athenahealth vs Cerner Practice Management

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Our analysts compared athenahealth vs Cerner Practice Management based on data from our 400+ point analysis of Medical Practice Management Software, user reviews and our own crowdsourced data from our free software selection platform.

athenahealth Software Tool
Cerner Practice Management Software Tool

Product Basics

AthenaOne is a cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) software designed to streamline clinical workflows and administrative tasks for healthcare providers. It is most suited for small to medium-sized practices and clinics seeking a comprehensive EHR solution with robust features and a user-friendly interface. Key benefits include improved patient care coordination, enhanced clinical decision-making, and increased practice efficiency. Popular features include patient charting, scheduling, billing, and reporting. AthenaOne is often praised for its intuitive design and ease of use, as well as its robust integration capabilities with other healthcare systems. Pricing is typically based on the number of providers and features required, with monthly subscription fees as the common payment model.

Pros
  • Easy navigation
  • Robust features
  • Secure patient data
  • Seamless billing
  • Customizable templates
Cons
  • Potentially high cost
  • Learning curve for new users
  • Limited customization
  • Occasional technical glitches
  • Customer support response time
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Cerner Practice Management allows health care providers to save company money by reducing inventory holding costs spent on excess stocks. It offers physicians and administrators efficient management tools to eliminate miscommunication, information duplication and error-prone record keeping.

Its digital features, including documentation, scheduling and e-prescribing, automatically flag unreliable and faulty information, thereby saving physician time. In addition to providing sharable, precise and accurate medical records, the system equips practices with database backups in the event of misplacement, theft or natural disasters. 
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$140/User, Monthly
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$25/Provider, Monthly
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Product Insights

  • Improved Patient Care Coordination: AthenaOne's comprehensive patient records, accessible from anywhere, enable seamless collaboration among providers and facilitate informed decision-making for better patient outcomes.
  • Enhanced Clinical Decision-Making: The software provides real-time access to patient data, clinical guidelines, and best practices, supporting evidence-based care and reducing medical errors.
  • Increased Practice Efficiency: AthenaOne streamlines workflows, automates administrative tasks, and reduces paperwork, allowing providers to focus more on patient care and less on administrative burdens.
  • Improved Patient Engagement: The patient portal empowers patients to actively participate in their care, view medical records, schedule appointments, communicate with providers, and manage their health information.
  • Enhanced Revenue Cycle Management: AthenaOne's integrated billing and coding features ensure accurate claims submissions, reduce billing errors, and accelerate reimbursements, optimizing practice revenue.
  • Improved Compliance: The software helps practices adhere to regulatory requirements, such as HIPAA and Meaningful Use, ensuring patient privacy and data security.
  • Enhanced Mobility: AthenaOne's mobile app enables providers to access patient records, securely communicate with colleagues, and complete tasks on the go, promoting flexibility and efficiency.
  • Scalability: The cloud-based platform allows practices to easily add users and expand capabilities as needed, accommodating growth and evolving needs.
  • Data Analytics: AthenaOne provides robust reporting and analytics tools that enable practices to track performance, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to improve quality of care and business operations.
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  • Streamlined Billing: Cerner Practice Management simplifies the billing process, reducing the time and effort required to manage invoices and payments, which can lead to improved cash flow for practices.
  • Enhanced Patient Experience: By automating appointment scheduling and reminders, the software ensures a smoother, more efficient patient journey from booking to visit, enhancing overall satisfaction.
  • Improved Accuracy: The system minimizes human error in coding and billing, ensuring that claims are accurate and reducing the likelihood of rejections or denials from insurance companies.
  • Comprehensive Reporting: With advanced reporting capabilities, practices can easily generate detailed financial and clinical reports, aiding in better decision-making and strategic planning.
  • Increased Productivity: Automating routine tasks such as appointment scheduling, patient registration, and billing frees up staff to focus on more critical aspects of patient care and practice management.
  • Regulatory Compliance: Cerner Practice Management helps practices stay compliant with changing healthcare regulations, including HIPAA and MACRA, reducing the risk of penalties and ensuring patient data is protected.
  • Scalability: The software is designed to grow with your practice, easily accommodating new providers, services, and locations without significant disruptions to operations.
  • Integrated EHR Compatibility: Seamlessly integrating with electronic health records (EHR) systems, Cerner Practice Management ensures that patient information is up-to-date and accessible across all points of care.
  • Reduced No-Shows: Automated appointment reminders significantly reduce the number of no-shows, ensuring better utilization of resources and potentially increasing revenue.
  • Enhanced Data Security: With robust security measures in place, the software ensures that sensitive patient data is securely stored and managed, protecting against breaches and unauthorized access.
  • Customizable Features: Cerner Practice Management offers customizable features that can be tailored to meet the unique needs of each practice, ensuring a perfect fit for various specialties and practice sizes.
  • Mobile Access: Providers and staff can access patient information and practice management tools on-the-go through mobile apps, enhancing flexibility and responsiveness.
  • Improved Patient Flow: By efficiently managing appointments and patient registrations, the software helps in optimizing patient flow, reducing wait times, and improving the overall efficiency of the practice.
  • Financial Management: The platform offers tools for detailed financial analysis and management, helping practices monitor their financial health and make informed decisions regarding expenses and investments.
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  • Patient Charting: Electronic medical records (EMR) with customizable templates, comprehensive charting tools, and integrated clinical decision support.
  • Scheduling: Online appointment scheduling, customizable appointment reminders, and patient wait time tracking.
  • Billing and Coding: Integrated billing and coding functionality, claims management, and revenue cycle reporting.
  • Patient Portal: Secure online access for patients to view medical records, schedule appointments, communicate with providers, and manage billing.
  • Telehealth: Integrated video conferencing capabilities for virtual patient visits.
  • Mobile App: Access to patient records, charting, and communication on mobile devices.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Robust reporting tools for clinical, financial, and operational performance.
  • Integration: Connectivity with labs, pharmacies, imaging centers, and other healthcare systems.
  • Security and Compliance: HIPAA-compliant security measures to protect patient data.
  • Customization: Ability to tailor the system to meet specific practice needs.
  • Support: Comprehensive training, support, and resources available.
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  • Documentation: Reduce transcription costs and eliminate malpractice risks by enhancing documentation and storage methods. Facilitate easier record management abilities by cutting down paper-based resource usage. Provide staff and physicians with digital documentation options for better care quality and simplified administrative operations. 
  • Scheduling: Fill appointment gaps using automated scheduling modules. Gain instant visibility into canceled appointments to efficiently backfill free slots. Enable patients to book, reschedule and cancel from anywhere across the globe. 
  • Patient Portal: Facilitate virtual care coordination using an online portal for easy communication among patients, physicians and front office staff. Store everything from patient data, medical histories, e-prescriptions, treatment progress to lab results in a unified space. 
  • Claims Management: Check, track and resubmit rejected claims using an electronic claims management system. Achieve fewer denials and cleaner claims by efficiently managing the whole process through automated tools. Identify recurring claim errors and fix them without requiring a large number of changes. 
  • E-Prescribing: Gain complete insight into a patient’s medical history with a click of a button. Set system alerts to inform providers and prescribers about potential drug interactions, allergies and other contraindications for better care delivery. 
  • Medical Billing: Enable an effortless way to bill by using electronic invoicing tools for uniform data entry capabilities. Eliminate staff fatigue by cutting down repetitive manual entries. Run automated processes to detect errors, including coding inconsistencies, missing documentation and outdated patient information backup. 
    • Dunning Management: Streamline billing procedures by optimizing time and costs of daily workflows. Reduce payment declines and recurring revenue loss by providing a digital mechanism for swift notification of unsuccessful payment attempts via emails and in-app text messages. 
  • Inventory Management: Improve order and sales accuracy to save money on inventory damage control. Use the inventory management feature to identify appropriate quantities of each product and automate error-free renewals and shipment processes. 
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Product Ranking

#27

among all
Medical Practice Management Software

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Analyst Rating Summary

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Analyst Ratings for Functional Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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Billing And Claims Management Clinical Management Collaboration Dashboard And Reporting Medical Coding Mobile Capabilities Patient Payments Management Patient Schedule Management 82 91 69 82 100 47 70 75 0 25 50 75 100
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Analyst Ratings for Technical Requirements Customize This Data Customize This Data

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User Sentiment Summary

Good User Sentiment 953 reviews
Good User Sentiment 252 reviews
75%
of users recommend this product

athenahealth has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 75% when considering 953 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

71%
of users recommend this product

Cerner Practice Management has a 'good' User Satisfaction Rating of 71% when considering 252 user reviews from 4 recognized software review sites.

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4.1 (16)
3.5 (102)
3.5 (219)
3.8 (836)
3.5 (14)
5.0 (1)
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3.6 (14)
2.5 (3)

Synopsis of User Ratings and Reviews

Streamlined Workflow: Reduces manual data entry and automates tasks, saving time and improving efficiency.
Improved Patient Care: Enhances communication and collaboration between providers, leading to better patient outcomes.
Enhanced Reporting & Analytics: Provides real-time insights into practice performance and patient data, enabling data-driven decision making.
Mobile Accessibility: Offers mobile app for charting, scheduling, and patient communication, improving flexibility and accessibility.
Customizable Interface: Allows tailoring the platform to specific practice needs and workflows, improving user experience.
Positive User Reviews: Consistently praised for its ease of use, intuitive interface, and helpful support team.
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Appointment Scheduling: Scheduling appointments is a breeze with Cerner's user-friendly interface. The system is designed to streamline the process, making it easy for staff to manage appointments efficiently.
Billing and Claims: Cerner simplifies the billing process by automating tasks and reducing errors. This leads to faster reimbursement and improved revenue cycle management for practices.
Reporting and Analytics: Gain valuable insights into your practice's performance with Cerner's comprehensive reporting tools. Track key metrics, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to optimize operations.
Patient Engagement: Enhance patient engagement and satisfaction with Cerner's patient portal. Patients can easily access their medical records, schedule appointments, and communicate with their providers online.
Integration and Interoperability: Cerner's commitment to interoperability ensures seamless data exchange with other healthcare systems. This promotes care coordination and improves patient outcomes.
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Learning Curve: Initial setup and training can be time-consuming for some users.
Cost: Subscription fees may be higher compared to some basic EHR systems.
Glitches and Bugs: Occasional reports of technical issues and bugs in the platform.
Limited Customization Options: Some users wish for more granular control over customization features.
Integration Challenges: Integration with certain legacy systems can be complex.
Customer Support: Mixed experiences with customer support response times and quality.
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Steep Learning Curve: The system's complexity can be overwhelming for new users, requiring extensive training and ongoing support to achieve proficiency.
Customization Challenges: Tailoring the software to specific workflows and preferences can be difficult, often necessitating costly and time-consuming custom development.
Reporting Limitations: Generating custom reports or extracting specific data points can be cumbersome, hindering data analysis and decision-making.
Integration Issues: Seamless integration with other healthcare systems or third-party applications can be problematic, leading to data silos and workflow disruptions.
User Interface Concerns: The user interface is often described as outdated and clunky, impacting user experience and productivity.
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User reviews paint a compelling picture of athenaOne's strengths and weaknesses. Many users laud its intuitiveness and efficiency, comparing it favorably to Epic in particular. "Charting a patient in athenaOne takes half the time compared to Epic," one user shared, highlighting the streamlined interface. Another user raved about the integrated functionalities, stating, "The way athenaOne links billing and scheduling saves us so much time compared to our previous system, which kept everything siloed." However, some users expressed frustrations with limited customization options and occasional hiccups in customer support. "I wish athenaOne offered more granular control over customizing templates and workflows like you can in Epic," commented one user, seeking greater personalization. Another mentioned, "Customer support can be a mixed bag. While they're sometimes helpful and prompt, I've also had experiences with long wait times and inconsistent responses." Overall, user reviews suggest athenaOne shines in user-friendliness, comprehensive features, and workflow efficiency, rivaling even industry giants like Epic in these aspects. While some limitations around customization and support exist, athenaOne remains a strong contender in the EHR market, offering a user-friendly and feature-rich experience for healthcare providers looking to optimize their practice operations.

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Cerner Practice Management, a comprehensive software solution designed to streamline administrative tasks in healthcare settings, has elicited a range of user feedback. While some users appreciate the software's user-friendly interface and extensive features, others express concerns about its cost and potential rigidity. Let's delve into the specifics of these perspectives. Users frequently commend Cerner Practice Management for its intuitive design and ease of use. The software's interface is lauded for its straightforwardness, enabling healthcare professionals to navigate the system efficiently. Additionally, the software's customizability empowers practices to tailor the system to their specific workflows and requirements. This adaptability is particularly beneficial for practices with unique operational needs. However, the software's cost can be a significant barrier for smaller practices or those with limited budgets. The price tag associated with Cerner Practice Management may necessitate careful consideration and financial planning. Cerner Practice Management distinguishes itself through its robust integration capabilities. The software seamlessly integrates with Cerner's electronic health record (EHR) system, facilitating a smooth exchange of patient data and streamlining clinical workflows. This integration is especially advantageous for healthcare organizations already utilizing Cerner's EHR solutions. Furthermore, Cerner Practice Management offers both cloud-based and on-premise deployment options, providing flexibility to accommodate diverse technological preferences and infrastructure limitations. Considering these factors, Cerner Practice Management is well-suited for medium to large healthcare practices seeking a comprehensive, integrated solution to optimize their administrative processes and enhance operational efficiency. Smaller practices may find alternative solutions better aligned with their budgetary constraints.

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