3 urgent care EHR systems to kickstart your software shortlist

Demand in the urgent care EHR market is often dictated by organizational characteristics. According to a report published by KLAS Research derived from a survey of 76 urgent care organizations, “stand-alone urgent care centers, or those in a chain, tended to use "best of breed" EHR systems. Hospital-affiliated urgent care centers tended to implement ambulatory or in-house emergency department EHRs.” According to the report, the EHR selection was often driven by unique circumstances present in the urgent care setting, such as, whether the facility had an in-house IT department, or whether there was a need for patient information to be shared with an affiliated hospital.

In this article we profile a sample of urgent care EHR systems to help you start building a shortlist for your EHR selection.

1. DocuTap

Unlike other urgent care EHRs, DocuTAP’s integrated EMR and practice management solution is primarily tailored for use on mobile devices. The system also features a document management function whereby users can access patient records and auto-populate forms with this information.

DocuTAP has staked its claim in the mobile EHR market by building its system with the mobile environment in mind. The system offers access to documentation and vital patient information through a mobile interface that requires a few simple “taps” on the screen to complete tasks. DocuTAP also includes a mobile-based online patient portal for patient pre-registration, automated discharge instructions, referrals and prescription capabilities. DocuTAPS mobile functionality appears to be its strongest asset, although there has been limited concern regarding the performance of the billing portion of the system. More information about DocuTAP...

2. iSalus

iSALUS offers EHR, billing, scheduling and practice management solutions for the urgent care setting. iSALUS is accessed through a cloud-based platform allowing providers to utilize scheduling, patient details, and financial data remotely. Further, iSALUS is completely customizable allowing workflows to be adapted to specialty and practice workflow.

Compare DocuTap, Practice Velocity and iSalus on our free product comparison tool

From the billing and claims side, the system boasts a first-submission claim approval rate of 98%. Implementation data also shows that the system is typically implemented in 60 days or less with Meaningful Use being achieved within 90 days.

One significant downside to this system lies in the fact the company's system recommendations require a recent version of Internet Explorer and a Windows operating system. For Safari, Firefox or Chrome aficionados this could be a bit troubling. You can run the system on a Mac, but this is only possible with the use of virtualization software. More information about iSalus…

3. Practice Velocity

Practice Velocity offers an integrated web-based EMR and practice management system for urgent care in the form of VelociDoc®. The system offers point-and-click functionality which allows systematic coding for urgent care patient visits. The system also aims to intuitively select appropriate questions, diagnoses, procedures and discharge instructions. The system’s E-prescribing application is supported by Surescripts, whereby patient prescriptions can be transmitted directly from the EMR.

The overwhelming sentiment among consumers indicates that this product’s central selling point rests in its ease of use, its sophisticated functionality and the quality customer support offered by the vendor. The only noted weakness in the system was periodic slowdowns or glitches in the system; however, these events did not appear to be pervasive across all users. More information about Practice Velocity...

Conclusion

Based on the evaluation of these specialized urgent care EHR systems, the market appears to be embracing mobility and simplicity in its design. For urgent care providers, this is a welcome trend given the practical aspects of delivering care in this setting. A number of vendors also emphasize their ease of implementation and billing accuracy. For providers operating on thin margins or facing reimbursement reductions from public payers this will likely serve as a significant selling point.

Note: product information correct as of October 2015. Please contact customerteam@ehrinpractice.com if you would like to report incorrect information. User sentiment discussed in this article is derived from a cross-section of public reviews.