The global orthopedic market expanded by 6.5% in 2023, reaching a valuation of $59 billion. In the USA alone, the orthopedic Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) market is expected to grow to $15 billion by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.6% expected from 2025 to 2030. This surge reflects the growing demand for specialized orthopedic care, driven by an aging population and a rise in sports-related injuries.
To meet this growing demand, small orthopedic practices must adopt efficient solutions to streamline patient care, ensure compliance, and reduce administrative burdens. Specialty-tailored Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems are becoming essential, offering orthopedic-specific templates, advanced imaging tools, and seamless integrations.
This article will explore the five best EMRs for orthopedics, providing insights into their features, pricing, and benefits to help you make an informed choice.
Our Top Picks
DrChrono EHR – Praised for its mobile EHR and practice management solutions
athenahealth – Renowned for improving patient engagement
RXNT - Well known for its e-prescription and patient engagement tools
PrognoCIS - Prominent for its telemedicine solutions
Criteria For Selecting An Orthopedic EMR System
Choosing an orthopedic EMR system requires careful consideration to match the unique needs of small practices. Key factors include:
Functionality: Look for orthopedic-specific features like surgical planning, imaging integrations, and rehab tracking
Usability: Choose systems with intuitive interfaces to reduce staff training time
Cost: Balance upfront costs with subscription models to fit your budget
Support And Training: Ensure access to reliable customer support and training resources
Interoperability: Opt for systems that integrate smoothly with billing, labs, and imaging tools
By focusing on these factors, small practices can find an EMR system that boosts productivity and optimizes operations.
Best EHR/EMR For Orthopedic Practices - At A Glance
Software Name
Free Trial
Monthly Cost
Billing Automation
Claim Management
EHR Integration
Customizable Templates
Patient Portal
Telemedicine Options
Training
DrChrono
✅
Custom
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
athenahealth
❌
Custom
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
NextGen
❌
Custom
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
RXNT
❌
Starting Price: $110/month/provider
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
PrognoCIS
✅
Starting Price: $280/month
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
✅
DrChrono
DrChrono is a fully integrated platform that combines EHR, medical billing, practice management, and telehealth services to cater to the needs of several medical specialties, including orthopedics and sports medicine. The cloud-based orthopedic EHR software offers several features, including appointment scheduling, patient engagement, and medical billing to enhance workflows and boost productivity of clinics.
Some of the noteworthy features of DrChrono include:
Free Draw: Allows providers to annotate diagrams, x-rays, and other images directly within the patient’s chart, enhancing the clarity of documentation and improving patient understanding
Revenue Cycle Management: Handles billing, claims submission, and payment posting, ensuring a high clean claims rate and accelerating the revenue collection process for practices
Outcomes Tracking: Enables providers to monitor patient progress over time using customizable metrics, helping to improve patient care
Telemedicine Visits: Allows healthcare providers to conduct virtual appointments directly from the EHR, enhancing accessibility for patients and streamlining the continuity of care
Customizable views to efficiently manage appointment slots
Settings can be challenging to locate
Frequent crashes and updates disrupt usability
Takes several minutes to open notes
How Much Does DrChrono Cost?
The vendor offers the following four pricing plans with custom pricing options for each:
Prometheus – EHR and practice management
Hippocrates – Advanced EHR and practice management
Apollo – EHR, practice management, and medical billing software
Apollo Plus – EHR, practice management, and revenue cycle management services
athenahealth
athenahealth is a cloud-based healthcare system that offers several solutions, including EHR, patient engagement, and revenue cycle management. Designed for various medical specialties, athenahealth excels in providing customized orthopedic practice management solutions. It caters to various medical challenges by streamlining administrative tasks and ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations.
The following are some of its best features:
Transparent Billing: Provides clear and detailed billing information, enhancing financial transparency and building patient trust
Custom Outreach Campaigns: Enables healthcare organizations to engage patients through personalized communications, boosting patient engagement and improving care outcomes
Claims Management: Simplifies the claims process, ensuring faster, more accurate submissions and reducing claim denials, enhancing revenue cycle efficiency
Tailored Documentation: Allows practitioners to customize clinical documentation templates to fit their specific needs, improving documentation accuracy and clinical workflow efficiency
Pros
Cons
Offers extensive customization for reports, letters, and templates
Simplifies patient care management with athenaOne
Robust analytics enable informed and data-driven decisions
Step-by-step training ensures smooth onboarding
Cannot copy reasons for visits between providers
Notes may be lost when navigating between chart entries
Reimbursement funds are routed through a separate bank
How Much Does athenahealth Cost?
The software offers custom pricing plans that can be tailored according to the needs and preferences of healthcare clinics.
NextGen
NextGen Healthcare is a cloud-based EHR and practice management solution. The platform is accessible via web and mobile applications, ensuring flexibility and ease of use for healthcare providers. Specifically designed for various specialties, including orthopedics, NextGen stands out for its specialty-specific features.
Here are some of the top NextGen features for orthopedic practices:
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Enhances clinical decision-making and improve patient outcomes through predictive analytics and automated insights
Financial Management: Streamlines billing and revenue cycle processes, helping practices optimize financial performance and reduce administrative burden
Online Scheduling: Allows patients to book appointments conveniently, improving patient satisfaction and reducing no-shows with automated reminders
Workflow Optimizer: Saves time with orthopedic-specific HPIs, physical exams, assessments, and care plans and easily manages surgery scheduling with a workflow designed for orthopedics
Pros
Cons
User-friendly design for patient registration
Hassle-free alert system with procedure-specific analytics
Efficiently tracks claim denials
Patients can review health records
Lacks customization options
Labs require excessive clicking to submit
Inaccurate error messages in case of missing data
How Much Does NextGen Cost?
NextGen software pricing depends on the number of transactions processed with no additional costs. It offers flexible plans based on your clinical practice’s size and needs
RXNT
RXNT is another top orthopedic EMR and practice management solution that provides several healthcare tools for practices of all sizes. The cloud-based software offers a fully integrated platform that includes EHR, electronic prescribing (eRx), patient engagement, revenue cycle management, and telehealth services.
Some of its top-selling features include:
Electronic Prescribing: Allows providers to send prescriptions directly to pharmacies, reducing errors and improving medication management for patients
Patient Portal: Enables patients to access their health records, communicate with their providers, and manage appointments online, improving patient engagement and satisfaction
Charting: Offers customizable templates and efficient documentation tools, optimizing clinical workflows and improving the accuracy of patient records
Intake And Consent Forms: Allows patients to complete necessary paperwork online, reducing administrative workload and enhancing the patient onboarding process
Pros
Cons
Automatically fills out patient demographics
Saved medications are accessible across the network
Easy to add patients and archive pharmacies
Charting templates provide access to diverse patient data
Unable to note or delete deceased or moved-away patients
Telehealth capabilities can be improved
Requires users to open separate tabs to perform each task
How Much Does RXNT Cost?
The vendor offers the following four RXNT pricing plans:
Full Suite – $298/month/provider
PM Bundle – $193/month/provider
EHR Bundle – $110/month/provider
E-Prescribing – $665/year/provider
PrognoCIS
PrognoCIS is a cloud-based healthcare software that helps medical practices in overcoming several challenges, including complex clinical workflows, patient data management, regulatory compliance, and billing inefficiencies. Designed for several medical specialties, including orthopedics, the software’s integrated platform ensures seamless information exchange for efficient communication and optimal diagnosis.
Here are some of the best features of PrognoCIS:
Diagnostic Testing Templates: Simplifies the documentation process for diagnostic tests by offering various templates like arthrography, computed tomography, and discography
Medical Billing: Automates billing processes, reduces errors, and improves revenue cycle management, ensuring timely and accurate claims submissions
Communication: Facilitates secure messaging between providers and patients, improving patient engagement and care coordination
Voice Recognition: Allows for hands-free documentation, increasing efficiency and reducing the time spent on data entry during patient visits
Pros
Cons
Mobile EMR enables charting home visits on the go
Customizable features tailored to the medical group’s needs
Patient portal provides access to medical records
Direct lab results from Quest and LabCorp to medical records
Multiple clicks needed for claim creation and submission
Some patients have complained about not receiving reminders
Adding procedures and orders to office visits might be time-consuming
How Much Does PrognoCIS Cost?
The starting price of the software is $280/month. The vendor offers custom pricing quotes based on the preferences, size, and requirements of healthcare companies.
Your Path To Better Care Starts With The Right EMR
Selecting the right orthopedic electronic health record (EHR) system is crucial for small practices aiming to boost revenues by optimizing clinical operations. By considering specific needs such as functionality, cost, and usability, practices can choose a system that best aligns with their goals. It's important to evaluate different options thoroughly before making a final decision.
For more information on top-rated orthopedics EMR solutions, visit Software Finder to explore your options. We’re here to help you make the best choice for your practice.
