What Are The Different Types Of EMR Software?

Updated on October 26, 2022

Medical treatment has been broadened in novel ways, thanks to new technical prowess. Although many medical departments have gone modernized with the use of technology. Similarly, due to developments in communication and data technologies, the management of medical records has completely revolutionized. Now doctors can make wise decisions while prescribing medicines and predict some potential risks after looking at optimized patient history. 

Moreover, in hospitals most of the daily routine gets paperless and gets more organized with these Electronic medical records and Electronic Health Records. There is a difference between EHR and EMR which we will discuss later on.

If you have special patients in your hospital, then their data will stay secure and confidential with this software. These patients can also pay their bills online through this amazing software. 

What is better than a patient’s health records all in one place? However, this is manually impossible. This is where EMR comes to your rescue. So, what is EMR? EMR is defined as Electronic Medical Records. This is the complete record of a patient. It includes demographic data, images, billing records, medication, and everything needed by the physician to understand a patient’s medical history.  Want to know more about EMR? Scroll down to learn more. 

So, if you want increased efficiency in your hospitals then it’s better to understand what EMR is and what its various types are. Then you can implement the right EMR software in your medical centers.

What is EMR?

Clinical diagnosis, illnesses, past medical history, vaccination dates, laboratory findings, prescriptions, and physician comments are all included in EMRs, or electronic medical records. Anything from capturing patient data and organizing appointments to filling medications and authenticating insurance schemes is handled by EMR systems. 

However, you could have doubts about implementing an electronic health records system to your hospitals. But, the glory of this software is that it can take the effectiveness and productivity of your health care centers to unprecedented levels. In addition, with this organized system, you will see the instant financial growth of your medical business.

Main Types Of EMR

EMR software has gone through various phases of technological revolution. Therefore, you can find various types of EMR software. Some of the important ones are discussed here. 

Cloud-Based EMR

As the name suggests, the cloud-based software stores your record in the cloud. This cloud provides the feasibility to access your data from anywhere. If you are planning to expand your healthcare business and open various branches of your hospital then this cloud-based EMR is the best option to implement in your business structure. There will be more synchronization and optimization in all of your branches.

Moreover, because they do not offer data hosting, these systems are less expensive.

Mac-Based EMR

Mac-based EMR is designed for MAC devices. This software includes various features which you can operate with IOS software devices only. Moreover, this software makes the integration and data transfer between Mac devices easy.  

ONC-Certified Software

Any program that complies with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology’s criteria is referred to as ONC-certified EMR software (ONC). The proper administration and retention of critical patient information is the core of these standards.

Moreover, this software are evaluated and certified by ONC-approved testing and certification agencies. This evaluation guarantees that the software meets the ONC’s purposeful use of medical record standards. Access to a client portal, a space to construct treatment plans, and quality reporting mechanisms are among the parameters to check the software. Therefore, these softwares are the best to grab if you are handling cases of more security-concerned people. 

EMR Software For Behavioral And Mental Health Clinics

Behavioral analysts and therapists have to record the minute details of their patients. If there is no proper gathering of data, they won’t be able to conduct an effective session with their patients. 

Therefore, the special EMR software for therapist clinics involves more complex features. They have more comprehensive and refined memo organization features. They include documentation templates for formats such as BIRP, DAP, and SOAP. These features help the analysts to store, manage, and access these notes easily. 

Medical Payments Software

Medical payment software can make it easier to process patient invoices and reimbursements. This EMR software include special built-in programs which create a fully functional and administrative department for handling medical payments. 

Moreover, this software allows healthcare experts to streamline a variety of invoicing operations, including insurance verification, claim to file, and payment collection, as well as follow-up on refused insurance claims.

Additionally, thanks to this software, annoying administrative tasks become automated efficiently. This automation leads your staff to focus more on patient care with ease. 

Difference Between EHR And EMR

You may have noticed that many doctors or medical business holders are using the term EHR instead of EMR for software handling medical records. If you think they are the same then you are mistaken. The EMR is a narrow term for storing a patient’s medical data in the form of charts. Whereas EHR is a broader term that includes EMR as well. It stands for Electronic Health Record and includes test results, demographic data, insurance information, and other information of the patient. In addition, EHRs are also compatible with other systems, which is a significant feature. 

They have the following distinctive differences which helps you recognize these two different terms easily. 

EMR EHR
It is a narrow term that records patient data in the form of charts.It is a broader term that stores patients’ health data including test results, demographic data, and insurance information.
EMRs aren’t made to be distributed outside of a practice session.2.EHRs are created to allow authorized clinicians and personnel from several organizations to access a patient’s information.
Aids in the correct diagnosis of a disease.3. Aids in making a decision about the patient through built-in tools. 
Accessibility to demographic information is restricted.4. Accessibility to read lab findings, images, information on insurance claims, demographic data, and more

Is there any Drawback Of EMR Software?

EMR software can cause wonders to your healthcare centers but at the same time, they have some flaws too. Such as 

  1. If the software gets down for a while then your whole healthcare organization can get crippled. 
  2. Data is stored online so they are always at the risk of hacking. 
  3. EMR is costly and costs up to 30k$ per provider. 
  4. If you haven’t backed up your data then any technical error can cause the loss of all records. 

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.