What you need to know about an EMR Software

Today, over 600 companies provide EHR/EMR and Practice Management Software and with this growing competition selecting the right electronic medical records software or practice management software is always a very difficult choice. EMRFinder understands your problem and provides a complete and comprehensive catalog of specialty-specific potential EMR Software, perfect for your practice needs. There are many things to be considered when thinking to start using or to switch 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 basically used for the electronic documentation and maintenance of medical records for patients via computer or a mobile device. EHR Software essentially improves the efficiency of practice by helping in making more accurate documentation of the encounters resulting in improved profitability. Its usability has been recognized and it became a part of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) in 2004.

EMR Software Benefits

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

• Improved practice efficiency
• Streamlined administrative tasks
• Improved profitability and revenue cycle (Medical Billing Services)
• Improved Patient Engagement (via Patient Portal)
• Decreased stationary costs
• Improved collections due to more organized claims
• Automated alerts and reminders helping patients return to the office when necessary and notifying the practice about any potential risk
• Enhanced Security and Safety (Cloud Storage & Back-ups) – Cloud-based EMR Software

EMR Software by Specialty

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 to annotate on 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.

EMR Software by Practice Size

Because of the massive adaptability requirement, every EMR Software is not suitable for any practice. As an 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 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 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 comparatively 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. 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

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 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) and electronic medication administration record (EMAR), etc.

Market Trends to Be Aware Of

The EHR industry, like everything else, goes through constant changes all the time. Whether it’s new innovations or updates in technology, or changes in legalities, the EMR industry is always changing. Following is a list of such changes that you should keep track of.

In 2025, the demand for EMR software solutions for healthcare practices has continued to rise, with market growth estimated at around 6-7% year-over-year as healthcare providers increasingly prioritize digital transformation and interoperability. This increase is largely driven by the adoption of advanced technologies like AI and cloud computing within these systems, which enhance clinical workflows and patient care. Epic Systems has expanded its dominance, now capturing over 35% of the market, particularly among large multispecialty organizations. Meanwhile, Oracle Health (formerly Cerner) has faced challenges, especially in retaining smaller hospitals, contributing to a slight decline in its market share. Together, major players like Epic, Oracle Health, Meditech and Allscripts account for a significant portion of the EHR market, reflecting the ongoing evolution and consolidation within the industry.

Widespread Interoperability 

Electronic Medical Records don’t offer patients the ability to access their own records across multiple healthcare organizations due to the lack of data-sharing standards set between different practices. This causes significant problems for patients who receive care for multiple different centers. The issue also makes diagnosis of patients harder for physicians and healthcare providers. Due to this, EMR/EHR providers are updating their software to include interoperability and integration features to allow data to be shared between these different organizations.

Meaningful Use Changes

Once at a health care conference Andy Slavitt, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services had declared that Meaningful Use was over and would be replaced by the end of that year with something better. But a deeper look into the claims later revealed that meaningful use was very much still there, and only much improved.

As the CMS has officially renamed Meaningful Use to “Promoting Interoperability” as of 2018, its important to understand its updated principles. Effective interoperability of healthcare data will ensure that electronic health information is shared properly between healthcare and public health partners in the right format and at the right time. Starting in 2022, the CMS required all eligible healthcare services to implement upgraded versions of EHR software that utilized this updated definition.