If you are a medical practitioner, then you must realize the importance of choosing a worthy Electronic Health Record (EHR) software. The latter acts as a digital replacement for traditional, paper patient charts and hosts advanced tools that improve a practice’s performance.
One system that has made a name for itself in the industry is Epic EHR software. In this review, we discuss everything you need to know about the EHR system so you can decide it’s meant for you or not.
Epic EHR Software – Company Introduction
Founded in 1979, Epic EHR software offers advanced healthcare solutions to doctors of more than 30 specialties. This system caters to the needs of community hospitals, academic medical centers, rehab centers, and retail clinics, among other medical practices. As of now, more than 250 million patients have their records saved in Epic software.
Epic EHR Software – Top Features
Cloud-based solutions
Epic EHR is hosted on the cloud. What does this mean for your medical practice? You can operate the software from any location and time – provided there is an active internet connection. Moreover, the system can be used on any device connected to the internet. Hence, lowering the need for you to invest in costly hardware.
Heightened patient engagement
MyChart is Epic EHR software’s portal to improve patient engagement and convenience. It can be accessed online or installed as an app hosted on Android and iOS. Patients and their loved ones can use the portal to communicate with doctors, read discharge summaries, schedule appointments, access educational content, and complete any questionnaires.
Potential patients can also benefit from MyChart by scheduling online appointments at a time and day convenient for them.
Secure virtual visits
Due to the ongoing pandemic, it has become challenging for patients to visit hospitals and clinics. To solve this problem, Epic EHR has introduced the telehealth feature. Through this tool, doctors can provide virtual consultations to patients wherever they may be located. Patients can access these remote appointments through the MyChart portal.
Since the EHR software is HIPAA compliant, practitioners and patients both do not have to worry about losing information to hackers in the form of security breaches.
Specialty-specific content
Epic EHR provides healthcare solutions that cater to the needs of doctors of more than 30 specialties. These specialties range from behavioral health to dermatology to urgent care. Templates and content have been created specifically for different specialties. To ensure doctors are provided with the tools they truly need, specialty-specific content was developed in collaboration with specialists in the respective field.
Automated billing and claim management
The financial function of a medical practice is as important as the clinical one. The billing process is made effortless since patients benefit from paperless billing, online payments, self-service payment, pre-payments based on estimated figures, and financial assistance. Additionally, users can promote cost-effective treatments to patients that are suggested by the clinical and financial decision support tool. This creates a win-win situation for both patients and practitioners alike.
With Epic EHR, doctors can ensure timely payments for their services. Automated insurance eligibility checks confirm whether a patient’s insurance plan is active or not. Moreover, it verifies whether a patient’s plan is sufficient enough to cover a particular treatment.
Epic EHR Software – Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- A versatile suite of solutions is offered that cater to all functions within a medical practice. Routine software upgrades ensure that Epic EHR is up to par with industry trends.
- Epic EHR software features an easy-to-use interface that is simple and self-explanatory.
- Complete medical histories of patients are available with a few clicks.
Weaknesses
- Customer support is not responsive when it comes to considering and implementing user-requested features and suggestions.
- While the software is user-friendly, it can difficult for doctors initially to get hands-on with the system.
- The interface could be made more aesthetically appealing. Moreover, the lack of customizable features is a source of concern for users.
Epic EHR Software – Price
The starting price for Epic’s self-hosted solutions is $1,200. Some users have even reported that the cost for large medical practices and hospitals is around $500,000. However, no free trial is offered for the ease of potential clients.
Should I invest in Epic EHR Software or Not?
Just like its name, Epic EHR software is genuinely epic. A vast array of advanced features are offered for the convenience of doctors of more than 30 specialties. While users love the versatility and ease of use, they are concerned about the lack of customizable features.
Whether you invest in Epic EHR or not depends if it meets your expectations and requirements from it.
