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athenahealth Vs. Practice Fusion: Finding The Right EHR

athenahealth Vs. Practice Fusion: Finding The Right EHR

For healthcare practices, an effective EHR system isn’t just a tool. It is the backbone that supports daily operations, patient engagement, and data-driven decision-making.

Two leading choices, athenahealth and Practice Fusion, are frequently appreciated for their specialized functionalities and support for various medical specialties and sizes. Both these healthcare systems offer several benefits in their own ways. For instance, athenahealth has strong networking capabilities, whereas Practice Fusion is easy to use and adapt to.

This athenahealth vs. Practice Fusion blog will analyze and compare their features, usability, and pricing plans to help you find the best solution for your clinic.

Head-On Comparison

athenahealth is a cloud-based EHR software that offers various features to overcome several healthcare challenges for different medical specialties, including ambulatory care and pediatrics. It offers several integrated capabilities, including medical billing, scheduling, and revenue cycle management, all in a single platform. Moreover, it also offers several patient engagement tools to enhance collaboration and patient satisfaction.

Practice Fusion EHR is another popular cloud-based healthcare system that is specifically designed for ambulatory and primary care specialties. It helps medical clinics overcome administrative and clinical workflows by automating tasks and providing several features, including charting, e-prescription, and integrations.

athenahealth And Practice Fusion: At A Glance

Feature	athenahealth	Practice Fusion
Mobile Access	‘athenaPatient' mobile app to access on-the-go patient data management along with ‘athenaCapture’ app to upload images to ‘athenaONE’ using iOS or Android phones	Accessible anywhere via iPad and/or Android tablet on several browsers, including Google Chrome on Android or Mobile Safari for iOS
Cloud Access	Cloud-based EHR services	Cloud-based EHR solution
Integrations	800+ API endpoints along with its own athenahealth marketplace to connect with several third-party applications	Several integrating options to exchange data with 98000+ pharmacies, 500+ labs, imaging centers, and other tools, along with several billing partners, including Tebra and CollaborateMD
Compliance	HIPAA-compliant and Common Security Framework (CSF) certified from HITRUST to ensure data security and confidentiality	Meets all HHS certifications and HIPPA compliance regulations to ensure privacy and security
Medical Billing	Includes several billing solutions like automating routine account receivable (AR) tasks, accurate claims submission, and medical coding	Consists of various medical billing tools, including automatic eligibility checks, superbills, ICD-10 certified claim submission
Scheduling	Enables online self-appointment scheduling through athenaOne' that can be booked via API along with Digital check-in to verify patient’s information	Offers a personalized patient scheduler with several options, including appointment reminders, online scheduling, and paperless patient intake forms
Telehealth	HIPAA-compliant telehealth consultations, with several features, including appointment scheduling, integrated camera, and billing, via athenaOne	Connects patients with medical professionals via several telehealth tools, such as HIPAA-compliant direct messaging, automated appointment reminders, and online check-ins
Document Management	Create and modify several types of documents via API, including lab and diagnostic results and administrative/clinical documents	Provides integrated scanning and bulk download documents along with drag-and-drop tools and enables users to upload 20 documents simultaneously
Reporting	Automates analytics and reporting processes to enhance financial performance	Different types of reports, including quality, clinical, running, and practice management reports, along with several tools to organize patient information
Support Options	Phone, email, web, and live chat support options along with a customer success manager	Help tickets, live chat, and phone support options to resolve any issues faced by users timely

Pros And Cons

athenahealth Vs. Practice Fusion Side By Side Comparison

athenahealth and Practice Fusion are top contenders when it comes to optimizing clinical workflows, specifically for ambulatory practices. The sections below will analyze their key features to determine which software is better for your healthcare organization.

Integration

athenahealth: Provides a Marketplace with 155K providers, 200+ specialties, and over 800 APIs. The open and scalable platform connects with several third-party solutions to easily share healthcare information and tools, optimizing operations and improving clinical productivity.

Practice fusion: Offers direct connections with 98K+ local pharmacies, and 500 labs and imaging centers. Moreover, the software can interface with health information exchange, immunization registries and multiple billing partners, managing workflows and interoperability efficiently.

Winner: athenahealth excels with its extensive API offerings and dedicated support for integrating third-party solutions, making it ideal for practices looking for broad and flexible integration options.

Medical Billing

athenahealth: athenaOne enhances practice management by automating AR tasks and providing revenue cycle visibility through a dedicated dashboard. It updates continuously to align with payer requirements, ensuring clean claims submission. Extended services include enhanced claims resolution, medical coding, and authorization management, all aimed at maximizing collections and improving financial performance.

Practice fusion: It offers flexible billing options, including superbills, eligibility verification, and trained billing services. It makes the entire process easier by enabling insurance eligibility electronic checks and easy creation of superbills that meet ICD-10 certification requirements. The platform is fully compatible with most web-based medical billing solutions, simplifying claim submissions and reimbursements.

Winner: athenahealth outperforms with its billing and revenue cycle management tools, making it ideal for healthcare practices that are looking forward to improving financial performance.

Telehealth

athenahealth: The software enables virtual consultation via ‘athenaTelehealth’, offering several features, such as appointment booking, group video conferencing, and more. It also enhances patient experience through its patient outreach and browser-based access while complying with HIPAA regulations.

Practice fusion: The system includes various telehealth solutions, such as secure text messages, HIPAA compliant video consultations, and patient portal. It also enables video check-ins and focuses on patient and provider interaction to provide extensive virtual care.

Winner: Despite a close call, athenahealth leads with its fully integrated telehealth system along with a plethora of tools to enhance patient engagement.

Document Management

athenahealth: Creates, updates, and provides several kinds of documents such as administrative, clinical, and encounter documents. It also facilitates faxing, scanning, and manual uploads with extra demographic fields for better classification. Medical providers can also mark documents as ‘high priority’ and retrieve and delete documents via class-specific APIs.

Practice fusion: Allows users to manage documents, offering various options like scanning, drag-and-drop tool, download multiple files, and preview. Moreover, healthcare practitioners can upload a maximum of 20 files with a single drag simultaneously, add comments, and tag documents for improved the classification of data.

Winner: Practice Fusion leads with its user-friendly document management features, making it ideal for healthcare organizations focusing on efficient document handling.

Scheduling

athenahealth:Offers an extensive online scheduling system with API access for finding and booking appointment slots. Patients can select from appointment bookings, and the platform supports both new and existing patients. Its features include bypass permissions for telemedicine or walk-in appointments, frozen appointment slots, and outbound communications for reminders and confirmations.

Practice fusion: Provides a customizable scheduling system with features like online patient scheduling, automatic appointment reminders, and paperless patient intake forms. The cloud-based scheduling allows for easy management of multiple facilities and providers. Additional features include online check-in, automatic eligibility checks, and recurring appointment management.

Winner: Practice Fusion excels with its user-friendly and customizable scheduling features, making it ideal for practices looking for efficiency and flexibility in managing appointments.

athenahealth Vs. Practice Fusion: Pricing Plans

athenahealth cost depends on the total collections of your healthcare organization with no hidden fee structures, minimal initial costs, and the option to cancel the subscription anytime. In contrast, Practice Fusion has a starting price of $149/provider/month, including implementation costs, training, and support options. However, unlike athenahealth, Practice Fusion requires an annual commitment.

Overall, while athenahealth provides flexible pricing options with no long-term commitments required, Practice Fusion offers a more fixed and predictable pricing structure with an annual commitment. Thereby, the choice between the two ultimately depends on the preferred payment structure and finances of a medical organization.

athenahealth Vs. Practice Fusion: What Users Have To Say?

Users appreciate athenahealth’s features, particularly its strong telehealth capabilities and seamless integration with other systems. However, some users have noted that the patients cannot view their bills after immediately playing them, whereas some users have also pointed out complexities in understanding the instructions given in the help desk section.

On the other hand, Practice Fusion is praised for its user-friendly interface and customizable templates, making it a preferred choice among small and/or solo healthcare practitioners. However, despite its ease of use, some users have reported disappointment over the requirement of an annual commitment to buy the subscription plan.

Our Verdict: Which EHR System Is The Right Fit For You?

athenahealth and Practice Fusion are both top EHR contenders that offer tailored solutions according to the differing requirements of medical specialties.

While athenahealth excels with its comprehensive features, integrations, and telehealth capabilities, Practice Fusion is known for its simple interface, customizable scheduling, and efficient document management functionalities. athenahealth is the right solution for practices seeking scalable solutions with strong support options. Meanwhile, Practice Fusion is a great option for solo practitioners and small medical clinics.

Therefore, when selecting an EHR system, it's crucial to consider your practice’s workflow requirements, budget, and specialty needs. Assessing how each software fits into daily operations ensures it enhances efficiency and minimizes frustration.

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