
Because of the massive adaptability requirement, not every patient intake EMR Software is suitable for any practice. An EMR Software designed for hospitals or multi-provider clinics does not necessarily support a solo or a small practice. So, what are the factors that will make an EHR Software vendor viable for your medical practice?
From solo to large providers and multi-specialty clinics, every practice has its unique challenges that must be addressed by the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software vendor, some of which are listed below.
Small or solo practices with small office space and a limited number of staff members also have smaller budgets. Due to these constraints, many providers simply prefer cloud-based EMR software and employ Free EMR Software or choose an affordable EHR Software vendor with a low fixed monthly fee.
Often belonging to the same medical specialty, the medium-sized practices require unique features such as interoperability, dedicated customer support, multi-device support, as well as extensive reporting functionality to keep an eye on the overall performance of the practice, as their budget is also comparatively larger.
Hospitals or enterprise organizations have the most elaborate list of requirements, which are usually documented in the form of an RFI or RFP to assess and shortlist vendors that can meet them.
Hospitals or enterprises are often the target market of patient intake EMR software companies such as Athenahealth, McKesson, Epic, Cerner, eClinicalWorks, Allscripts, NextGen, drChrono, and Meditech, etc., and they usually provide ideal EHR software solutions for larger corporations such as ACOs, PCMH, IPAs, CINs (Clinically Integrated Networks), and Public Health Departments, etc. These EMR software companies usually offer features like integration with multiple other software and medical devices, inventory management modules, interface with local labs (LIS), machines, and diagnostic equipment, along with drug dispensing (pharmacy management software), electronic medication administration record (EMAR), etc.
Electronic Medical Records (EMR) consist of various software, all with different functionalities and applications. Here are a few tips one should consider before selecting an EMR Software:
The safety and security of patient data and medical records is a principal concern for not only clinicians and medical providers but their patients as well. A strong EMR Software ensures the safety and security of medical records and all the related patient information and guarantees HIPAA Compliance, providing them privacy (especially during the patient’s communication with their doctor via Patient Portal). Top EMR Software Vendors from today (AdvancedMD, PrognoCIS, Modernizing Medicine, Chirotouch, Kareo, etc.) use data encryption technologies and other advanced tools in every section of the EMR Software to ensure that they safeguard patient records.
Due to its various advantages, Cloud-based EMR has grown more popular among physicians lately. Cloud-based EHR software is mostly device-independent and supports multiple devices such as Smartphones (iPhones and Android phones), iPads, desktop computers, and laptops. The EMR software can be accessed from any location at any time, provided that internet access is available. The Cloud-based EHR Software technology usually requires minimal or no maintenance or upfront cost, making it ideal for doctors running small clinics and private practices. Some of the Cloud-based EMR Software vendors include ChartPerfect, Care Cloud, AllegienceMD, CureMD, ChartLogic, etc. The move to the public cloud for healthcare is vital in the current changing landscape. For practices that don't adopt new cloud services, the old inferior feature set, coupled with the higher prices, will hinder the business dramatically. This gulf between the old software and the new cloud-based software will only grow more exponentially as time goes on.
One of the characteristics of strong EMR software is that it is ONC-ATCB certified and complies with the guidelines and protocols defined by the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). The software vendors who comply with these measures go through severe testing and conform at a benchmark level set by the federal body. This testing ensures that all areas of the software are checked for example Patient Portal, the way the software communicates with Pharmacies via E-prescription (e-Rx), HIEs, labs, hospitals, etc. Most of the EHR vendors nowadays have all the details related to their compliance with the standards established by the ONC (Click here) present online.
Certain specialty-specific Electronic health records (EHR) systems must offer unique tools for that specialty for clinical documentation. For example, for gastroenterology, the EMR system should include specific tools that can document clinical workflow and specify the area of concern (e.g., issues concerning the GI tract) and must offer much more than capturing raw data or text. (Gastroenterology EMR Software).
When selecting an EMR System, one of the basic and most important decisions that you need to make is whether you want the EMR Software solution by itself or integrated with a Practice Management System for scheduling and billing. Having an integrated EHR and PM solution has its pros, yet there have been instances where practices chose an EHR by themselves, as they had some unique needs that EMR Software vendors could not meet or they had already made large payments for separate Practice Management solutions and could not replace it were bound to use it.
With competition rising every day in the field of healthcare IT, many EHR Vendors who provide integrated Practice Management solutions included in the software bundle easily outclass competitors with standalone EMR Software including the ones that offer a specialty-specific EMR Solution. EHR software providers with integrated Practice Management systems often tend to offer widespread reporting competencies to monitor how the practice performs and manages administrative tasks better.
Medical practices need to have a strong billing system to be able to communicate with insurance companies and charge for all the services rendered. Medical Billing Software works best when integrated with patient intake EMR software. The clinical documentation complies with all the mandatory standards and forms a financial document that is sent electronically to insurance carriers or financiers so that they can validate and process it at their end. This helps streamline operations and various administrative tasks and makes sure everyone is on the same page regarding financial matters. By using the Medical Billing Software system, practices can produce patient statements, confirm patient eligibility, generate claims, and much more. Medical billing solutions integrated with EHRs prove to be ideal for healthcare organizations that wish to manage billing in-house.
Different EMR Vendors offer varying prices. Some patient intake Software sellers offer their services for free, while others provide specialty services for extremely high costs. In both cases, there might always be chances of several hidden costs that might be revealed later. When selecting an EHR Software, make sure you finalize your budget and discuss all the hidden costs included in the contract with your potential vendors. Also, make sure you ask them about the charges for services such as support and training.
Though some doctors and physicians might be very proficient with technology, at the end of the day, they are not IT professionals. They always prefer software that is easy to use, so that not only their transition process from their existing systems (paper or existing EHR) is smooth, but also their everyday experience with their Electronic Health Records software goes without any hindrances. An EMR System that is too complicated to understand can waste a lot of time resulting in users being aggravated. Also, some EMR companies provide users with training free of cost, so at the time of selecting an EMR software, make sure that you ask the vendor to train you and other staff members of the practice to have a better grasp of the software and if there will be any additional costs involved for training.
All medical providers work in their distinctive manner and have unique needs according to their specialties. Therefore, most of the EMR Software Vendors today ensure that their EHR Software is specially tailored for a specific specialty or some specialties. This was a predictable conclusion of the EMR Software journey, as more and more healthcare providers were required to switch to Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems. Most of the EHR software companies were focused on selling their software to all healthcare providers regardless of their specialties. However, the specialty-based medical providers soon realized that the software did not meet the requirements of their practices. Therefore, the demand for specialty-specific EMR systems increased. To meet that demand, EMR software vendors started producing specialty-specific EHR software and as a result, today there are several unique EMR systems available for almost all specialties like Cardiology, Anesthesiology, Family Medicine, Orthopedics, Urology, Optometry, Pulmonology, General Surgery, Alternative & Holistic Medicine, etc.
When you adopt EHR software for your practice, it eases your routine tasks and helps your practice in so many different ways. But what will you do when your software faces a technical issue? It is normal for any software application to malfunction from time to time. This is when you should pick up your phone and contact the customer service representative of your EMR software service provider. An efficient customer support service addresses all of your concerns and issues and tries to resolve them in a knowledgeable and skilled way. Only a customer service rep can understand the issues or changes in the behavior of your Electronic Health Records software application and then the rep can pass on your concerns to the appropriate department to get your issue fixed. A good customer service representative always ensures customer satisfaction. On the other hand, a bad and rude customer rep will only make things worse. Most of the EMR software vendors provide customer support as a part of the plan that you are paying for, while some of them charge extra for this service. Before implementing EHR software, you should make it clear to the vendor if there will be a special support team assigned to the practitioner within the package or not.
Epic EMR Software one of the top Cloud-based Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software & Practice Management (PM) Software provider in the United States, is taking drastic steps to help identify potential cases of Wuhan novel coronavirus in providers. The medical update was sent this week to health care customers to make sure all EHR workflows strictly follow the necessary CDC guidelines. Continue Reading
athenahealth EMR Software, one of the largest EMR Software vendor in the United States by athenahealth inc. has added new order sets to help with the detection coronavirus. The new screening tool added to the EMR software network will help speed up the diagnosis and overall patient monitoring. Continue Reading
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