The shift to electronic health records (EHRs) is nearly complete, with more than 96% of U.S. hospitals using them. However, the adoption of such a system requires more than just implementation. This also needs providers and staff to have a clear understanding of their features in order to fully optimize it and enhance the patient outcome.

In this regard, athena EHR 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 the ‘Best in KLAS 2026’ award for Overall Independent Physician Practice Suite.

This guide explains the key athenaOne workflows and features to help practices get more value from the platform.

Key Insights
  • athenaOne brings clinical, billing, and patient engagement work together on one shared system, so actions taken in one area feed directly into the others.
  • Onboarding moves through four phases, from needs assessment through ongoing support after go-live, so practices know what to expect at each stage rather than facing a single, unplanned transition.
  • Setting up the U.S. Bank account early and gathering the required practice data through the onboarding workbook are two of the most time-sensitive tasks before go-live.
  • Completing staff training before go-live, rather than after, has a direct connection to how satisfied a practice ends up being with a new vendor.
  • Self-scheduling, automated reminders, and AI-powered waitlist tools work together to cut down on missed appointments and keep the schedule full.
  • athenaCollector checks patient eligibility before visits and runs automated claim scrubbing, which helps cut down on denials and speed up the billing process.
  • The athenaOne mobile app gives providers the same documentation tools they use on the web, so clinical work can continue from a mobile device.
  • AI-assisted medical coding, backed by a certified coding team and third-party audits, helps keep codes accurate and in line with billing compliance standards.

Interoperability And External Data Exchange

athenaOne exchanges data with labs, pharmacies, imaging centers, and other providers without requiring manual re-entry. To use these connections:

  1. Send and receive data with labs, imaging centers, pharmacies, and referring providers through athenaOne's connected network
  2. Use the platform's connection to the CommonWell, powered by Ellkay infrastructure, to reach TEFCA connectivity
  3. Share data with care sites beyond the athenahealth network through this broader connection

Scheduling Appointments And Automating Waitlist Management

athenaOne gives practices different tools for filling the schedule and cutting down on missed appointments. Set these up by following the steps below:

  1. Direct patients to book appointments through the patient portal, your practice website, or a link sent by email
  2. Confirm that automated two-way appointment reminders are turned on, so patients get alerts ahead of their visit
  3. Turn on AI-powered Waitlist Scheduling, so the system can notify patients of open appointments, even on the same day
  4. Let the waitlist tool scan your current patient waitlist and contact patients automatically to fill any spot that opens up from a cancellation

Patient Communication And Outreach

Beyond scheduling, athenaOne gives practices several tools for staying in touch with patients between visits, handling questions, and closing gaps in care. These include:

Two-Way Messaging And Inbound Communication

Patients can reach the practice and get help through two-way texting and phone calls, with AI support on the way to handle some of these conversations directly. To work with these tools:

  1. Use two-way texting to send messages to patients and receive their responses directly in athenaOne
  2. Handle inbound calls from patients through the same communication tools
  3. Plan for an AI assistant that will soon answer routine patient questions and direct patient inquiries to the right next step

Outreach And Care Reminders

athenaOne supports patient outreach. Care teams set up reminders or lists, so that practices can contact patients instead of waiting for them to call or message the practice first. Follow the steps below to use these tools:

  1. Send automated or targeted messages to patients to close gaps in care, such as overdue screenings or follow-up visits
  2. Use automated wellness outreach to send patients personalized reminders to schedule visits
  3. Use automated outreach to encourage follow-up visits and reduce gaps in care

Live Operator Support

Some patient requests need a real person rather than an automated tool. Here is how to use this feature:

  1. Route complex scheduling or payment requests to a live operator for real-time, personal support
  2. Use this option specifically for patients who need more help than text or portal tools can provide

Telehealth Visits

athenaOne also supports care delivered remotely, built directly into the platform rather than through a separate tool. To get started:

  1. Provide patients telehealth visits as an option for care, fully embedded within athenaOne
  2. Use telehealth visits to improve access to care and make better use of appointment availability

Managing Pre-Visit Check-In And Insurance Verification

Patients can complete much of the check-in process before arriving, while automated tools help verify information before the visit. The process works as follows:

  1. Instruct patients to log into the patient portal before their visit
  2. Have patients complete the self-check-in process by filling out the needed forms
  3. Confirm the accuracy of the details patients provide before the appointment happens
  4. Use AI support to extract and verify insurance information directly from a photo of the patient's insurance card
  5. Rely on this automated check to catch incorrect insurance details early and cut down on denials tied to coverage issues

Using Orders, Referrals, And Clinical Decision Support

athenaOne connects providers to a network of labs, imaging centers, and other providers for referrals and orders. It also provides clinical reference tools during patient visits. Here is how to navigate each part of this process:

  1. Open the orders and referrals module to submit a lab order or send a referral
  2. Confirm that the recipient, whether a lab, imaging center, or another provider, is part of athenaOne's network
  3. Run a prescription benefits check to compare medicine pricing and find lower cost alternatives for the patient
  4. Reference Epocrates, built directly into the encounter, to check for drug interactions and review dosing guidelines
  5. Watch for alerts during prescribing if Epocrates detects a potential interaction or contraindication based on the patient's current medications and conditions

Managing Billing, Claims, And Revenue Cycle Tasks

athenaOne pairs technology with expert support to handle billing, cut down on accounts receivable days, and build automation into the practice's collections process. The process goes as follows:

Insurance Verification Before Visits

athenaCollector checks a patient's eligibility before their visit so issues can get flagged early rather than at the front desk. Run this check by following the steps below:

  1. Open the patient's profile in athenaCollector before their scheduled visit
  2. Check the patient's eligibility to catch any claim errors before they happen
  3. Reach out to the patient directly if any details are missing or incorrect

Claim Submission And Scrubbing

Before a claim goes out, athenaOne runs it through an automated scrub to catch issues that commonly cause downstream problems. Here is how to submit a claim and review the results:

  1. Submit the claim once the encounter is complete
  2. Let the automated scrub check the claim and flag any issues
  3. Review claim alarms that help your team prioritize follow-ups and catch avoidable delays before they happen

Denial Management And Follow-Up

When a claim comes back denied, athenaOne provides guidance to help your billing team understand why and what to do next. Follow these steps to work through a denial:

  1. Open the denial and review the explanation of the likely issue, written in plain language
  2. Follow the recommended next step provided for that denial
  3. Use this guidance to resolve coding-related denials faster, rather than starting from scratch on each one

Medical Coding Support

athenaOne pairs a certified medical coding team with AI to help keep coding accurate, backed by third-party audits. Here is how that plays out during an encounter:

  1. Let athenaOne's AI-driven coding tool analyze the encounter and recommend the relevant medical codes
  2. Check and validate the recommended codes for accuracy before submission
  3. Use the EHR-generated suggestions to stay in line with coding compliance standards

Using Mobile Access for Clinical And Administrative Work

athenaOne extends beyond the desktop through its mobile app, where providers can access the same records, documentation tools, and inbox they use on the web from any location. Here is what the app covers and how to get started.

Mobile Documentation Basics

The athenaOne mobile app gives providers access to patient records and documentation tools from a mobile device, syncing directly with the same data used on the web. Here is how to login and begin working from the app:

  1. Log in with your athenahealth credentials to reach your personalized dashboard on mobile
  2. Manage your inbox and patient profiles directly from the mobile app
  3. Use the same templates and planning orders on mobile that you already use on the web version
  4. Document appointments on the go using the same macros and orders as the web platform
  5. Use athenaOne Dictation for speech-to-text documentation and the athenaOne Voice Assistant, powered by Nuance, for voice-enabled clinical workflows

Ambient Notes

Ambient Notes uses AI to listen in during a patient encounter and turn the conversation into a draft clinical note for the provider to review. This cuts down on time spent typing during the visit. To run a session from start to finish follow these steps:

  1. Open the patient encounter in the athenaOne mobile app and turn on Ambient Notes before the visit starts by tapping the "Start Ambient" icon
  2. Confirm and document patient consent before starting the recording
  3. Speak naturally with the patient during the visit as the ambient technology picks up the conversation
  4. Review the AI-generated draft note, suggested diagnoses, and orders after the visit ends
  5. Edit the note as needed, then sign it once the review is complete

Limitations Of athenaOne

athenaOne provides a strong feature set overall. Despite this, users point out several limitations in day-to-day use.

Even with its strengths, users sometimes note areas where certain parts feel restrictive or less adaptable in practice:

  • The document categories feel too limited, which can make it harder to find specific files quickly
  • The reporting tools may not be precise enough for more targeted needs
  • Previous diagnoses cannot always be carried forward from another provider’s encounter
  • The system may autopopulate a diagnosis even when a different option was intended
  • Check-in and check-out steps can add extra time to each visit
  • On-call case entry may default to the wrong provider instead of the responsible one
  • Notes from other providers can remain in the inbox until they are manually closed
  • Appointment reminders may not include enough instruction, such as when to arrive early

Even with these points, athenaOne remains a capable system with a broad feature set that supports clinical and administrative needs across many settings.

Ready To Get More From athenaOne?

athenaOne is a full platform that brings clinical, administrative, and financial tasks together in one system. Features such as patient engagement tools, mobile access, interoperability, and revenue cycle management support practices of many sizes and help improve patient outcomes.

Following the steps in this guide can help your practice get more value from athenaOne, supporting stronger revenue and fewer clinical errors along the way. For a closer look at how athenaOne compares with other vendors, along with reviews and expert insights, visit Software Finder.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

An EMR, or electronic medical record, holds a patient's medical history within a single practice. An EHR, or electronic health record, is the broader category, built to share patient data across multiple providers and care settings. Every EMR fits inside the EHR category, but EHR covers a wider range of capabilities, such as care coordination and data exchange between practices, rather than just charting within one office.

You may see athenaOne described as athena EMR or athena EHR. While athenaOne includes a broader suite of practice management and healthcare tools, many users still refer to it as an EMR or EHR because patient records and clinical workflows remain at the center of daily operations.

Yes. athenaOne runs as a single cloud-native system that brings clinical, financial, and patient engagement data together on one shared model, rather than relying on separate tools that need to be connected later.

Onboarding moves through four phases: reviewing your organization's needs, setting up your processes and configuration, training staff ahead of go-live, and ongoing support once you are live. Along the way, practices gather data such as staffing details, payer lists, and fee schedules, and set up a U.S. Bank account for revenue cycle work.

Yes. athenaOne connects to a network of labs, imaging centers, pharmacies, and referring providers for electronic data exchange, and it connects to the CommonWell Ellkay Platform for TEFCA connectivity, which extends data sharing to care sites beyond the athenahealth network.