Find the best Patient Portal Software

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IntakeQ

IntakeQ is an online forms intake platform designed to help healthcare professionals convert existing forms, manage client notes, send custom reminder messages and accept credit card payments. Key features include appointment sche...Read more about IntakeQ

Practice

Streamline your entire coaching business using Practice: Get paid your way • Create products and packages • Send invoices easily • Manage subscriptions Connect multiple calendars • Integrate multiple google calendars. • Availab...Read more about Practice

CGM APRIMA

CGM APRIMA, previously known as Aprima EHR, is a market leading, award-winning EHR loved by physicians and office staff. CGM APRIMA is designed to take advantage of multiple hardware forms including the CGM APRIMA mobile app whic...Read more about CGM APRIMA

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athenaOne

The athenaOne Suite which includes athenaCollector a revenue cycle management solution and athenaClinials an EHR (electronic health records) recently ranked #1 in 2023 Best in KLAS for athenaClinials Ambulatory EMR for 11-75 physi...Read more about athenaOne

3.8 (836 reviews)

393 recommendations

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CarePaths EHR

HIPAA-Compliant & ONC-Certified Cloud-Based Electronic Health Records & Practice Management. Solo-practitioners or groups of all sizes can grow and manage their practice for an affordable price. Get telehealth, claims, and eligib...Read more about CarePaths EHR

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CareCloud

CareCloud Inc. offers an integrated electronic health recording (EHR) solution–Charts–that provides collective benefits of EMR, practice management and medical billing services. Charts helps physicians to streamline clinical opera...Read more about CareCloud

3.5 (106 reviews)

2 recommendations

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Enablemypractice

Enablemypractice is a cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) and practice management (PM) solution. Enablemypractice is modular, allowing practices to utilize (and pay for) just the functionality they need. In addition to an O...Read more about Enablemypractice

5.0 (3 reviews)

Nextech EHR & PM

For more than 20 years, Nextech has provided a full-featured EMR and Practice Management solution within a single database. This system is a fit for dermatologists, plastic surgeons, ophthalmologists, and physicians, and is used b...Read more about Nextech EHR & PM

4.0 (193 reviews)

28 recommendations

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Office Practicum

At OP, we know you want to be a champion for your patients. But in order to do that, you need a hassle-free EHR that moves at the speed of kids. The problem is you are tangled in the complexity of running a pediatric practice whil...Read more about Office Practicum

4.2 (276 reviews)

4 recommendations

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Nexus EHR

Nexus EHR is an ONC Certified 2015 Edition Cures Update cloud-based ambulatory EHR and PM platform. It is designed for small to midsize practices and various specialties including orthopedics, neurology, podiatry, cardiology, gene...Read more about Nexus EHR

4.6 (9 reviews)

18 recommendations

Elation Health

Elation Health is the most trusted technology platform for high-value primary care. Since 2010, the company has delivered clinical-first solutions — built on a collaborative EHR platform — that help practices start, grow, communic...Read more about Elation Health

4.4 (51 reviews)

105 recommendations

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Cerner Ambulatory EHR

Cerner's PowerChart Ambulatory EHR is a hybrid EHR solution that caters to clinicians in hospitals and ambulatory facilities. PowerChart is designed to help with multi-entity electronic medical record creation. This solution can b...Read more about Cerner Ambulatory EHR

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Module MD

ModuleMD is a leading specialty focused EMR and Practice Management software and services provider. Originally founded and designed by two Allergists, ModuleMD has been trusted by practices across the nation for over two decades. ...Read more about Module MD

4.3 (4 reviews)

myMEDIhub

VEPRO Health Portal is a DICOM compliant cloud-based medical information publishing solution that is suitable for practices of all sizes. It enables the sharing and publication of health care reports both in-house and across organ...Read more about myMEDIhub

4.5 (2 reviews)

Bridge Patient Portal

Bridge is an enterprise patient portal and patient engagement solution for health care organizations and their patients. It is suitable for organizations seeking to replace their existing EHR system's patient portal, connect dispa...Read more about Bridge Patient Portal

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TouchWorks EHR

Allscripts TouchWorks® EHR is a leading EHR platform for large, multi-specialty practices, management services organization (MSO) platforms, and academic and independent delivery networks (IDNs). With its open architecture and con...Read more about TouchWorks EHR

2.0 (2 reviews)

RXNT

RXNT’s cloud-based, ONC-certified medical software—Billing, Practice Management, EHR, and more—improves clinical outcomes & revenue cycle management. Simple, transparent pricing includes free setup and training, free data transfer...Read more about RXNT

4.3 (428 reviews)

367 recommendations

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vcita

vcita is a cloud-based, all-in-one business management solution designed especially for service-based micro and small businesses. Entrepreneurs and small business owners from different industries use vcita to manage their time, mo...Read more about vcita

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TM3

TM3 is a practice management solution that can be deployed either in the cloud-based or on-premise. It is suitable for a variety of practice types. Key features include patient records with annotations, online appointment booking,...Read more about TM3

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Meddbase

Meddbase is a fully-secure and scalable healthcare management solution, designed with healthcare experts over two decades to improve efficiency, security and patient care. Meddbase gives peace of mind with world-class security; HI...Read more about Meddbase

3.8 (5 reviews)

Buyers Guide

Last Updated: March 16, 2023

What is patient portal software?

Patient portal software is a versatile solution that provides users with a secure access to medical records and services. It boosts patient engagement by facilitating tasks such as scheduling appointments, requesting prescription refills, and making online bill payments.

Here's what we'll cover:

Why is patient portal software important?

Your practice should consider buying patient portal software for a number of reasons—but perhaps the most compelling one involves the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009. HITECH offers federal stimulus money to practices that invest in health IT to achieve various “meaningful use” requirements.

These requirements have been introduced in stages; the final one, stage three, has a measure calling for the “coordination of care through patient engagement.” This means providers must use technology to give patients access to health information for viewing, downloading and/or transmitting to a third party. As we’ll explain later in this guide, patient portal software can handle all these tasks, and more.

Another reason to implement patient portal software: It’s in demand among providers, so patients will come to expect it at your practice. In fact, a recent survey presented by the Digital Health Coalition found that 52 percent of prescribers (M.D.s, N.P.s, and P.A.s) offer a patient portal, while another 17 percent plan to offer one in the next 12 months.

As other studies show, patients are enthusiastic about this technology, too. Research published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons finds that a patient portal is a preferred follow-up channel for surgery patients: In fact, 76 percent say online-only follow-up care would be sufficient, rather than in-person visits.

A different study in the Journal of Medical Internet Research concludes that patients with portal access to notes from their primary care doctor are more likely to stick to their prescribed medication regime. Clearly, patient portals should be a top priority in any health IT investment plan.

Common functionality of patient portal software

Medical records access

The ability for patients to access personal medical records is key. These records include lab results, diagnoses, medications, allergies, clinical summaries and more. To encourage patients to use the software, some practices are instituting online-only lab results delivery.

Digital paperwork

Instead of filling out new patient registration forms at the office, users can fill out that paperwork online. Since the data is already digitized, office staff save time scanning documents. In addition to intake forms, portals can provide satisfaction surveys and general health assessments for patients to complete before or after a visit.

Appointment setting

Typically, provider schedules are shown on a calendar in the portal, and patients can select the best time slot. Depending on your system, you can enable either appointment requests or live appointment scheduling. With the former, patients request a particular slot, an office staff member confirms the appointment and the patient is notified afterward. A system with live appointment scheduling automatically updates your practice management schedule as patients pick time slots, requiring no further staff involvement.

Prescription refills

Automate prescription renewal requests by letting patients ask for refills through the portal. Most systems have a dedicated module where patients can enter their information (e.g., medication, pharmacy of choice) and then submit the prescription request. The provider’s staff is notified, and can verify, approve and/or respond to the request through the portal.

Online bill pay

Electronic billing statements take the collections process online. Patients can make secure payments through the patient portal using a credit card number. The system will automatically process those payments once they’re submitted.

Secure messaging

Exchange messages with patients through the portal instead of over the phone. Most systems provide a secure electronic messaging platform that emails patients when their care team sends a new message. Providers can respond to messages that patients send through the portal, too.

Deployment strategies and pricing

Patient portal vendors often package the software as part of an integrated EHR suite that includes other applications; however, the patient portal functionality can also be purchased as a stand-alone or “best-of-breed” program. If you go with a stand-alone system, it’s important for you to make sure it can integrate with the EHR you’re already using.

Some stand-alone patient portal vendors already have partnerships with EHR vendors, and offer complementary integration between the two—but that’s not always the case. Experts warn integrating a third-party patient portal with your EHR may cost you more time and money than you budgeted. If you plan to do this, be sure to get an interface cost estimate from any vendors you evaluate.

With an EHR suite, users typically don’t pay extra for patient portal functionality. However, stand-alone systems have different pricing models in place, depending on whether a practice wants to pay per patient or per provider.

For example, buyers might pay a low monthly fee depending on how many patients actually use the portal during a set time period. In this model, the fee would be paid for each patient user.

Alternatively, a higher monthly pricing fee could be applied if the practice would rather pay based on the number of registered providers managing the patient portal. A “provider” is anyone providing care to patients (not counting administrative staff). Here, the fee would be paid for each provider user.

The two examples above are for a cloud-based deployment model, in which the system is hosted on external servers and accessed remotely through the Web. On-premise deployments, in which the software is hosted on the provider's own server, are also available from some patient portal vendors, coming with a one-time perpetual license fee that is significantly higher than cloud-based fees.

Market trends to understand

The following trends are common in the patient portal software market:

  • Customizations: While fees may apply for customizing your portal, you may find this is worth the extra expense, depending on your practice’s needs. Some examples of customizations include changes to registration form templates and custom home page designs.

  • HIPAA compliance: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) includes a series of mandates to protect the privacy and security of electronic patient records. Most patient portal vendors will advertise that their products are HIPAA-compliant and have security standards, such as data encryption technology, for their systems.