Meditech vs Cerner: What Is The Top EMR choice?

MEDITECH EHR Software | MEDITECH
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Starting Monthly Price: Custom

Best for: Ambulatory and Acute Care

Mobile App: iOS, Android

Starting Monthly Price: Custom

Best for: Multi-Specialty

Mobile App: iOS, Android

As healthcare providers increasingly seek more efficient and functional electronic medical record (EMR) systems, the demand for seamless integration, regulatory compliance, and enhanced patient care continues to rise. Meditech and Cerner are two leading EMR providers, offering comprehensive solutions catering to various healthcare organizations. 

In this comparison, we will explore each platform’s key features and advantages to help you decide which EMR best suits your practice’s current and future needs. 

Meditech Vs. Cerner: Head-On Comparison

Meditech, Best in KLAS 2024 for Patient Accounting & Patient Management for small and midsize healthcare, is a comprehensive healthcare IT platform designed to meet the needs of hospitals and health systems of all sizes. It offers integrated solutions for electronic medical records (EMR), revenue cycle management, and clinical decision support.

Moreover, Meditech is well-regarded for its interoperability features, which enables seamless data exchange across different healthcare settings. It is particularly suitable for small—to mid-sized healthcare organizations looking for cost-effective and customizable EMR solutions. 

Cerner, now Oracle, is the second-largest U.S. EHR vendor by market share, serving 24.9% acute care hospitals and 25.8% beds as of 2022. It provides a wide range of solutions, including EMR, practice management, and population health management. Cerner is known for its advanced analytics, patient engagement tools, and comprehensive data-driven insights. Large hospitals and health systems particularly favor it due to its scalability and ability to integrate various aspects of patient care management. 

Both platforms are recognized for their contributions to healthcare IT. They offer powerful tools to improve operational efficiency, patient care, and compliance with regulatory standards. 

Meditech Vs. Cerner: At A Glance

Feature 

Meditech 

Cerner 

Patient Engagement Tools 

  • Self-appointment scheduling 
  • Patients self-check-in using Virtual Care
  • Proxy access for families 
  • Secure messaging 
  • Interact with current patients 
  • Engage members from wider community 
  • Electronic health record (EHR) systems 
  • Population health management systems 

Revenue Cycle Management 

  • Consumer-friendly 
  • Accurate billing statements 
  • Online tools to settle co-payments and balances 
  • Support exchange 
  • Individual billing 
  • Group billing 
  • ASO billing (including stop-loss insurance) 
  • HIPAA-compliant cloud solution 

Practice Management 

  • A unified patient portal across all care settings 
  • 24/7 access to book appointments 
  • Care management resources 
  • Contactless check-in 
  • Virtual visits
  • Scheduling 
  • Registration 
  • Patient tracking 
  • Patient accounting 
  • Patient engagement 
  • Reporting 

Integrations 

  • Bi-directional data exchange through HL7 FHIR 
  • Powerful interfaces for submitting and receiving orders and results to/from labs and other systems 
  • Automated results notifications 
  • External connectors for secure EHR-to-EHR data sharing 
  • Application integration and low-code automation 
  • Process Automation 
  • API full lifecycle management 
  • Oracle GoldenGate Kafka and event streaming 

Mobile Access 

  • Mobile application for android and iOS 
  • Mobile application for android and iOS 

AI-Powered Tools 

  • Reduce cognitive burden using AI application integrated in the Meditech system
  • Generative AI at Oracle, AI solutions hub with a 30-day free trial 

Support 

  • Live chat
  • Live chat and call

Pricing

  • Customized
  • Customized 

Security and Compliance 

  • HIPAA, encryption technologies 
  • Access controls 
  • Audit trails 
  • Monitoring and mitigation with Cloud Guard 
  • Security Zones 
  • Vulnerability Scanning 
  • Cloud Guard Threat Detector 
  • Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Identity 
  • Access Management 
  • Network Firewall 
  • Key Management 

Telehealth 

  • Video visits 
  • Virtual On Demand Care
  • Offers urgent care appointments to both new and existing patients 
  • Enterprise-level video visits 
  • Oracle Health Scheduled Video Visits 
  • Oracle Health Remote Patient Monitoring 
  • Digital therapeutics 

Meditech Vs. Cerner: Pros And Cons

MEDITECH EHR Software | MEDITECH
Pros Icon Pros
  • Specialty-specific workflows
  • Advanced clinical analytics
  • Simplified appointment scheduling
  • Easy-to-navigate interface
  • Responsive customer support team
Cons Icon Cons
  • Limited customizability for certain features
  • Challenges with system updates
  • Occasional issues with interoperability
Cerner Vector Logo | Free Download - (.SVG + .PNG) format ...

 

Pros Icon Pros
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Strong interoperability
  • Comprehensive clinical documentation tools
  • Efficient patient charting
  • Customizable to meet organizational needs
Cons Icon Cons
  • Complex system, requiring training for users
  • System performance can slow down
  • Challenges with navigating certain features

Meditech Vs. Cerner: Side By Side Comparison

Meditech and Cerner are two of the most prominent EMR systems, each offering a robust set of features designed to support healthcare organizations in different ways. Below is a comparison of five key features that will help you determine the best system for your practice's needs:

Patient Portal

Meditech allows patients to access their health records, schedule appointments, and communicate securely with providers. It emphasizes easy navigation and direct access to test results, upcoming visits, and patient forms.

Cerner, integrated with its HealtheLife solution, offers a more comprehensive approach as it allows patients to manage their health by accessing lab results, medications, and even securely sharing health data across platforms. It also includes telehealth options for remote care.

Winner: Cerner offers a broader range of patient engagement tools, making it ideal for larger health systems.

Interoperability

Meditech focuses on strong interoperability through its Expanse platform, enabling smooth data exchange with other health systems via FHIR, HL7, and direct messaging. This supports enhanced care coordination across various healthcare settings.

Cerner is known for its extensive interoperability capabilities, offering seamless integration with external systems through its CareAware platform. It allows for broad data sharing with thousands of health systems nationwide and connects with other applications via open APIs.

Winner: Cerner takes the lead with its wide-reaching, nationally adopted interoperability framework.

Appointment Scheduling

Meditech offers a flexible scheduling module that allows patients to easily book appointments and integrates with clinical workflows. It ensures a streamlined scheduling process for providers and patients alike.

Cerner provides advanced tools, including dynamic decision-making based on patient preferences and provider availability. It also integrates with its wider practice management system for comprehensive scheduling.

Winner: Cerner's advanced scheduling system, with decision-support features, stands out for larger and more complex healthcare organizations.

Revenue Cycle Management

Meditech includes a built-in revenue cycle management (RCM) system that integrates billing, claims, and collections, enabling healthcare providers to optimize financial performance. It is particularly designed for smaller to mid-sized healthcare organizations looking for an all-in-one solution.

Cerner is designed to handle the complex needs of large health systems, offering comprehensive billing, claims, and collections management. It includes features like cost estimation and real-time claims adjudication.

Winner: Cerner wins for its scalability and the ability to handle high-volume, complex revenue cycles in large health systems.

Telehealth

Meditech offers integrated telehealth services within its Expanse platform, allowing patients to connect with providers via secure video visits. It integrates with the patient portal for seamless use.

Cerner offers a more extensive telehealth solution, incorporating virtual care tools within its platform, enabling remote consultations, home health monitoring, and continuous care management through telemedicine.

Winner: It is a tie; both offer comprehensive telehealth capabilities and home health integration and are suited for large health networks.

Meditech vs. Cerner: Pricing Plans

Cerner and Meditech both offer tailored pricing plans to meet the unique needs and scale of the healthcare organizations using them. This means neither platform has a one-size-fits-all price model but offers a customized pricing structure based on factors such as the size of the healthcare facility, the specific modules or features required, and the level of technical support needed. 

Meditech vs. Cerner: What Users Have To Say?

Meditech users appreciate the system’s affordability and customizable features, making it an attractive choice for smaller healthcare organizations. Reviewers highlight its user-friendly interface, which simplifies patient charting and streamlines administrative workflows. However, some users have mentioned that its reporting tools can be difficult to navigate, and updates are sometimes slow to implement. 

Cerner, on the other hand, is praised for its solid functionality, particularly in large health systems. Users commend its strong interoperability features and comprehensive data analytics, which help enhance clinical decision-making. Some users have reported that the system’s complexity can make it time-consuming to learn and the platform's cost may be prohibitive for smaller practices. 

Any Good Alternatives To Meditech And Cerner

While Meditech and Cerner are highly respected EMR platforms, there are numerous alternatives that may offer better solutions depending on the size, specialty, and budget of your healthcare practice. Below is a list of alternative EMR systems that are worth exploring to meet your organization’s unique needs:

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Right EMR System for Your Practice

Meditech and Cerner (now Oracle Health) offer robust EMR solutions with unique strengths. Meditech excels in affordability and simplicity, making it ideal for small to mid-sized healthcare organizations, while Cerner’s powerful interoperability and advanced analytics are tailored for larger, complex health systems. 

Ultimately, your choice should depend on the size of your organization, desired features, and long-term goals. Consider conducting a detailed assessment of your needs, including clinical workflow, integration requirements, and scalability, to determine the best fit for your practice.