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Five Top Ophthalmology EHRs in 2020

Choosing an electronic health records system (EHR) is a big headache. It is an even bigger headache when you have a specialty practice like ophthalmology. You have different needs, different terms, and various products than other medical practices. One-size-fits-all software won’t fly in an ophthalmology practice.

When choosing a new ophthalmology EHR, three factors stand above everything else: protecting the doctor-patient relationship, reducing errors, and finding a straightforward interface. Look for a system that fits with your current workflow and helps you work with patients instead of having lots of fancy bells and whistles.

We looked for systems that meet the following requirements:

·         Integrates with the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s IRIS registry for tracking eye diseases

·         Supports calculation of doctor performance metrics as well as medical records

·         Complies with the 2015 Health IT Certification Criteria from the federal ONC

Here are five of the best programs we found:

Compulink

Compulink provides an all-in-one practice management system that integrates EHR with other functions, including office and revenue management, integration with ophthalmic equipment for automatic image uploads, patient education, and automation of repetitive tasks.

This system uses a single screen for data entry and has adaptive technology that learns your work style. This technology adapts the entry screen to match your work habits over time. It also features surgical center integration that allows you to pass records directly from your system to the surgical center to reduce double entries and protect against mistakes.

Compulink designed its EHR explicitly for ophthalmologist's offices. The workflow can be customized to match your practice. It even has an e-commerce module that lets patients order contact lenses, solutions, and other products online.

Crystal Practice Management

An optometry-only practice management software, Crystal Practice Management, includes a 2015-certified EHR system.  It features customizable records, electronic prescription writing, inventory management, online forms for patients to enter data, patient and staff scheduling, and even insurance-specific online billing forms.

Crystal Practice Management integrates with a wide range of ophthalmic equipment. They are always adding new models as well.

Allscripts

Allscripts is the big kid on the block, with the most widely used EHRs in the country. Allscripts make EHRs specific to different sizes and types of practices, from independent offices to the largest hospitals. Allscripts also offers financial and operational management and patient engagement software.

Unlike Compulink and Crystal Practice Management, Allscripts isn't a specialist in ophthalmology. The large size of the company can be a disadvantage when it comes to getting specific features. However, size is an advantage when it comes to tech support and service. They also have one of the biggest tech support staff around.

AmazingCharts

AmazingCharts EHR was designed by a physician to be one of the easiest EHRs to use. It is not Opthalmology-specific, but it is highly customizable. AmazingCharts features lots of templates to start setting up your interface. Each one can be further customized, as well. It also includes some of the best interface options for electronic communication with patients.

AmazingCharts integrates with a separate module for practice management, called Amazing Charts Practice Management. This system is a full-service practice management system with customizable workflows to boost productivity.

AmazingCharts also offers a third-party billing service. Since all parts of the software are from the same provider, this service is easy to configure. Ongoing costs are lower, as well.

Greenway Health

Greenway Health EHR is configured for specialty practices like ophthalmology. It includes many specialty-specific templates for data entry.

The real strength of this system is reporting and analytics. The system includes over 500 different options for reports and fifteen pre-made dashboards to track outcomes. Greenway is an excellent system for those who want to dig into data and reports.

As with the other products, Greenway Health also offers modules for practice management and revenue management. These systems are exceptionally user-friendly, so it's easy to get new staff up to speed. The big emphasis with these systems is on analytics and reporting, though. This system is all about data tracking, reporting, and review. You can click here to see Greenway Health Reviews.

Data Locations

One other factor to keep in mind when purchasing an electronic health record system is the location of your patient data. Some systems are local, meaning the data is stored on a server in your office. Others are cloud-based (which means on someone else’s server). Each option has advantages and disadvantages.

Local servers are always under your control. You can control who has access to your information, and some faceless drone can't accidentally expose your patients' data to the world. On the other hand, IT security experts run cloud-based EHR systems. The staff you have at your office probably isn’t up to the caliber of the pros at these companies.

If you have a local server, you are also responsible for maintaining it and backing up your data. Server maintenance isn't a huge task, but it's one more thing for you to manage. Cloud servers are automatically backed up and protected. If one of those goes down, the data is safe – you probably won’t even notice if that happens.

Final Thoughts

Buying an electronic health record system and the associated practice management and billing software is a massive undertaking for a small business. Purchasing an EHR is absolutely a case where you should try before you buy. Some good options for trying out EHR software are:

·         Movie time! Most software companies have YouTube videos of their software in action. These videos are an easy and low-key way to check out the software.

·         Take a test drive. Many software companies will let you test simple versions of software, either online or as a download. Fire up these products and play with them a little to see how they work.

·         Schedule a demo. Any of the companies listed here would be happy to send someone out to show you their software.

·         Phone a friend. Visit with some colleagues to see what they use. Find out what they like and what they don’t. You might even arrange to visit their office to see the software in action.

Buying a new EHR system is a significant undertaking, with consequences for your patients and your business. The most important thing is to take your time, examine options, and get the system that's best for the way you practice.