Ultimate Guide to Long-Term Care EMR Software

Long-Term Care EMR Software solutions differs from general-purpose EMR/EHR software. Long Term Care or commonly known as LTC is a medical specialty that provides services to individuals with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or other conditions that may necessitate assistance with daily activities (including old age). It usually involves different care models, patient demographics, and regulations to follow. Therefore, Long-Term Care EMR software systems must be equipped to deal with this.

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software and Practice Management (PM) Software for Long-Term Care are designed to help LTC healthcare practices automate operational, financial, and marketing activities to make workflows more efficient. Typical EHR/EMR software solutions may not fully support LTC workflows or provide the needed features.

Generally, Long-Term Care (LTC) EMR Software falls under the bracket of Geriatric Software due to the overlap between the two specialties. Home Health and Hospice Care may sometimes fall under the LTC category. However, Long-Term Care doesn’t exclusively deal with the elderly and hence includes other functionality (discussed later).

Essential Features to Look for in an LTC EHR Solution

Other key features include:

• eMAR with pharmacy integration
• Care plan management
• Incident & infection tracking
• Family/POA communication tools (portals and secure messaging)
• Reporting & analytics
• Interoperability

Finding Specialty-Specific LTC EMR Systems

Due to the need for extensive customization, generic EMR software systems may not necessarily be suitable for all practices.

Since Long-Term Care physicians work in different environments than typical clinic & hospital-based care, they have unique needs that should be catered to within an LTC-specific EMR Solution.

For example, LTC physicians rely heavily on facility staff such as nurses, rehab staff, and administrators. Therefore, to improve care coordination, a robust LTC health IT system should include secure messaging and support orders that route directly to nursing task lists.

Long-Term Care Electronic Health Records (EHR) Solutions should also work seamlessly across multiple facilities (nursing homes, assisted living facilities, rehab centers, etc.), and should support mobile EMR and offline access.

Other Functionality in Long-Term Care EHR Software

When it comes to Long-Term Care (LTC) EMR Software, different vendors may offer different functionalities, but the necessary functionality includes:

Marketing Tools

The best Long-Term Care EMR Software should be designed to streamline communication, enhance community outreach, improve patient engagement, and ultimately support the growth of a practice.

LTC EMR Software should also include CRM-life functions (e.g., waitlist management, donor management, referral tracking etc.).

Typically, marketing tools within an LTC EMR system can facilitate better patient communication and outreach.

For Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF), they can also help to manage referrals and re-admissions.

Clinical-MDS

Long-Term Care EMR Software normally includes built-in support for Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments. This allows it to be tracked electronically and integrated with point-of-care and charting solutions.

Point of Care Solutions

Long-Term Care EHR software systems should offer an interface for nursing assistants and other users to easily track patient health, such as activities of daily living (ADLs), dehydration risk, and more. It should also be possible to store and retrieve data, through an LTC EMR Solution.

LTC EMR Systems by Practice Size

From solo to large providers and multi-specialty clinics, every size of practice has its unique set of challenges that must be addressed by the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software vendor.

EMR Software designed for hospitals or multi-provider clinics may not support a solo or small practice. So, what factors make an EHR Software vendor viable for a Long-Term Care medical practice?

Small or Solo Provider Practices

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 EMR software and employ Free EMR Software or choose an affordable Electronics Health Records (EHR) Software vendor with a low fixed monthly fee.

Medium-Sized Practices

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 larger.

Large Practices

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.

Additional requirements for larger Long-Term Care organizations include resident scheduling tools, a scalable EMR system that supports multiple facilities and providers, and the ability to manage shared resources such as therapy rooms, wound care areas, and specialized equipment.

Hospitals or Enterprise Organizations

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 Tebra, Epic, athenaHealth, AdvancedMD etc. They usually provide ideal EMR 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.

Benefits of Long-Term Care EMR Software

Besides financial profitability, facilities have seen the following benefits of using EHR/EMR Software:

• Improved coordination between the long-term care team
• Streamlined workflow & administrative tasks
• Improved resident care & safety
• Improved practice efficiency
• Better Resource Management
• Enhanced Security and Safety (Cloud Storage & Back-ups)
• Automated alerts and reminders help patients return to the office when necessary and notify the practice about any potential risk
• Improved collections due to more organized claims

Tips to consider when choosing a Long-Term Care EMR Software Vendor

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software is often made up of different modules, each providing different functionality. Here are a few tips to consider before deciding on an LTC EMR software vendor.

Specific Services

When selecting an EMR software, an important decision to make is whether to get a standalone EMR software or get an integrated Practice Management (PM) Software, Resident Scheduling, and Medical Billing solutions.

Often, EHR systems will support integrations with practice management solutions and other health IT software, enabling streamlined workflows.

Long Term Care practices should also consider their needs and weigh them against what EHR/EMR software best fulfils them. For example, a generic patient scheduler may not be able to accommodate for needs of a Long-Term Care facility in the same way a resident scheduler would.

Cloud-based EMR software

Cloud-based EMR solutions have grown more popular among physicians. Cloud-Based EHR software is mostly device-independent and supported across multiple devices, whether Android phones, iPhones, Macs, or computers! Provided internet access is available, web-based LTC EMR software can be accessed from any location at any time. (Compare a list of top Cloud-based EMR).

ONC Certified Health IT EMR Software

ONC-ATCB Certified EMR Software is tested and certified to meet Meaningful Use (MU)/Promoting Interoperability standards for EHR software. Whilst not necessary in the context of Long-Term Care, nursing homes, or assisted living facilities, ONC-certified EHR software can still provide benefits, such as improved interoperability, better compliance, and futureproofing.

Mac EMR Software

Whether based on needs or preference, practitioners may be running Apple systems (like Macs). However, not all LTC EMR vendors support Mac devices; it’s necessary to look for a Long-Term Care EMR Software compatible with Mac systems (Mac EMR Software).

Hidden Cost

Different EMR software vendors will offer varying prices. Some might offer their services free of charge, whilst others may quote extremely high costs. Regardless, practices may be subject to several hidden costs that may not be revealed till later.

When selecting EHR Software, make sure to finalize budgets and discuss all the hidden costs included within contracts. Support and training can also add to any existing service costs.

Mobility

Mobile devices provide great convenience for clinicians and practitioners, allowing easy access to critical information. Today, most physicians require tablets or iPads to take notes, label diagrams, or even make e-Prescriptions (eRx) to patients within a synchronized mobile EMR application.

Ease of Use and Training

At the end of the day, not everyone is an IT professional. A complicated EHR system ultimately becomes a hindrance when used daily, so ease of use and training (whilst often overlooked) can not only help with transitions but will ultimately help with long-term operations.

Customer Support Quality

Unfortunately, most IT systems will not run smoothly and perfectly, regardless of industry. In such situations, where things go wrong in the middle of critical operations, it’s always handy to have an efficient customer service team to help resolve any issues.

Most EMR software vendors provide customer support as a part of their plans; however, some vendors may charge extra for it. Before implementing an EHR software system, these details should be clarified.

Security

Safety, security, and privacy of patient data and medical information are a principal concern for clinicians, medical providers, but also patients. A strong EMR software should guarantee privacy and security, especially in communications between facility staff. Furthermore, practices should consider HIPAA compliance (thus providing privacy with family/POA portals and patient communications).

Additionally, cybersecurity in EHR software systems is set to become much more complex in response to rising cyber threats. Advanced encryption, blockchain, and artificial intelligence (AI) are all expected to enhance data integrity, improve real-time threat detection, and facilitate predictive analytics. However, from the user’s point of view, user training and awareness should gain more traction as a key measure in reducing risks related to human error, notably phishing.

Vendor Evaluation Checklist

To summarize the content above, here’s a checklist to look through whilst evaluating the best Long-Term Care EMR Software Providers. Please keep in mind this is not indicative of all key functionality, but is meant to be supplementary:

• Core LTC Functionality
  • Does your LTC EMR Software support Resident Care Planning?
  • Does it support MDS 3.0 Integration?
  • Does your EHR solution have eMAR with Pharmacy Integration?
• Technical Requirements
  • Multi-facility Support
    • Can facility staff use a single login across multiple locations?
  • Mobile/Tablet & Offline compatibility
  • Interoperability
    • Does the Long-Term Care EHR software system comply with HL7/FHIR standards? Does it support third-party integrations?
  • System uptime metrics
    • Will the system be available when you need it?
• User Experience & Training
  • Are the user interfaces intuitive & easy to use?
  • Role-Based Access
    • Are there customizable permissions for different staff levels?
  • Training and Customer Support
  • Documentation and training material
    • Does the EMR software vendor provide user manuals, video tutorials, and other similar guides?
  • Can the LTC EMR software solution be customized to the needs of physicians and staff?
• Compliance
  • ONC Health IT Certification?
    • Again, this is not necessary but useful
  • Is it HIPAA Compliant?
  • Does the EHR system provide complete audit trails of all user access and data changes?
  • Is data encrypted end-to-end, whilst at rest and in transit?
  • Does the EMR software vendor provide regular security updates?
• Support and Maintenance
  • Is customer support available 24/7, or at least during business hours?
  • Are you guaranteed a response for critical issues?
  • Are there regular updates for the LTC EMR/EHR software?

Market Trends to Be Aware Of

The EHR software industry, like everything else, goes through constant changes all the time, whether it’s innovations, updates in technology, or changes in legalities. Long-Term Care EMR software can also be affected as a result. Here are some key changes to keep an eye out for:

MACRA

The Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015 created the Quality Payment Program for eligible clinicians that:

• Repeals the sustainable growth rate formula

• Changes the way that Medicare pays physicians for value over volume

• Streamlines multiple quality programs under the new Merit-Based Incentive Payments System (MIPS)
• Awards extra payments for participation in eligible alternative payment models (APMs)

Promoting Interoperability (formerly Meaningful Use)

Since 2018, the Promoting Interoperability program (previously known as “Meaningful Use”) has been updated. As it’s one of the four performance categories within MIPS (along with Quality, Cost, and Improvement Activities), and thus a key component of the MACRA framework, it’s important to understand its updated principles.

Note: Eligible hospitals and CAHs participate in a separate Promoting Interoperability program with different requirements.

There’s been a shift towards effective healthcare data interoperability (in EHR software systems), ensuring that information is properly shared between healthcare and public health partners. Additionally, the CMS published its 2025 policy changes in December 2024, outlining new quality measures and changes to cost scoring methodology. Some key changes include:

• Currently, there is a minimum continuous 180-day reporting period (as of 2024-2025)
• The minimum scoring threshold is increasing from 60 points to 70 points.
  • There are plans to increase this to 80 points in 2026
• Starting with the 2025 performance year, all participants in APMs, whether MIPS APMs or advanced APMs, will be required to use Certified Electronic Health Records Technology (CEHRT) and make a MIPS Promoting Interoperability submission

Cloud-Based Services

Cloud-based and web-based EMR solutions have become a significant part of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) Software industry, along with subscription models; perpetual licenses have become a dying breed.

In the past, studies have shown that only 25% of physicians have shown interest in web-based EMR/EHR systems, and only 50% have adopted it as an initial model that will ultimately transition to cloud-based software. However, that number is now much higher and with good reason.

There are many benefits of Cloud-based EMR software, such as reduced costs, no hardware/server maintenance, and easy accessibility. Despite this, there are still tradeoffs, and medical practices should consider these too when deciding on an EMR software vendor.

Artificial Intelligence

In recent years, AI and machine learning have had a significant impact on healthcare IT. It is inevitable that as these continue to evolve and change, they will continue to influence industry and, consequently, Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software.

Machine learning and AI can massively improve EHR Software by making it more intuitive and efficient. Technologies such as virtual assistants, voice transcription, and predictive analytics (some of which have already seen implementations) can streamline medical workflows and improve patient outcomes.

By providing access and insights into large amounts of patient data, artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms have the potential to revolutionize clinical research and drug development.