EMR Cost Comparisons: Which EMR Software Is Worth For Your Practice Management?

A company's EMR is an extremely important asset in how well they can manage both their patients and their practice. Aside from being a patient record, medical records software can also function as medical billing software, appointment schedulers, and even employee management in a single platform. With so many EMR providers you can have a whole suite of services tailor-made to your practice.

But is there software that's more worth it than the others? For EMR cost comparisons, most EMR software generally holds up to their price range. What matters is that you find a platform that can provide what you need from an EMR software and is still reasonably priced for your practice to adopt without affecting business expenses.

Which EMR Systems Cost As Much As They Offer?

The following is not an exhaustive list of all the EMR systems available - but rather, the ones that we've personally reviewed and tried ourselves. While this software differs in the features they have and the exact industry they're made for, they all fulfill the core requirements needed for electronic medical health software.

More detailed reviews about each platform can be found on our website.

Aesthetic Record - Starts at $211.00 per user per month

Aesthetic Record is a comprehensive software platform that's designed to make the management of both a practice's employees and patients easier. From making sure the right physician is registered for a patient in each reserved instance to making medical billing a lot easier, it's a relatively simple platform that can drastically improve practice management if set up correctly.

Price-wise, the ability to micromanage appointments, inventory, and staff so effectively is what makes Aesthetic Record extremely appealing to practices, especially those in primary care. Since it can help automate almost all cases of data storage via cloud capabilities, it can significantly increase the efficacy of the health care provided by medical practices.

However, keep in mind that these benefits are tied to the technical skill and training that your staff has to use the software - if improperly trained or unskilled in technical software, you can be getting a lot less benefit out of the platform than you paid for.

PatientNow - Around $500 per month

While it's one of the more expensive EMR solutions out there, PatientNow is an extremely effective EMR platform that drastically improves client and patient management, which can help a practice improve its quality of care and bring in more revenue. Designed as an easy-to-integrate EMR software, it's one of the most efficient tools a practice can use to safely and efficiently deal with patient medical records.

The combined EMR/EHR system that PatientNow uses makes it one of the most cost-efficient platforms that a practice can use, especially since an electronic health record can be difficult to create and manage between different practices. The ability to scale your needs as your practice grows is also a definite plus in this platform's favor, with the developers/support team of PatientNow always accessible, which can be an issue any other EMR/EHR vendor can struggle with.

This is an excellent platform to use if you want to improve your patient communications, but it also works best if you already have a firm organization over your own internal operations. While the essentials are there - inventory management, staffing rotations, and other operational improvements - the software is very much focused on the patient side of operations.

DrChrono - Starts at $199 per license

DrChrono is an EMR/EHR solution that specializes in helping chiropractic clinics streamline operations and improve client support. As one of the few medical software that has extensive support from Apple, it can help make health data more accessible to both clinics and their clients.

The pricing of DrChrono will depend on what plan you get for your clinic, but the mixture of different features that you get with each plan is well worth the money. Because of its increased support on iOS platforms, it also works well with mobile devices like the iPad and iPhone, which can further help with making both client appointments and employee management a lot easier.

However, the preference for Apple-supported devices can also make the overall use of this platform more expensive for your practice, so keep that in mind before integrating it with your clinic. While these costs will definitely equalize in the long term, it's crucial to remember that they're still significant upfront costs that can't be afforded by most clinics.

Aesthetic Pro - Starts at $109.99 per month, per feature

As a basic EMR system, Aesthetic Pro can fulfill all the core needs that a practice requires from practice management software. It's relatively easy to use and integrate with some training required, and even if you run into difficulties, the support team assigned for customer concerns is always responsive and can be easily reached.

Price-wise, you get what you pay for with Aesthetic Pro. Inventory management and appointment scheduling can be done with relatively minimal fuss and can be further tweaked in the settings to make sure that your specific needs are met. Training is also relatively simple compared to other platforms, with the support team always on standby to help your staff with any difficulties.

But the basic features of Aesthetic Pro are also the one thing that's reflective of its price - in particular, the lack of support for mobile devices. Given that the majority of clients prefer to conduct their appointments from their phone, having no support for this patient portal significantly limits the software from being more efficient at helping you reach a wider client base.

Vagaro - Starts at $25 (1 user) per month

Specifically designed for salons, Vagaro is one of the most patient-centric medical spa software that you can use, with a particular emphasis on appointment scheduling and patient management. With an easy-to-navigate UI and extensive access to health data from the platform, it's well suited for practices and salons that experience high amounts of traffic.

Vagaro has one of the most affordable pricing plans to start with, which can make it extremely attractive for medical spa and salons which are just starting out. Coupled with the relatively simple integration into existing services and intuitive design, it's a platform that's tailor-made to help newer entries into the salon and medical spa industry to start off on the right foot.

However, the pricing scheme for their software may start to feel a bit restrictive once a clinic expands enough to require many users for its platform. In this case, it works well enough as an introductory practice management software but could be phased out for a more comprehensive EMR system that doesn't charge per user.

These systems all offer different features and add ons that can further change their pricing, so make sure to check with the providers about the final cost for integrating these tools into your practice.

What About EHR Software vs EMR Software?

Given that the majority of EMR records are often used and transferred between different medical and aesthetic practices, should a practice invest in EMR or EHR systems? The answer to this question is a bit complicated because many developers have started to blur the line between EHR and EMR features (like AdvancedMD EHR/EMR systems or the Kareo Clinical suite), instead opting to add them all into one platform.

However, a good rule of thumb to follow is that you should invest in EHR adoption if you're a primary care practice that consistently refers your patients to specialists or other clinics, while an EMR system is fine if you're more concerned about internal operations and client management.

If you want an expert opinion, just check in with your EMR/EHR provider about what you need from a practice management software and how their platform can specifically help you.

Learn more: What Is The Difference Between An Electronic Medical Record And An Electronic Health Record?

Improve Patient Care And Healthcare Organization With EMR Software

Not every pricing model can work with every medical practice, which is why picking the most cost-efficient EMR system can be an excellent way to make sure that medical records are kept in a secure yet accessible format. As a key component in practice management software, EMR software should always be able to meet the provider's needs without having to compromise the integrity of their health record or have any hidden cost or additional fees to the EMR pricing

Calysta EMR has extensive experience with helping any healthcare provider improve their routine and urgent care with an innovative electronic medical record platform that can help store patient records without having to compromise security, access, and reliability. As an established EMR vendor for aesthetic practices, our EMR system is tailor-made to address the needs of your medical spa or clinic. For more information about our services and what we can provide, contact us today.