The shift to electronic health records (EHRs) and electronic medical records (EMRs) is nearly complete, with more than 96% of U.S. hospitals using them. However, the integration of EMRs requires more than just implementation. It also requires the workers to have a clear understanding of its features in order to fully optimize it and enhance the patient's outcome.

In this regard, athena EMR is considered a comprehensive platform due to its advanced and efficient features, such as revenue cycle management (RCM), patient engagement, and interoperability. These features have earned athenahealth ‘Best in KLAS 2025’ award for Overall Independent Physician Practice Suite.

In this guide, we will explore the essential features of athenaOne in order to provide you with a clear direction to navigate the system and optimize the features to the most of their capabilities.

Key Insights
  • athenaOne provides multiple useful features that healthcare providers can use to streamline the workflow and improve patient care
  • The patient engagement tools, ease of self-scheduling, and automated reminders reduce no-show rates and enhance appointment management
  • Billing efficiency is improved in athenaOne by using athenaCollector to minimize claim denials and accelerate financial process
  • The athenaOne mobile app allows for on-the-go documentation to ensure efficiency while working remotely
  • AI-generated medical codes simplify operations and ensure compliance with billing standards

Getting Started: Key Features Of athenaOne EMR

Below are the core features of athenaOne to help you navigate through the software seamlessly and integrate it into your practice effectively:

Patient Engagement And Self Scheduling

The patient engagement and self-scheduling feature allows patients to book appointments through the patient portal to minimize missed appointments by sending automated two-way reminders. 

This is the dashboard for the patient scheduling tool. 

How To Navigate The Feature:

  • Direct the patients to schedule the appointments through the patient portal, website, or a link in an email
  • Provide access to patients to check their personal health information
  • Check if the automated appointments are enabled or not so the patients can receive alerts
  • Enable the patients to confirm, reschedule, or cancel the appointments

Revenue Cycle Management

Revenue cycle management (RCM) combines intelligent technology with expert support to optimize the billing service, reduce accounts receivable (A/R) days, and increase automation to maximize the practice’s collections. 

This is the athenaCollector dashboard used to check patients’ eligibility. 

How To Navigate The Feature: 

  • Navigate through the patient’s profile before the scheduled visit
  • Use athenaCollector to check patient’s eligibility to identify claim errors before submission
  • Reach out to the patient in case of missing or incorrect details

Pre-Visit Check-In

By using the patient portal, patients can complete the check-in process beforehand to reduce the extra amount of work for front office staff.

How To Navigate The Feature:

  • Instruct patients to log into the patient portal pre-visit
  • Make sure patients complete the self-check-in process by filling out essential forms
  • Confirm the accuracy of the provided details before the appointment

Mobile EHR Access And Documentation 

athenaOne mobile app EMR/EHR optimizes clinical workflow by allowing access to it through mobile devices while syncing with patient records. This enhances productivity and improves patient care.

This is a mobile interface in which practitioners can manage the inbox, and profiles of patients. 

How To Navigate The Feature:

  • Use athenahealth credentials to access the personalized dashboard
  • Add the same templates and planning orders as you use on the web version of the EHR to make documentation on the mobile device
  • Start documenting the appointments using the same macros and orders
  • Use the integrated features of athenaOne Dictation and athenaOne Voice Assistant Powered by Nuance ® for voice-guided documentation

This is an overview of the embedded dictation feature in athenaOne. 

Electronic Orders And Referrals

The feature allows for electronic orders and referrals through the connected network of labs, imaging centers, and providers.

How To Navigate The Feature:

  • Access the module to submit referrals or lab orders
  • Confirm that the recipient is within athenaOne’s network
  • Compare medicines pricing and look for cost-effective alternatives using the prescription benefits check

Medical Coding 

A certified medical coding team uses AI to deliver reliable and accurate coding supported by third-party audits. 

How To Navigate The Feature:

  • athenaOne's AI-driven coding solution analyzes and recommends suitable medical codes
  • Check and validate the codes to make sure they are accurate
  • Use EHR-generated suggestions to ensure compliance with coding standards

Ready To Optimize Your Workflow With athena EMR?

athenaOne EHR is a comprehensive platform that streamlines clinical, administrative, and financial tasks effortlessly. Its features, such as patient engagement tools, mobile accessibility, interoperability, and RCM, empower any practice and improve patient outcomes.

By following the guide mentioned above, you can optimize your use of athenaOne to achieve maximum revenue while reducing any clinical errors. To learn more about it, visit Software Finder for detailed comparisons with other vendors, reviews, and expert insights.