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General Surgery EHR Software Buyers Guide
General surgery electronic medical record (EMR) or electronic health record (EHR) software is a specialized digital solution designed to support the unique clinical and administrative needs of surgical practices. These systems offer customizable templates for common procedures, integrated charting tools, and features like e-prescribing, lab and imaging integration, and real-time documentation to improve workflow efficiency.
By reducing manual errors and streamlining tasks such as pre- and post-operative planning, billing, and patient tracking, these platforms help surgeons deliver timely, accurate, and compliant care.
General surgery EMR/EHR software includes a range of specialized features designed to support clinical efficiency, documentation accuracy, and operational management across surgical practices. Below are the key functionalities that define these systems:
Specialty-Specific Templates And Clinical Tools
General surgery EMR/EHR systems offer customizable templates tailored to common surgical procedures, such as hernia repairs and abscess drainages. These templates systematize documentation by providing structured fields for complaints, history of present illness, and review of systems, ensuring comprehensive and efficient record-keeping.
Integrated Workflow Management
Advanced EMR/EHR platforms facilitate smooth integration between electronic health records and billing modules, eliminating redundant data entry and reducing errors. This integration ensures that claims are accurately generated and submitted promptly, thereby improving the revenue cycle management of surgical practices.
Real-Time Surgical Workflow Optimization
Some systems incorporate modules that manage surgical workflows, including operating theater scheduling, ward and bed management, and post-operative care coordination. These features enable surgical teams to navigate complex procedures effectively, improving patient outcomes and operational efficiency.
Diagnostic Imaging And Device Integration
General surgery EMR/EHR software often includes integration with diagnostic imaging systems (PACS) and medical devices, allowing for direct import of imaging reports and vital signs into patient records. This integration augments diagnostic accuracy and facilitates comprehensive patient monitoring.
Advanced Analytics And Reporting
These systems provide strong analytics and reporting tools that track patient outcomes, monitor performance metrics, and identify areas for quality improvement. Such insights enable surgical practices to make data-driven decisions, improving care quality and patient outcomes.
Compliance With Regulatory Standards
These systems are designed to comply with healthcare regulations, including ICD and CPT coding standards, ensuring that documentation meets legal and billing requirements. Compliance features help practices avoid penalties and streamline reimbursement processes.
Patient Engagement And Communication Tools
Modern EMR/EHR platforms offer patient portals and communication tools that facilitate appointment scheduling, access to medical records, and direct messaging between patients and providers. These features boost patient engagement and satisfaction by promoting transparency and accessibility.
Secure Cloud-Based Access
Cloud-based general surgery EMR/EHR solutions ensure that patient data is securely stored and accessible from various locations, supporting practices with multiple sites or providers. This accessibility enhances collaboration among healthcare teams and ensures continuity of care.
EMR | Best For | Key Features | Pricing Model |
eClinicalWorks | Independent, ambulatory practices of every size and type | Patient portal, interoperability, telehealth support | $449/provider/month (EHR only) |
athenaOne | Small and medium-sized practices | AI-powered chart review, interoperability, mobile documentation | Custom pricing, based on percentage of collections model
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ModMed | Practices of all sizes | Clinical workflow, AI documentation, analytics, and reporting | Custom pricing |
Epic | Large healthcare organizations, such as hospitals | Patient portal (MyChart), remote patient monitoring, interoperability | Custom pricing |
AdvancedMD | Small to mid-sized group practices | Clinical quality reporting, customizable templates, patient health management | Custom pricing |
How We Curated Our Pros And Cons List
The pros and cons listed below for each general surgery EMR/EHR system are derived from insights collected from surgeons, clinical staff, and administrative personnel using these platforms in real-world surgical settings. Our methodology ensures that the evaluation is accurate, relevant, and actionable for surgical practices.
- Data Collection: We gathered information through structured interviews, surveys, and feedback from surgeons and surgical staff. This was supplemented with verified third-party reviews to ensure a comprehensive understanding of each EMR/EHR system’s strengths and weaknesses
- Identifying Common Patterns: All feedback was analyzed to identify recurring themes. Our team tagged common topics such as documentation accuracy, patient engagement, billing integration, and user experience
- Quantitative Assessment: We quantified how frequently each theme appeared across reviews. This helped identify the most cited advantages and drawbacks of each software, providing a data-backed view of real-world usage
- Compiling Results: The insights were compiled into clear lists of pros and cons for each vendor. This approach ensures that surgeons and administrators can quickly assess which system aligns with their clinical and operational needs
eClinicalWorks – Pros And Cons
Pros
Around 20% of reviewers praised eClinicalWorks for its reporting capabilities and administrative support stating:
- “The ability to pull reports is pretty good with their EBO system. We get almost everything we need reporting wise from that system whether it’s financial or encounter data. Their support is pretty responsive usually calling back the same day in most cases.”
Approximately 15% of users appreciated the intuitive interface and effective training resources:
- “It's been very good. The system is easy to navigate and learn. They have an excellent training section. The help desk is very quick to respond anytime I've had an issue or a question.”
Cons
About one in seven users mentioned system slowness, excessive clicks, and challenges with updates:
- “There are sometimes a lot of clicks with ECW. Anytime you do an upgrade something is not going to work which is very frustrating.”
athenaOne – Pros And Cons
Pros
Nearly a quarter of reviewers highlighted athenaOne’s simple navigation that streamlines record-handling:
- “EMR really easy to handle for multiple patients. Good for middle to small size practices. I am able to handle multiple records at the same time.”
Approximately 20% of users appreciated the all-in-one platform for patient records, scheduling, billing, and insurance claims, stating:
- “athenaOne is a highly convenient medical records platform that facilitates tracking patient information, scheduling appointments, diagnostic and procedural coding, as well as insurance billing and claims.”
Cons
A fifth of users mentioned slow portals, freezing issues, or software requiring high-spec computers
- “The portal is incredibly slow and very glitchy requiring me to reload the page often. It reminds me of a portal that a huge medical center would use.”
ModMed – Pros And Cons
Pros
About 40% of users praised ModMed’s simple navigation, logical workflows, and minimal learning curve
- “Ease of use. It was very easy to learn! The templates are super useful.”
- “How easy it is to use the system. Everything needed to run the practice can be done directly through ModMed."
Around 30% of reviewers appreciated its dermatology-focused design, body charting, ICD-10 coding, and customizable templates
- “Specialty-specific EMR built that is easy to use and intuitive. Assists with proper ICD-10 coding and use of modifiers.”
- “It’s the best way to chart dermatology as you have pictures to click on for location and lots of prepopulated dermatology disease states.”
Cons
Around 15% of users reported persistent software glitches, especially with Dragon dictation and updates, causing workflow disruption
- “The new update has forced us to enter in multiple duplicate meds and allergies which causes a delay in entering charts.”
Epic – Pros And Cons
Pros
Approximately 35% of reviewers praised Epic for its customization options, versatility, and depth of features for charting, reporting, and patient management
- “You can customize things to your liking. It has built-in billing.”
- “Inclusivity, vastly customizable and useful.”
- “Extremely thorough and endless data, can create a report for pretty much anything.
Nearly 30% highlighted Epic’s logical layout, clear data organization, and intuitive navigation once familiarized:
- “Information is clear, easy access, once you get used to where main info is located, very easy to use.”
- “Ease of search, clear display of health information, their clean, intuitive, easy to navigate UI.”
Cons
About 8–10% said finding information or performing bulk actions can be inefficient:
- “Schedulers talk about how they have to check in all appts individually and there should be a select all option.”
AdvancedMD – Pros And Cons
Pros
Almost one in two reviewers highlighted its customizability and documentation tools:
- “The ability to create your own templates and documents.”
- “Charting is easy and templates are comprehensive.”
- “The note design feature is robust and easy to use.”
Roughly 40% praised its ease of use and user experience improvements over time:
- “Once the templates are set up then it is easy for the physician to complete their documentation quicker.”
- “AdvancedMD has helped our Wellness Center achieve its streamlining and financial goals since it was implemented.”
- “Over the last 17 years AdvancedMD EHR system has become much more user friendly and easier to use.”
Cons
Approximately 15% raised concerns about reporting complexity:
- “Need improvements on reporting, other than that, functionality is everything we need.”
- “Everything has to be type in, requires to fill a lot of boxes to complete one note.”
Using a general surgery EMR/EHR system brings measurable advantages to surgical practices. It improves everything from daily workflow and documentation to patient engagement and financial outcomes. Some of the benefits are given below:
- Enhanced Efficiency: These systems reduce repetitive administrative tasks, allowing surgical teams to focus on patient care and operative planning. By organizing schedules, pre-op checklists, and post-op follow-ups digitally, surgeons and staff spend less time on paperwork and more on clinical activities
- Improved Care Quality: Surgeons gain instant access to complete patient histories, imaging results, and lab reports, supporting safer and more precise decision-making. Coordinated information across multiple providers ensures continuity of care before, during, and after surgery
- Faster Documentation: Pre-built templates and real-time charting improve documentation accuracy while reducing time spent on notes. Research indicates that surgical residents spend 20% to 30% of their training time using EMRs, highlighting the significant role of these systems in documentation
- Stronger Financial Control: Integrated billing, coding, and claim submission tools help maximize reimbursements and minimize denials. Practices can track revenue, monitor compliance, and optimize reimbursement efficiency. A review of EMR systems highlighted their role in reducing the time spent on creating new medical records and enhancing billing revenues
- Greater Data Security: Patient records are encrypted and stored securely in compliance with HIPAA regulations. Access controls and audit trails protect sensitive surgical and medical information from unauthorized use. The implementation of EMR systems has been associated with improved hospital efficiency, indicating effective data management and security
When selecting a general surgery EMR/EHR software, providers should evaluate several critical factors to ensure the system aligns with their practice's clinical, administrative, and financial needs. Below are key considerations:
- Procedure-Specific Templates: Make sure the system offers customizable templates for common surgeries (e.g., hernia repair, cholecystectomy) to speed up charting and ensure clinical completeness
- Pre- And Post-Op Workflow Support: Look for platforms that support surgical scheduling, consent documentation, operative notes, and post-operative follow-ups in a single platform
- Imaging And Lab Integration: Surgeons rely heavily on pre-op diagnostics. Ensure the EMR/EHR can interface with PACS systems and lab databases for real-time access to imaging and test results
- Comprehensive Surgical Documentation: Support for detailed operative notes, anesthesia records, and intraoperative findings is critical. Look for voice dictation or structured fields that capture this efficiently
- Billing Accuracy For Surgical Codes: General surgeons bill across a wide range of CPT codes. The software should support code search, bundling, and automatic claim generation to minimize rejections
- Data Security And Compliance: The system must comply with healthcare regulations like HIPAA and incorporate strong security measures to protect patient information
- Scalability And Customization: Choose a solution that adapts to the evolving needs of your practice, offering customization and scalability to support your growth over time
- Comprehensive Support And Training: Reliable vendor support and thorough training resources are essential for smooth implementation and ongoing system optimization
- Cost Considerations: Evaluate the total cost of ownership, including licensing, implementation, maintenance, and potential hidden fees, to ensure it fits within your budget
- Vendor Reputation And Experience: Research the vendor's track record in the healthcare industry, focusing on their experience with surgical practices and customer satisfaction
Selecting an EMR/EHR system for a surgical practice requires understanding both upfront and ongoing costs. Expenses vary by vendor, deployment method, and included features. Below, we have broken down a few factors to consider:
Initial Investment
Setting up an EMR/EHR typically involves licensing, training, hardware, and data migration. For small practices, implementation can range from $50,000 to $150,000 for initial setup, while larger facilities could see costs upwards of $500,000 or more, depending on complexity and customization.
Recurring Fees
Monthly subscription fees are commonly billed per provider, with average fees ranging from $199 to $449, approximately. Ongoing fees cover software updates, maintenance, and support. Some vendors offer additional modules at an extra cost.
Additional Charges To Consider
Extra fees may apply for specialty modules, integrations, additional users, or custom reports. Automated billing and scheduling reduce administrative burden. Procedure-specific templates and real-time charting improve accuracy and workflow.
Return On Investment
Investing in a general surgery EMR improves revenue, reduces errors, and optimizes daily surgical operations. Coding, billing, and scheduling automation accelerate reimbursements. Practices often recoup costs within the first year through efficiency gains.
The general surgery EMR/EHR market is growing steadily, with projections rising from USD 33.43 billion in 2024 to USD 43.36 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 4.54%. This growth is fueled by the adoption of cloud-based systems, which offer scalability and cost savings, particularly for smaller practices.
Despite the overall market expansion, certain specialties, including general surgery, have historically lagged in EMR adoption. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association found that general surgeons were significantly less likely to adopt EHRs compared to family medicine practitioners. The study reported that general surgeons had adjusted odds ratios ranging from 0.06 to 0.56, indicating a lower likelihood of EHR adoption compared to their family medicine counterparts.
Looking ahead, the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning is expected to further enhance the capabilities of EMR/EHR systems. As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, embracing these technological advancements will be crucial for general surgery practices aiming to improve efficiency and patient outcomes.
What Real Users Say About General Surgery EMR/EHR
General surgeons often find EHRs challenging to use, noting that they can be cumbersome and time-consuming. However, many acknowledge that these systems improve record-keeping, patient tracking, and scheduling of surgeries. EHRs help reduce documentation errors and streamline care coordination, giving surgeons easier access to patient information. Despite the initial learning curve, general surgeons report that EHRs save time, make documentation faster, and improve communication among surgical teams.