To combat the typical problems with Electronic Medical Billing Software, athenahealth came into play and has introduced a novel solution to the issues. The athena health EMR plan includes an Electronic Medical Record or EMR. The software is supposed to offer all the advantages of both an inpatient chart and outpatient data in one convenient package. In a nutshell, it allows doctors and other health care professionals to make and share electronic health care records easily. But are there any cons?
Pros and Cons of Electronic Medical Billing Software
There have been several articles written about this software. Most write about the pros and cons.
Pros
One of the pros is that athena EMR cost provides a higher level of functionality than its competitors, which is a significant selling point for the company. Cons include a higher price tag, but this is offset by the added functionalities.
Athena has been testing a beta version of their top EHR systems. This software still needs some tweaks, but many of the significant issues have been addressed. According to their website, the pros and cons of athena health EMR can be summed up in three words: convenience, versatility, and service.
Athena software is designed to improve workflow, productivity, and accuracy. Athenahealth EMR adds a new process for physicians to handle their patients’ records and provides improved patient care at lower costs.” The verdict on these pros and cons seems to be good, though.
The verdict on athena health software’s pros and cons is also good. According to “The New York Times,” athena health “provides doctors and other health professionals with a streamlined, easy-to-use way to manage patients’ records at a lower cost. In addition, it simplifies the storage, retrieval, and transmission of medical information. Its online version lets patients see the records of a single individual at a time. It is simple to use, yet it provides access to all information.” This verdict seems like a resounding yes!
Cons
However, there are some cons associated with athenahealth EMR that may hurt the revenue cycle of this software.
The biggest con is that the software is not yet offered in all states. However, in those states where it is available, it has received high praise from medical experts and consumers alike. One of the biggest con complaints about the software is that it lacks a patient portal. According to “The New York Times,” athena EMR reviews, it does not have an efficient portal that allows doctors to find patients and enter patient information into the computer easily. The portal would have allowed doctors and patients to share more personal information. This information may include demographic information, immunization records, lab reports, etc. Doctors might not be able to readily find a patient or may not be able to complete a needed test due to a lack of access to vital information.
Another con of athena billing software is that it does not support some billing procedures. If the business is expanding the number of patients being managed, athena medical billing can’t accommodate changing procedures in the future. Also, Athena's top EMR company is not flexible enough for smaller offices that don’t have the staff to add a patient portal to the software at a later date. The athena medical billing system cannot handle more than three different forms of electronic billing at the same time. This limitation has potentially harmed the revenue cycle of athena ehr.
Final Thoughts!
Some of these pros and cons remain undecided at this time. However, athena electronic medical records is looking at adding newer functionalities as soon as January 1st, which would give them some time to evaluate how well the new system works. If the results look positive, then adding this functionality could mean more revenue for athena healthcare and possibly an expansion of services. In the meantime, at least we know that the best EMR has some good points and bad points, but the jury is still out on whether or not Athena EMR is right for medical billing. Only time will tell.
