Best Medical Software Of 2024

By Samikshan Sarkar, Content Editor and Market Analyst at SelectHub

Medical software is the digital cornerstone of health care. It encompasses many medical technologies, such as EHR and EMR solutions, admin solutions, and more. 

These help care providers manage patient care and general operations within their practice. With the right tool, you can improve the patient experience, streamline appointment scheduling and even ensure you’re staying HIPAA compliant.

Just like medical practices, medical software comes in all shapes and sizes, which makes choosing difficult. Despite this, it’s an essential addition to practices of all sizes, regardless of specialty, as long as you select the right one.

If you plan to start a practice, or even if you’ve already established one, you’ll want to keep this guide handy. This guide will cover a broad range of topics, including critical features you’ll want to watch for, a few of our favorite solutions and pricing considerations.

Executive Summary

• Medical software frees up valuable time for providers and office workers, putting the focus back on patients.
• Implementing software can be a challenging task — you’ll need a team to work through the project.
• From EHR to medical billing, there are many tools to choose from. Knowing your requirements will help you select which type of medical software is right for your practice.
• Prepare a list of must-have features and brainstorm questions for vendors to ensure you choose a solution that will add value to your business practices.

This highly specialized software isn’t unlike other management solutions, such as warehouse management software, and actually handles a number of similar functions.

At the end of the day, this software’s job is to assist doctors and practitioners so they can spend more time healing and less time administrating. That’s where medical practice management software comes in.

In the hands of a skilled front-end assistant or manager, this software takes the pain out of the ordinary (and daily) struggle of booking patient appointments, fielding phone calls and more. Practice management software helps businesses run at maximum efficiency.

It combines several functions — like charting, billing and scheduling — into one convenient interface. It can also reduce physician fatigue, which is a major consideration in keeping your skilled doctors and nurses at your practice.

Patient Scheduling

Though sometimes overlooked, patient scheduling software can be vital to a medical practice’s success. From creating referrals to facilitating follow-ups and even generating custom reports, this software provides a variety of tools to help automate and streamline the scheduling process, benefitting the practice overall.

However, there are still plenty of practices that may be content with old-fashioned scheduling methods — but they shouldn’t be, as these outdated practices leave room for costly human error.

A recent report on patient no-shows found that a single missed appointment increases needless costs and affects employee productivity. While not every no-show results from poor scheduling practices, improving the overall scheduling process can reduce the number of missed appointments.

By implementing a medical scheduling tool, your practice can automate many key steps to ensure patients show up for their appointments at the correct time. A few key patient scheduling features that help to facilitate this include:

• Patient pre-registration
• Appointment reminders
• Appointment waitlist
• Appointment status
• Patient communication

Deployment Methods

With any software purchase, it’s important to consider base aspects of the solution, such as where and how users access the system. When it comes to protecting sensitive patient information, how you choose to deploy your medical software can be a big decision.

In the following sections, we’ll go over the three most common deployment methods so you can make an informed decision about which one will be best for your practice.

Cloud-based

As the name suggests, cloud deployment refers to software deployed through the cloud, providing users with access via the internet.

An increasingly popular choice for deployment, the cloud-based health care market is expected to grow at a surprisingly fast rate through 2028 with a CAGR of 18.74%.

One of the most common options, this type of deployment comes with a handful of advantages:

• Accessibility: Access cloud-based software from any internet-connected device. Many of these solutions provide native iOS and Android apps, providing greater functionality and usability.
• Cost Savings: Many cloud solutions offer monthly subscription plans for payment, making it a more affordable option, with costs split up over many months rather than paying for everything upfront.
• Automatic Updates: Rely on the vendor to update the platform, ensuring that you’re always using the most up-to-date version of the system.

If you’re considering cloud deployment, the one major factor your practice will need to consider is security. Typically, with these types of solutions, the vendor will accept responsibility for the security of any data housed within the system.

However, some practices may prefer the peace of mind that comes with in-house security protocols to ensure that all patient data remains private.

Cloud-based enterprise medical software is an excellent option for both smaller practices looking for an affordable solution and larger practices drawn to the mobility of these platforms.

However, regardless of your clinic, you should thoroughly vet any vendors you consider to fulfill your security needs.

On-premise

Contrary to cloud deployment, on-premise solutions are stored on in-house servers and are accessible via the practice’s servers. Rather than paying a monthly subscription fee, these platforms typically require you to purchase a license for the product.

This is usually a one-time purchase; however, system upgrades throughout the software’s lifetime can come with additional costs.

While the licensing fee may seem like a smaller investment, this is not always the case, as your practice will be responsible for maintaining the system, requiring that you have dedicated IT staff to troubleshoot any problems and keep the software running smoothly.

Similar to cloud solutions, on-premise solutions come with their own security concerns. Rather than relying on the vendor for security, on-premise solutions leave security to you and your IT team.

This can be a significant benefit for practices in highly regulated specialties as you have complete control over data security and can rest easy with the peace of mind that you know precisely about the safety of patient data.

On-premise solutions are ideal for practices with security concerns and the resources to employ in-house IT.

In addition to control over security, these platforms provide greater control over the system itself and can be a great option if you’re looking to implement a solution that your business can rely on for many years to come.

Hybrid

Cloud and on-premise deployment options both come with their benefits and downfalls, which can make it challenging to know which one is right for your business. While not the most common, hybrid deployment can be a happy medium for some buyers.

So, what is hybrid deployment? Just like the other deployments we’ve discussed, a hybrid deployment is precisely what you might expect: a combination of both cloud and on-premise deployment methods.

Hybrid infrastructure consists of on-premises data centers, private clouds and/or public clouds.

This method can look different for each practice that implements it, depending on their needs. Hybrid deployments provide users with the benefits of both on-premise and cloud deployments, but be aware that it comes with drawbacks from both.

A hybrid deployment is an excellent option for practices that need to balance a need for on-site data servers with the mobility and accessibility that comes with cloud deployment.

If you find yourself leaning towards this deployment strategy, consider meeting with your IT department early in your selection journey. They’ll be able to provide valuable insights into how well this type of software can work with your existing workflows.

Primary Benefits

As we said earlier, medical software is the cornerstone of medical practices, hospitals or any location that treats patients. It’s an all-encompassing term for the different facets of medical technology, including electronic health record (EHR), electronic medical record (EMR), practice management and billing software.

These solutions help lower overall costs for practices and improve the overall quality of patient care by maintaining medical records, facilitating appointment scheduling and streamlining administrative workflows, just to name a few of the core capabilities.

In the following sections, we’ll provide an in-depth guide to the essential features to pay attention to and the specific benefits this software offers.

Improve Data Security

Does information security relate to health care software? Yes, it does — and more than you might think. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2021, unlike nearly every other industry, the cost of health care data breaches is on the rise.

Data breaches grew by more than 29.5% between 2020 and 2021. A health care data breach can cost as much as $9.23 million.

Compared to pen-and-paper methods of storing patient data, medical software provides a clear benefit: data security. Previously, we saw volumes and volumes of patient information stored in large rooms, filing cabinets and more.

With the advent of digital medical software, large rooms of easily misplaced/stolen data became a thing of the past.

With patient data now digital, many users have concerns about the efficacy of digital safety protocols. After all, don’t leaks and breaches happen?

Luckily, with most EHR/EMR apps, that data is pre-encrypted before it goes to any server, meaning that even if there’s a data leak, it’s effectively useless without the encryption key.

You can also assign admins to facilitate user control and set who has access to certain information. For example, front-office workers won’t need access to sensitive medical records.

Reduce Errors and Strengthen Patient Care

Regardless of specialty, the primary focus of your practice is providing high-quality patient care. Unfortunately, even the smallest human error can be detrimental to not just your practice but to your patients as well.

While a minor error is often easily addressed in other industries, even the smallest oversight can become a matter of life and death in the medical field. Fortunately, artificial intelligence tools and other capabilities provided by medical software can help eliminate this concern.

In the past, manual documentation was riddled with errors, from handwriting discrepancies to inaccurately entered (then shipped) patient health data. With accurate medical records and recording, you can expect more physicians to get it right on their first go.

Better, more accurate treatment means the patient leaves satisfied, and you can boost both revenue and practice traffic.

Participate in Government Incentive Programs

Interoperability incentives make buying and maintaining medical software a lot easier. Facilities and practices can qualify for monetary rewards if they properly implement an EHR system.

If they meet meaningful use standards, they can get even more in the way of rewards (sometimes upwards of tens of thousands of dollars).

That said, failing to meet these standards can incur equal penalties.

Implementation Goals

Before you decide on which medical software to buy, it’s important that you create a list of goals that you hope to meet during a successful implementation.

If you’ve purchased software before, you know that the process can quickly get out of hand or over budget, so these goals should help you keep everything straight along the way.

Basic Features & Functionality

So, what are the most important features to look for when shopping for a medical solution? You’re not going to like this answer, but medical software has a wide range of basic features and functionalities, so it’s hard to narrow this list down to just a few.

However, at a basic level, there are a handful of core functionalities you should make sure are offered by any solutions you’re considering.

Advanced Features & Functionality

If it wasn’t a priority already, treating more and more patients as well as generating more and more revenue is becoming the standard goal across practices — and medical software can help you meet that goal.

Aside from the bevy of standard medical software features, your organization should also consider looking into these advanced features to help your practice stand apart from the competition.

Below are some sought-out features outside of the standard set.

Other Key Considerations

In addition to its numerous functionalities, here are a few key considerations to take into account when you’re dealing with medical software as a whole:

• Workflow Integration: When picking out medical software, it’s important to think about which component you will opt for (EMR, EHR, practice management or billing) and how that software will integrate into your practice’s workflow.
• Customization: How customizable is the product? Will it let you design and generate templates (for billing, medical charting and scheduling), and does it come with any pre-installed templates for you to take advantage of?
• Compliance: Is the software going to ensure HIPAA compliance and provide adequate patient privacy? Will the information be kept on a need-to-know basis, given the rise of data breaches and malware exploiting privacy?
• Scalability: This is defined by how well the software “grows” with your practice and how well it meets your demands. Medical practices aren’t static entities; they’re dynamic. Scalable enterprise medical software can meet the needs of a growing business, your practice included.
• Interoperability: Medical records are portable. It's important to consider how the software can send and receive important files and other information from different products or practices. When selecting medical software, pay close attention to the integration and compatibility features section.

Current & Upcoming Trends

When you begin your software search, you’ll likely begin by assessing your medical practice and identifying what key functionalities you need. However, it’s also important to consider what capabilities you’ll need in the future.

This will require that you consider future growth plans. However, it also requires knowing where the enterprise medical software industry is going. We’ll provide a brief overview of a few health care technology trends you’ll want to keep an eye on in the following sections.

Rise of Telehealth

Telehealth has been around for decades, but not in the manner we think of it now. The dawn of digitalization saw the growth of telehealth worldwide. However, the COVID-19 pandemic played a significant role in propelling telehealth to the limelight.

In response, the telehealth market is expected to reach $285.7 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 26.6%.

Additionally, telehealth’s rise reflects another growing trend in health care software: home-based care models.

Shift To Home-based Care

With the emergence of mHealth applications, patients want care delivery at their doorstep. This caused a new home-based care trend to catch traction.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic and the government-imposed mass lockdowns helped patients and clinics to embrace home-based care as the new normal.

However, for a large number of individuals with chronic health concerns, home-based care became an essential modification to their lives.

Fortunately, transitioning to this new reality was relatively seamless, thanks to advancements in health care technology throughout the last decade.

With the growing popularity of artificial intelligence and virtual reality, medical software has been able to expand what care options are available even when an in-person visit isn’t.

Today, in-person visits are back up yet patients are seeking more and more remote care options for all kinds of health issues.

If your practice hopes to provide a high level of care, then this is a trend you’ll want to pay attention to — especially if you treat patients who may benefit from a home-based care plan.

Cloud Computing for Outsourced Billing

One aspect plaguing the medical industry is the shortage of workers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages reached an all-time high and they haven’t gone down. The labor shortage affected a lot of medical processes. However, the billing and invoicing activities were hit the hardest.

According to Grand View Research, the global cloud computing for outsourced billing market has reached an astounding $368.97 billion in 2021 and is growing at 15.7% CAGR. In 2023, it’s expected that most major hospitals and clinics will purchase the software and automate billing.

Addition of New Technologies

In the last decade, artificial intelligence has become central to much of our technology. From auto-scheduling appointments to streamlining data entry, there’s no shortage of ways that AI can help to improve medical practices.

However, medical software has recently begun branching into other AI applications, such as virtual assistants.

But artificial intelligence isn’t the only addition to medical software that you’ll see in the next few years. While often associated with cryptocurrency, blockchain technology is another valuable addition to health care software.

Though still a relatively new tool in medicine, some EHRs already see success using blockchain to help ensure security.

Software Selection Process

Selecting medical software can be an uphill battle. After all, there seem to be a million different factors to consider. We’ll go over those in detail so you can make an informed decision on what software is right for your type of business.

Identify Key Stakeholders and Solicit Input

You’ll want to get opinions from those who will use the software. This includes nurses, doctors, clinicians and back-office staff. Clinicians will primarily use EMR/EHR software, while back-office staff will concern themselves with practice management, billing and scheduling.

Assess Billing Needs

Billing is, understandably, a crucial feature of medical software. You’ll want to look at your practice’s patient volume and traffic, demographic needs, and most common insurance types.

It’s helpful to record all of your current expenses and the billing habits of your customers. This way, you can better anticipate any costs that might come up in the future and spend less time navigating difficult financial landscapes.

Assess Performance

It’s vital to understand how your practice already performs when it comes to handling patient volume and quality of care. Then you should ask yourself if, based on the features and benefits of your chosen medical software, you can improve on that performance (and how).

Software Comparison Strategy

After you’ve narrowed your software selection to just the top two or three vendors, it’s important to request a demo. Seeing your potential software in action should help you envision how your practice will use it and if it’ll meet your diverse needs.

However, you don’t rely solely on your vendor’s word for how the software will perform. Ask questions that specifically relate to your needs and wants, and gather as much intel from the vendor as possible.

See if you can find a practice that uses your chosen software and ask your questions. Be candid when asking — don’t shy away from asking about positives and negatives. A few good questions to ask are:

• Do you like the medical software you use?
• What do you like about it the most?
• What do you dislike about it the most?
• Has the vendor been helpful in supporting you during implementation and post-implementation?
• What did your system cost you, and how did you implement it?

Cost & Pricing Considerations

While medical software is a valuable addition to any practice, it does come at a cost. Before you begin your software comparison, it’s a good idea to assess what your budget will be.

The cost of medical software can vary greatly depending on what you’re looking for, so keep in mind that you often get what you pay for when buying software.

This probably has you wondering: what factors can affect the cost of medical software?

It’s an excellent question. While we can’t tell you the exact price of each specific functionality, we can tell you what could affect the price.

Deployment methods influence software price. An on-premise solution will require you to buy the software’s license upfront, typically a large upfront payment. Some solutions may require you to re-license the software annually.

Conversely, cloud-based solutions typically have a lower cost-to-entry but often rely on a subscription model for payment. This means that you won’t have to worry about the large upfront costs. The downside is that you’ll need to continue to pay for the system if you want to access it.

You’ll also want to consider how many users will need to access the platform, as some medical software companies may factor this into the price.

When it comes to features, the base functionality you’re looking for will determine the solution’s price. However, if you’re planning on integrating your new software with existing systems, then be prepared for small fees that may be associated.

Finally, depending on what software you select, you may need to consider the cost of technical support. This may come in the form of a support package offered by the vendor, or it might take the form of hiring a technical support expert to maintain your software in-house.

The Most Popular Medical Software

So far, we’ve discussed everything from the different types of medical software to the specific functionalities you’ll want to pay attention to. Now that you’re a bit of a medical software expert, it’s time to take a look at a few of the most popular tools on the market by some of the top medical software companies.

Optum

With the aim of making health care accessible to all, Optum connects every aspect of care to provide a holistic view of health to patients. Not just patients — it also helps clinics optimize administrative and clinical tasks to achieve higher rates of productivity and efficiency.

Optum helps clinicians store patient details in one place for better accessibility.

Optum has received an overwhelming response from users about its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface. The solution is low cost, so it can be leveraged by both small and large practices.

WebPT

A cloud-based software, WebPT is an end-to-end business solution focused on optimizing revenue for clinics. It provides a centralized repository for keeping patient medical records organized, storing information and sharing important documentation whenever necessary.

WebPT’s EMR dashboard includes news and updates, daily agendas, new-patient information, at-a-glance mentions, and more.

With features such as billing, scheduling and more, it has emerged as one of the most sought-after EMRs in the U.S. It also rams up accessibility by enabling doctors to get their hands on patient files and medication histories through any web-based device.

athenahealth

Founded in 1997, athenahealth boasts more than 20 years of health care experience. A full suite of tools helps medical practices streamline essential tasks such as scheduling, billing and charting.

As a bonus, it offers a mobile app that enables you to complete most functions from any location so long as you have an internet connection.

View detailed information from athenahealth’s web-based patient dashboard and record visit notes from the mobile app.

athenahealth offers robust support options that users feel are incredibly helpful during implementation. Additionally, user reviews celebrate that the system rarely experiences downtime and offers all of the functionality they need from an EHR.

However, not all reviews were positive — some users were dissatisfied with the platform’s claims feature and search functions.

Nextech

Nextech specializes in providing a full-featured EMR and practice management solution with a single database for operations.

It is suitable for businesses of all sizes, from small private practices all the way to large hospital systems. It comes with its own mobile app that helps physicians stay up to date with appointments.

Monitor transaction and accounts receivable data using Nextech’s billing dashboard.

Its key features include billing, charting, a patient portal and more. Today, it is in place at 50,000 offices and is a sought-after practice management option on the market.

TriZetto

A major player in the medical software industry, TriZetto simplifies clinical workflows and helps facilitate better care delivery. It helps health care organizations enhance revenue growth, drive administrative efficiency and excel patient experience.

Scrub claims to avoid denials and improve reimbursement rates using TriZetto.

In reviews, users have praised the platform’s ease of use and interoperability capability.

Questions To Ask Yourself

Sometimes you’ve got to ask the tough questions. Before you make a final software selection, you should talk to your key stakeholders and draft a list of questions to ensure you’re getting everything you need out of a potential solution. Some important questions to consider are:

• What type of deployment will you need? On-premise, cloud or hybrid?
• What type of customization (if any) will you need for your software?
• Do you have any existing systems that won’t integrate with your medical software?
• Do you anticipate needing support, and if so, what kind of support options are available to you?
• Is data migration going to be necessary?

Questions To Ask Vendors

You’re going to be investing in a long-term software installation potentially, so don’t be shy about asking medical software vendors these crucial questions.

About the Software

• How does the system cater specifically to my industry?
• What type of reports can this system generate?
• How customizable is the system, and will customizing it result in additional charges?
• Will this platform integrate with other medical products we use?
• Will it receive future upgrades, or will be replaced by a new system entirely?

About the Vendor

• How long have you operated in the medical software space?
• How are you HIPAA compliant?
• What have other customers said about your product?
• What is the typical installation time for your product, and can we expect any downtime?
• What kind of customer support do you offer? Is it tiered?

Final Thoughts

Medical software is a term that describes a broad range of applications and platforms that do a lot of different things in the medical IT space. As such, picking the right software is no easy task. You’ll want the help of your entire team — and not just the office staff, but your clinical staff as well.

Make sure you cover all of your bases — from the EMR/EHR side of things to billing and scheduling features.

Additional Resources

• Successfully Conduct an EHR Readiness Assessment
• Medical Software Features and Requirements
• EHR & EMR Requirements
• Best Medical Clinic Software
• Top EMR Systems
• Best Affordable EMR Software
• Do Offices Need Medical Billing Software and Practice Management Software?
• EHR vs EMR