They say that small practices have the advantage over larger ones because they’re smaller and more nimble. They can adapt and pivot in a day if needed, and don’t need to schedule a board meeting to approve every detail.
However, small practices in the direct primary care (DPC), cash-pay, and functional medicine spaces can quickly lose their agility if they try to use an EHR or EMR designed for large practices. At the same time, they may find themselves overpaying for a few features they need and several more they will never need.
“We were using only 20% of the functionality of our EHR because it was so difficult to use,” said Jody Layne, Chief Operating Officer, Florida Center for Hormones and Wellness.
“We were looking for a company that would innovate with us.”
For small practices, the margins are ultra-thin, and patient care is the top priority. They need an EHR/EMR to be a competitive advantage that will help them scale, not a bulky cost and efficiency killer that holds them back.
With that in mind, here is how owners can get the most for their dollar in today’s market and some of the best EHR and EMRs for small practices, according to user reviews.
What Small Practices Need to Look for in an EHR/EMR Solution
Every practice is unique. Their specific challenges can be as varied as the patients they serve. However, most practice owners would agree that they place a lot of value on:
- Usability: This tool needs to simplify your day-to-day operations, not mystify your staff members
- Affordability: Budgets are tight. Your EMR should save time and money. But don’t go with the cheapest option
- Compliance: HIPAA and ONC-ATCB certification are non-negotiable
- Hosting: Is this cloud-based or on-premises? A cloud-based solution saves you the extra headaches of maintaining servers.
- Support: If something breaks, you need fast help. More importantly, will they take your feedback and incorporate it into a future update?
You may have your own must-haves. But feel free to use the above and your own list to create a scorecard for your next would-be EHR solution.
How to Choose the Best EHR Systems For Small Practices
1. Cerbo
Cerbo is seen as one of the leading solutions in this space. In fact, they recently won the best in its class by winning The Battle of the EHRs, which is a competition organized by My DPC Story.
Usability
This is widely seen as one of the areas where they excel. Cerbo was designed with DPC, cash pay, and functional medicine clinics in mind.
They have been praised for their charting functionality, with some clients claiming it saves them hundreds of hours every year. At the same time, others simply praise how the interface looks and feels.
For example, Jeff Hunter from Upstream Functional Medicine said he much prefers Cerbo’s interface to his previous EHR.
“It was chunky. Even the presentation of things just felt cheap, if you will. And if you use a tool all day, every day, you really want it to feel nice.”
Affordability
Cerbo is in the middle of the market when it comes to price. However, as mentioned earlier, we strongly recommend that you don’t simply go with the lowest price solution. Ask yourself how much saving hundreds of hours on charting every year is actually worth to your practice.
Ask yourself, “How much value can this solution really bring to my practice?” Then you can weigh that value against the cost. This was the mentality Amanda Hoelscher, Nurse Practitioner (APRN) and AGNP, and owner of Uplift Concierge, used when placing a true value on her EHR. She was hyper-aware of where her time was best spent and what tasks didn’t generate revenue.
“Being a one-woman show, I was the one doing every little thing, and I know how many keystrokes this saves me. I might not have the numbers for you, but I’m very aware.”
Compliance
Cerbo is built for secure clinical documentation and data exchange. This includes:
- HIPAA
- CPT
- ICD-10
- HL7 compliance
It also offers a secure and compliant patient portal.
Hosting
They are cloud-only, with a modern SaaS approach with no local infrastructure.
Support
This is another area where users say they stand apart. Cerbo’s customer service and support have been praised for their availability, accessibility, and collaborative approach to finding solutions.
2. Practice Fusion
Practice Fusion is a billing solution that focuses on making its clients more efficient.
Usability
Users have complimented the intuitive workflows, with some praising it for being built for small practises.
Affordability
They fall in the mid-range of pricing, with a subscription model/
Compliance
They offer solid baseline compliance for small clinical practices. They are HIPAA-compliant in supporting e-prescribing and standards like HL7.
Hosting
Cloud-based.
Support
They offer support through their health center, both phone and chat. They also have a documentation library and other community resources.
3. iPatientCare
They position themselves as a solution for primary caregivers, specialty providers, and pharmacies.
Usability
While this solution offers lots of customizations, many users have complained that this comes at the expense of complexity.
Substantial training may be required.
Affordability
Quote-based cost, with some users describing it as higher than the entry-level cost.
Compliance
HIPAA, ICD-10, HL7, MIPS/quality reporting options.
Hosting
Cloud-based.
Support
Users have said the training and onboarding are solid, but after that, the customers report different experiences, both good and bad.
4. SimplePractice
They describe themselves as a practice management software for the mental health sector, focusing on admin work and clinical care.
Usability
Users describe it as simple and clean to use, particularly when it comes to scheduling and making notes.
Affordability
This starts out as one of the more affordable options, with various subscription models, with some premium features such as e-prescribing and telehealth costing extra.
Compliance
HIPAA-compliant messaging and patient portal.
Hosting
Cloud-based.
Support
Many of their customers say very supportive things about their onboarding process, responsiveness, and help documents.
5. InSync EMR (Qualifacts)
They have positioned themselves as an EHR that services sectors such as mental health, human services, addiction, treatment, and more.
Usability
It’s been described as a feature-rich product that comes with a steep learning curve, especially when it comes to behavioural health and agency settings.
Affordability
Not publicly disclosed, but users have described it as being at the higher end of the market.
Compliance
HIPAA-compliant, including e-prescribing.
Hosting
Cloud-based.
Support
Reviews online vary. Some customers praise a strong onboarding process, but others complain about lag times in getting tickets addressed.
FAQ
What is the difference between EMR, EHR, and PHR?
You may actually hear these terms used interchangeably. However, there are differences that are worth noting.
- EHR stands for Electronic Health Record. These include health and billing data from doctors, hospitals, labs, imaging centers, and other sources.
- EMR stands for Electronic Medical Records. This refers to digital versions of things like charts, as well as things like financial information, health, data, and records about vaccinations, medications, or allergies.
- PHR stands for Personal Health Record. The key difference here is that it is patient-controlled, containing the data they put into it.
How Does EHR Usability Affect Physician Burnout?
This is a question that is probably not asked frequently enough.
Nothing will hurt a physician’s morale more than wasting time on repetitive tasks that keep them away from patient care.
This is why choosing the right EHR/EMR is absolutely crucial. Your physicians should see it as a tool that not only makes their charting in notes faster and more efficient, but also protects their valuable patient time.
Does Freed integrate with EHRs and EMRs?
Yes, Freed AI integrates with major EHRs and EMRs to streamline documentation. It works with any web-based EHR through a Chrome extension.
Why Small Practices Need THE RIGHT EMR/EHR Solutions
Your EHR extends far beyond your medical records. It should be an entire operating system for your practice, which will touch (and help) all aspects of your operations.
As we said in the introduction. This should be your competitive advantage.
“I can’t stress enough how important it is to choose the right system from day one, said Cara Direct Care’s Clinic Manager, Paula Tomczyk. “This is a long-term investment, and the system you pick will directly impact your practice’s efficiency.”
Tomczyk is just one of countless happy Cerbo customers who are glad they made the switch. “Switching EHRs seven years in was not easy… But the new system made things much easier. The workflow is more efficient, and we can see everything we need in one place.”
Cerbo provides a do-it-all EHR, practice management, and patient portal solution that helps you slash the time spent on administrative tasks, freeing up your time to work on your business instead of being trapped by tasks in your business. At the same time, Cerbo offers online scheduling, text message reminders, and supports integrations with your CRM.
