Epic Medical is the most reliable and leading EHR software for clinical practices and healthcare facilities. Featuring utmost functionality and built-in features, it has a record of securing incentive payments for most of its customers. However, it may not be one of the easiest software to learn and work on. This is why Epic EHR has the highest EMR market share at 28%, while Cerner EMR comes after it ( KLAS Research report, 2018).
Epic is portrayed as an exemplary one-stop-shop for healthcare providers looking for an EHR system that caters to their needs, thus ensuring good incentives. However, leaving its popularity aside, there have been many reports of Epic falling short of its promises. Despite having great features, several complaints suggest that providers are disappointed by Epic’s services. The main issues pointed out by its users are:
- Epic’s system often crashes for prolonged periods in between updates.
- It takes longer to become fully functional with Epic Medical against the standard implementation duration promised by the vendor.
- Some of the Epic EMR implementations are the costliest in the health industry.
Additionally, Epic Care is too heavy on the pockets of small and medium-scale practices because its buying and implementation costs are too much. Although Epic hasn’t mentioned its pricing on the website, third-party sources reveal that Epic’s self-hosted software starts from $1,200 and reaches an all-time high of $500,000 for hospitals and clinical facilities. Providers can also purchase it at an upfront price of around $1200 to $500,000 and even more.
Considering these points, we have sorted out a few EHR alternatives offering almost similar functionality but more in line with physicians’ interests.
These recommendations are based on practitioners’ preferences and the overall market trend and are not biased by Find EMR’s suggestions.
Best Alternatives or Similar Software to Epic EHR
1- Athenahealth EMR
Athenahealth is listed amongst the preeminent EHR vendors in the small- to medium-sized practices category. They offer Electronic Medical Records, Medical billing services, and Practice Management for specialty-specific practices and hospitals. athenahealth EMR is available both in the cloud-based and a self-hosted option. It provides doctors with a comprehensive level of customization for managing their patients efficiently.
Prime differences with Epic EHR:
The significant differences between Epic EHR and Athenahealth are given as follows:
- Platforms supported: Athena is only web-based software; thus, it doesn’t support Android or iOS apps, while Epic also provides app support.
- Customers: athenahealth is ideal for small as well as large business practices; however, Epic is inclined towards larger organizations,
Prime similarities with Epic EHR:
Significant similarities between both software are listed below:
- Cloud-based: Both Athenahealth and Epic are cloud-based EHR software.
- Customizable: Like Epic, athenahealth users can effortlessly customize the patient portals to their requirements.
Software Rating:
Based on the user review on Find EMR, it enjoys a 4/5 star rating.
What users like:
Athena ensures a transparent pricing policy; hence, there are no hidden costs. Physicians and patients like it’s easy to navigate the patient portal.
What users would like to see:
The support offered to smaller practices should be of the same quality as that offered to larger organizations. Also, money users earn from medical billing services is placed into an account under Athena’s control rather than the users’ practice account, which concerns them.
2 – eClinicalWorks EMR
eClinicalWorks is quite popular among medical practices. It offers its users EMR, Integrated EMR & PM, Practice Management software, and revenue cycle management services. This vendor is known for its RCM service among physicians, as it offers this service at a lower rate than its competitors.
Physicians usually complain about the company’s over-promises and say that it under-delivers. There are also several complaints regarding hidden charges that ultimately make eClinicalWorks more expensive than its competitors. In 2018, eClinicalWorks EMR was caught in a False claim lawsuit for overstating its software capabilities.
Prime Differences from Epic:
- Private Cloud Infrastructure: eClinicalWorks Cloud supports nine data centers nationwide for the most effective service possible, unlike its close competitors, which offer just one data center. This service leads to a consistent, faster network.
- eClinical EMR pricing: Its low pricing packages appeal to small clinical practices. The same goes for its setup fees, lack of installation, and free on-site implementation training.
- Date migration: eClinicalWorks offers free data migration services to switch data from the existing vendor effortlessly.
Prime Similarities with Epic Care:
- Infrastructure: Both EMR companies offer cloud-based and on-premise architecture.
- Certified EHR: Both of the EMR giants are 2015 ONC Certified.
User Rating:
Based on the user review on Find EMR, it enjoys a 3/5 star rating.
What users like:
It comes with an easy-to-use interface that is pretty simple to learn.
What users would like to see:
Sort out the issues with Customer support. eClinicalWorks support is mainly based offshore, and thus, language barriers hinder an instant resolution of system-related problems.
View eClinicalWorks Profile
3 – Kareo Clinical EHR
Kareo is a renowned vendor for practices that want to integrate their current EHRs with another practice management vendor. Kareo allows an extensive range of integrations with various vendors. Over time, it has developed its own EMR, too. Now, practitioners can exercise an option to either acquire an integrated suite of services from Kareo or use its medical billing software or products along with the EMR vendor they already use.
Practice Management and Revenue Cycle Management are substantial services this company provides and are reliable as they hold more than 60 million patient records. In addition, the Kareo platform is also used to manage and process $18 billion worth of insurance claims. Also, it gives access to relevant third-party apps and services. As a result, the deployment of this software is relatively fast and hassle-free with no hidden costs.
Prime differences with Epic EHR:
Talking about the differences between both software, these are some significant differences:
- Support: Unlike Epic, Kareo EMR provides full support mobile support, online support, and video support to its users. However, Epic provides just online support.
- Price: This EHR is a relatively low-cost solution compared to Athenahealth and Epic.
Prime similarities with Epic EHR:
What similarities do Epic EHR and Kareo software encompass:
- Cloud-based: Kareo EMR software is a cloud-based EHR, just like Epic EHR.
- Certified: Kareo is also CERHT 2015, and physicians who use software appreciate this fact.
User Rating:
Based on the user review on Find EMR, it enjoys a 4/5 star rating.
What users like:
Kareo’s client onboarding, training modules, and customer support are free of charge. Also, Kareo PM integrates seamlessly with multiple EMR vendors, a feature not common in other vendors.
What users would like to see:
Users would prefer the ease of customization within this software.
Ease of switching:
It is relatively moderate and is fully functional within 48 hours of deployment.
4 – DrChrono EHR
DrChrono is an ideal solution for MAC users as it complies with Apple devices, unlike other EHRs that cannot support Apple gadgets. Therefore, its primary focus is to deliver an EMR platform consistent with these devices. In addition, this native iPad software is a cloud-based application.
It also works impeccably on Android devices. It is the only EMR app in our review closeup that offers an intuitive and open API service to integrate external apps with information already stored in its system. Moreover, users can integrate it directly with Box to exchange large files.
DrChrono provides students with free access and offers a freemium model for small offices to experience basic EHR functionality. The company also provides four pricing packages, starting from $199/month for basic EMR and PM functionality.
Prime differences with Epic EHR:
Some differences are listed as:
- Free Trial: DrChrono offers a free trial to its users.
- Price: It is also a low-cost product, but additional charges are for added functionalities when needed.
- Features: DrChrono includes distinctive features like credit card processing and integration. Automated notifications also make a considerable difference.
Prime similarities with Epic EHR:
Worth-mentioning similarities between both software are as follows:
- Platforms supported: Both vendors are equally compatible with Android and iOS applications and are cloud-based.
- Customizable: Like Epic EHR, DrChrono allows medical professionals to use sophisticated patient portals and customizable templates.
- Certification: Both software are 2015 CEHRT.
User rating:
Based on the user review on Find EMR, it enjoys a 4/5 star rating.
What users like:
The free trial makes DrChrono the first choice of healthcare professionals. Its compatibility with the Apple system is a plus point for those Mac and iPad users.
What users would like to see:
The software needs to fix the text reminders so the patients can receive appointment alerts timely.