Patient Portal EMR Software Buyer's Guide 2025
Nicole Jenkins
Oct 10, 2025
176
Nicole Jenkins
A Patient Portal EMR Software is intended to give patients an interactive means of accessing, viewing, downloading, or sharing their data from a local or web-based portal.
The most compelling reason to implement a Patient Portal Electronic Health Records (EHR) Software involves the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009. This Act offers practices an incentive to invest in healthcare IT systems to achieve Meaningful Use (MU) requirements. The final stage of the HITECH Act requires providers to allow patients access to information through a portal for their use. These tasks can be handled efficiently through Patient Portal EMR Software.
Moreover, with the increasing use of Practice Management (PM) Software, patients expect this Patient Portal Software at your practice. Also, according to studies, patients with portal access to notes from their main healthcare provider are more likely to follow their prescriptions.
Some of the features that an average Patient Portal Electronic Health Records (EHR) Software is expected to have include:
In a typical Patient Portal PM Software, the calendar shows all the available time slots for an appointment booking, and patients can book the slot best for them. The booking can either be scheduled live or can be done on request. Live booking requires less staff and automatically updates your schedule whenever an appointment is made.
Bill payment can also be done online through a Patient Portal EHR System. Patients can pay their bills through this completely secure portal using their credit cards. These payments are automatically processed by the system once paid.
The paper registration forms can be replaced by a digital framework to handle all of these tasks, offered by a Patient Portal Electronic Health Record (EHR) System. This also saves the hassle of scanning the paperwork since all the paperwork is recorded digitally in the first place. These digital notes also include general health assessments for patients or satisfaction surveys, which help to get real-time feedback.
Prescription refill requests by patients can also be processed by this Practice Management (PM) Software System. Most of these EMR Systems have an exclusive e-Prescription (e-Rx) module for patients to enter their information and then submit the prescription request. The staff of the provider then verifies this request and takes the next step.
Messages between the patients and the healthcare provider can be shared over a Patient Portal system. This provides a platform for formal communication and keeps a record of all conversations. Most systems make use of encryption to ensure that privacy is not breached and that all communication stays safe and secure.
| Electronic Medical Records | Electronic health records software (EHR) 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, E&M coding advice, and SOAP notes. Quality Electronic Health Records Software (EHR) 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 having 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 Patient Portal EMR 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 many things to consider when thinking about using or switching your current Electronic Health Records Software (EHR Software). This buyer’s guide covers every necessary aspect to consider before making a final decision.
The term EMR Software or EHR Software (Electronic Health Records) is 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 EHR/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, every Patient Portal EMR Software is unsuitable for any practice. 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 set of 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 are generally short on the budget compared to larger practices. Due to these constraints, many providers simply prefer cloud-based EHR software and employ Free EMR Software or choose an affordable EMR 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.
Larger medical practices usually offer medical services that fall under various medical specialties (e.g., Orthopedics, Pain Management, Surgery, Chiropractic Medicine, Family Medicine, etc.). Comprising fifteen to twenty medical providers, these practices often require support for multiple users to access the systems simultaneously. Scheduling Software and a scalable solution to accommodate multiple locations, providers, and resources, such as Dialysis Chairs, procedure room allocation, etc., are also the requirements of larger practices.
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 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 EHR 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) and 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 a patient portal 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 make sure 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, AllegianceMD, 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 to 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 enable documentation of 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).
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 patient portal 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 manage 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 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 when it comes to 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 EMRs prove to be ideal for healthcare organizations that wish to manage billing in-house.
Different EMR Vendors offer varying prices. Some EMR Software sellers offer their services for free, while others provide specialty services for extremely high costs. In both cases, there always might 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 EHR 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 many 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 then were essentially 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 EHR systems available for almost all specialties like Cardiology, Anesthesiology, Family Medicine, Orthopedics, Urology, Optometry, Pulmonology, General Surgery, Alternative & Holistic Medicine, etc.
As of 2023, Patient Portal EMR Software has become a cornerstone of modern healthcare, driven by regulatory mandates, technological advancements, and the growing demand for patient-centered care. The 21st Century Cures Act (2020) and the ONC Final Rule (2020) were pivotal in shaping the evolution of patient portals by requiring healthcare providers to offer patients seamless access to their health data through interoperable systems. These regulations emphasized the importance of APIs and standardized data formats, enabling patients to securely access their medical records, lab results, and imaging reports via portals like MyChart (Epic Systems) and HealtheLife (Cerner).
The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the adoption of patient portals, as healthcare providers sought to minimize in-person visits and enhance remote care. In 2021, many portals integrated telehealth capabilities, allowing patients to schedule virtual visits, communicate with providers, and receive post-visit follow-ups. For example, Athenahealth and NextGen Healthcare expanded their portal features to include video consultations and e-prescription renewals, improving patient convenience and engagement.
In 2022, patient portals began incorporating AI-driven tools, such as personalized health recommendations and predictive analytics, to empower patients in managing chronic conditions and preventive care. The rise of mobile-friendly designs and multilingual support made portals more accessible to diverse patient populations.
By 2024, leading EMR vendors like Epic and Cerner had further enhanced their portals with features like wearable device integration, allowing patients to sync data from fitness trackers and smartwatches directly into their health records.
Patient Portal EMR Software has evolved into a comprehensive platform for patient engagement, data access, and remote care, aligning with the healthcare industry's shift toward interoperability, transparency, and patient empowerment.
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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