Find the Best Orthopedics EMR

Orthopedic care moves fast, imaging is intensive, and documentation cannot slow down the clinic or the Operating Room (OR). Many practices struggle with generic templates that feel clunky, weak PACS integration, limited MSK drawing tools, and fragmented post-op outcomes reporting. The right orthopedic EHR/EMR helps bridge these gaps. 

We’ve created this guide to help practitioners choose a system that fits real workflows across fracture clinic, sports, spine, hand, pediatrics, and joint replacement. 

Readers will gain insight into what to prioritize, how vendors differ, and current market trends to facilitate the decision-making process. 

Orthopedic electronic medical record (EMR) and electronic health record (EHR) software caters to the requirements of orthopedic practices, helping them operate efficiently and effectively. Modern orthopedic care providers need specific workflows, documentation, and analysis to provide quality patient care to those in need of treatment for musculoskeletal conditions. 

These tools are now becoming a cornerstone of the orthopedics industry, offering support during complicated orthopedic surgeries, treatments, and rehabilitation. Furthermore, they help practitioners plan, document, and coordinate complex procedures, such as fracture treatment, joint replacement surgeries, and physiotherapy, with greater ease and precision. 

Surgeons, clinics, rehabilitation centers, and multispecialty hospitals with orthopedic departments extensively use orthopedic EHR/EMR solutions. These solutions help elevate the administrative burden, enabling providers to dedicate more time to patient care. 

What separates a generic EHR/EMR from one built for orthopedics is its ability to speed up imaging, sharpen surgical planning, and cut billing errors. Top features include: 

Tailored Orthopedic Templates 

Orthopedic EMR/EHR systems offer customizable templates tailored to orthopedic conditions, injuries, and treatments, with the goal of providing support to an orthopedic surgeon or consultant. These templates simplify documenting patient visits, diagnoses, and treatment plans for conditions like fractures, joint replacements, sports injuries, and musculoskeletal disorders. Templates also typically include body-chart annotations and decision support that adapts by subspecialty and laterality. 

Integration With Diagnostic Tools  

An orthopedic EHR/EMR tool integrates with radiology systems and a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), allowing immediate access to X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans within the patient’s record. This integration speeds up diagnosis and treatment in the short and long term. Systems commonly include native or embedded DICOM viewing, orthopedic measurement tools, and imaging order management within the chart. 

Treatment And Surgical Planning  

These platforms provide detailed documentation for surgical and non-surgical treatments, including surgical planning templates, pre-operative and post-operative notes, and outcome tracking. They also support custom treatment plans for rehabilitation and physical therapy, enabling hospitals and clinics to provide round-the-clock care. 

Billing And Coding  

Orthopedic EHRs/EMRs ensure accurate billing and coding for procedures like joint replacements, fracture repairs, and musculoskeletal surgeries. They offer coding assistance to help practices comply with insurance requirements and reduce claim denials. Feature sets typically cover CPT modifiers, NCCI edit checks, prior authorization workflows, and claim handling. 

Orthopedic-Centric Workflows 

Orthopedic EHRs/EMRs also support workflows for patient intake, diagnosis, treatment planning, and follow-up care. These systems enable quick data entry for physical exams, surgical histories, and orthopedic-specific procedures like joint aspirations, injections, and surgeries. Modules commonly include multi-resource scheduling, PT coordination, telehealth, and patient-portal tasking to keep teams aligned between clinic and OR. 

Implant And Device Tracking 

Orthopedic EHR/EMR systems increasingly support implant tracking through implant logs, biologics databases, and the ability to capture implant details such as manufacturer, lot number, and size within the clinical chart. These records strengthen continuity of care and improve surgical documentation. 

In many cases, EHRs integrate with dedicated implant-tracking tools that provide UDI (Unique Device Identifier) compliance, audit trails, and inventory management to ensure that recalls, stock usage, and post-operative monitoring are accurately documented. 

Our Methodology For Evaluating Pros And Cons 

The following vendor insights are drawn from orthopedic practices that actively use these EHR/EMR platforms for clinical, surgical, and rehabilitation settings. To ensure the feedback is representative and practical, we applied a multi-step methodology designed around the realities of orthopedic care. 

Data Collection 

We gathered feedback from orthopedic surgeons, physician assistants, nursing staff, and administrative teams who regularly interact with these systems. This included surveys, practice interviews, and verified third-party review platforms. Only data from orthopedic and musculoskeletal-focused users was included, keeping the scope relevant to the specialty. 

Contextual Analysis 

Rather than simply tagging broad themes, we analyzed how feedback mapped to orthopedic workflows such as PACS/DICOM integration, customizability, surgical scheduling, physical therapy coordination, and subspecialty documentation. This specialty-specific lens ensured the nuances of orthopedic practice were preserved. 

Frequency And Weighting 

We tracked how often particular strengths and weaknesses appeared across different practice sizes and subspecialties. This helped distinguish between isolated experiences and common patterns in orthopedic settings. 

Compilation Of Findings 

Finally, we translated the aggregated results into clear pros, cons, and representative testimonials for each vendor. The goal is to give orthopedic providers a practical snapshot of how each system performs in day-to-day use, highlighting where a solution may add value or create friction in real orthopedic environments. 

ModMed – Pros And Cons 

Pros: 

Around 45% of users appreciated ModMed for its ease of use and efficiency in documentation, with some stating: 

• ‘With ModMed, I’m able to see the same amount of patients and I can easily finalize my notes in just 30 minutes.’ 

Approximately 20% of users highlighted exemplary customer support services, mentioning: 

• ‘Modmed is constantly looking for ways to improve the user experience. They are dedicated to customer service, and the agents are kind and efficient.’ 

Con: 

Almost 12% of users reported certain feature gaps like limited language support: 

• ‘There are not many downsides to Mod Med. One thing we do wish it had would be spanish language due to our patient population.’ 

NextGen – Pros And Cons 

Pros: 

22% of practitioners expressed that NextGen was customizable and tailored for specialties. A user stated: 

• ‘The software covers a nice procedure process and its customizable.’ 

Around 39% of providers reported the platform as intuitive and easy to learn, stating: 

• ‘NextGen Healthcare EHR is an easy-to-learn system for new staff.’ 

Con: 

Approximately 19% of users reported delays in customer support, with one user saying: 

• ‘Support is inconsistent. There are many language and skill barriers in tech support.’ 

athenaOne – Pros And Cons 

Pros: 

Approximately 27% of clinicians said that the platform was user-friendly and improved workflows. One user mentioned: 

• ‘Athena is very user friendly, and super efficient in a fast paced environment!’ 

Around 18% of practitioners reported that the system improved documentation, saying: 

• ‘The ambient note feature deserves a standing ovation—it has massively cut down my documentation time and lets me focus more on my patients instead of fighting with my keyboard.’ 

Con: 

Approximately 6% of users highlighted slow customer support response times: 

• ‘AthenaOnes help desk can be a little slow getting back to you.’ 

DrChrono – Pros And Cons 

Pros: 

Users frequently highlighted DrChrono’s seamless interface, with 24% of users mentioning sentiments like: 

• ‘The most helpful use for Dr. Chrono, is the information is readily available, and laid out professionally. It is quick and easy to use.’ 

34% of practitioners appreciated DrChrono for its fluid iOS integration and mobile functionality, stating: 

• ‘DrChrono was groundbreaking when it first came out, featuring an iOS mobile app to chart and send prescriptions from your iPad or iPhone. This saves me so much time and is the main reason I can't leave this product.’ 

Con: 

15% of users reported lags or outages, mentioning: 

• ‘There are frequent downtimes and outages’ 

eClinicalWorks – Pros And Cons 

Pros: 

36% of users lauded the platform for its advanced AI features and integrity, stating: 

• ‘Love the AI integrity and the easy way to go through’ 

17% of users mentioned smooth implementation and helpful customer support: 

• ‘I have used ecw since 2008, and i would recommend to anyone. implementation was streamlined. the customer support is always helpful’ 

Cons: 

A few users – around 9% stated that the UI could be refreshed: 

• ‘It is clunky and difficult to navigate. Outdated for the times.’ 

Here’s how orthopedic EHRs/EMRs turn specialty features into day-to-day gains for clinics and OR teams: 

• Improved Workflows: Automates routine tasks like charting, prescription management, and appointment scheduling, allowing staff to focus more on patient care. Orthopedic-specific templates and order sets accelerate charting for common MSK visits. Integrated e-prescribing with medication history and PDMP/EPCS support, plus advanced scheduling, reduces manual steps across clinic and OR 
• Accurate Documentation: Provides customizable templates for accurate and comprehensive medical documentation, reducing errors and improving compliance with regulations like HIPAA and ONC 
• Enhanced Patient Care: Allows doctors to access comprehensive patient histories, including diagnostic images and treatment plans, leading to better decision-making and personalized care. Embedded DICOM viewing with orthopedic measurement tools enables side-by-side image comparison within the chart for faster and more accurate assessment 
• Patient Engagement: Facilitates better communication between doctors and patients through portals, where patients can access records, schedule appointments, chat with providers, and view treatment plans. These platforms also send out reminders and enable timely follow-ups, improving treatment adherence and patient satisfaction. In fact, research in orthopedic surgery found that patients who used portals had no-show rates as low as 6.8% compared to 9.3% for non-users, highlighting the role of portals in boosting engagement and attendance 
• Data Accessibility: Modern cloud-based EHRs/EMRs for orthopedics provide easy access to patient records from any location, improving flexibility for physicians working in multiple locations or conducting telemedicine visits. Some systems even offer mobile deployments or apps to enhance accessibility further 

The process of selecting the best orthopedic EHR/EMR goes beyond just ticking off generic features. Practices, at times, end up choosing a system that isn’t well-aligned with their specialty requirements. Taking a future-focused approach means evaluating whether the software can scale with new imaging standards, support advanced surgical planning workflows, and adjust with evolving compliance needs. 

The following considerations can guide you toward choosing a system that truly supports your orthopedic practice goals. 

• Compliance: Select a tool that provides automated compliance support with regulations such as HIPAA and ONC 
• Internal Coordination: Pick a platform that allows doctors to make notes and share them with the staff seamlessly. Orthopedic EHRs/EMRs that support role-based task assignments, shared care plans, and real-time messaging help reduce communication gaps between surgeons, nurses, and rehab teams 
• Customer Service: Prefer software with 24/7 customer support for any possible system glitch. Responsive vendor support is particularly valuable during high-volume clinic hours or surgical cases, when delays can directly impact patient care and practice operations 
• Security: Go for an orthopedics EMR that comes with top-notch data safety measures and strong protection against malware 
• Vendor Size: Choose a system that matches the size of your facility and goals for expansion 
• Integration With Diagnostic Tools And Labs: Make sure the EHR/EMR can integrate with PACS/DICOM for imaging and connect with labs through HL7 or FHIR interfaces 
• Specialty Templates: Ensure the platform’s templates accommodate procedures beyond common cases. For example, spine fusions, hip and knee replacements, carpal tunnel release, and arthritis management. These templates should support laterality, anatomic body diagrams, rehab plan presets, and procedure-specific options tied to orthopedic workflows 
• Robust Claims And Billing Support: Choose a system with coding support for orthopedic procedures like joint replacements, fracture care, and arthroscopy. It should support ICD-10 mapping and the precise selection of CPT codes for those procedures 

Orthopedic EMR/EHR software typically costs more than standard systems due to its specialized tools and features. These include advanced imaging integrations, orthopedic-specific templates, and tools for managing musculoskeletal assessments. The final price often depends on factors like the size of the practice, deployment method (cloud-based or on-premises), implementation type, customization level, and data migration need. 

Orthopedic practices have unique requirements, such as handling high-quality X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans, which demand seamless integration with imaging devices and diagnostic software. The system must also support workflows for treatments like fracture care, joint replacements, and post-surgery rehabilitation. While these features enhance clinical accuracy, patient care, and overall efficiency, they may contribute to higher costs. 

In addition to the base price, vendors may charge extra for onboarding, staff training, or ongoing technical support. Many software providers, however, offer free trials or demos so practices can evaluate the software before making a decision. It’s important to factor in all expenses, including any hidden fees, to ensure the solution meets your practice’s needs and budget. 

Many orthopedic EHR/EMR systems use subscription pricing billed per provider, per month. Recent market reviews show cloud-based orthopedic EHRs ranging from $299/provider/month to $699/provider/month, depending on practice size and feature depth. Smaller clinics may see pricing closer to $300/provider/month, while enterprise groups with advanced imaging, surgical planning, and rehabilitation coordination features fall toward the $650 to $1,000/provider/month range. 

The orthopedic EMR/EHR market is being reshaped by major care delivery and regulatory shifts. Outpatient migration is accelerating as orthopedic surgeries move away from hospitals. Medicare fee-for-service Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) orthopedic volumes rose 5.7% in 2023, highlighting the need for EMRs optimized for ASC workflows and same-day discharge tracking. 

Implant analytics are also central. The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) reported in late 2024 that it has captured over 4 million hip and knee procedures, expanding its role in comparative outcomes and implant surveillance. Orthopedic EMRs must now integrate registry reporting and device data to support quality benchmarks. 

Digital MSK tools are persisting in the post-pandemic. FAIR Health data show telehealth kept a measurable share of claims in 2024, while a 2024 review of tele-MSK assessments found diagnostic agreement ranging from 40.7% (shoulder) to 100% (lower limb). This underscores the demand for EMRs with structured tele-assessment templates. 

Finally, interoperability mandates are expanding. TEFCA’s first QHIN exchanges began in late 2023, and a December 2024 ONC rule advanced TEFCA compliance and FHIR adoption, pressuring orthopedic EMRs to be fully TEFCA-ready. 

As these shifts continue, it becomes even more important to understand how real orthopedic practices experience today’s leading systems, from daily workflows to support quality. 

What Real Users Say About Orthopedics EHR/EMR? 

Users highlight stronger day-to-day flow when core functions live in one place, noting that specialty-aware content and reporting help track workups, testing, and documentation with fewer handoffs. Many appreciate the breadth of service across charting, scheduling, communication, billing, and prior authorizations, along with helpful training resources and timely support in some cases. 

Common friction points include steep learning curves, interface clutter, occasional slowdowns or outages, and support processes that feel hard to influence. A smaller set reports workflow hiccups, such as cumbersome multi-step actions or migration and integration delays. 

Overall, the consensus is that specialty depth and integrated tools can boost throughput and organization, provided practices vet usability, reliability, and support responsiveness during trials.