AdvancedMD EHR Review

• AdvancedMD is a comprehensive platform with a wide range of tools and customization options.
• While extremely powerful, AdvancedMD remains reasonably priced at $729 per provider, per month for a unified EMR/PMS system.
• Useful add-on features are available with AdvancedMD for an additional fee; however, some of these features come standard on other systems we reviewed.
• This article is for healthcare organizations considering implementing AdvancedMD's medical software.

AdvancedMD is our best pick for an electronic medical record (EMR)/practice management software (PMS) solution because it combines a comprehensive clinical platform with effective practice management software and a billing solution at a competitive cost. It is built to scale with a medical practice as it grows, making it a flexible solution that can serve the needs of a wide range of specialties. AdvancedMD also offers multiple pricing models, including the standard per-provider, per-month model and a unique encounter-based model that makes the software suite more affordable for small practices. Additionally, the company has three different implementation tiers, ranging from limited configuration to comprehensive, one-on-one training. 

We chose AdvancedMD from a pool of dozens of EMR/PMS systems. To learn more about our full methodology and for a more comprehensive list of EMR/PMS solutions, see our Best Medical Software picks page.

Editor's note: Looking for an electronic medical records system? Fill out the questionnaire below and our vendor partners will contact you with more information.

Pricing

AdvancedMD offers one of the most flexible pricing models we encountered. It offers the standard "per provider, per month" model for its integrated EMR/PMS software, as well as an encounter-based program for low-volume practices.

The first model starts at $729 per provider, per month, which includes the EMR/PMS platform. This package, called Rhythm, avails practices to everything the platform has to offer, save for the company's medical billing services. The subscription model can also be applied to a stand-alone medical practice management software – without the EMR system component – for $429 per provider, per month.

The encounter-based model is more suitable for practices that don't generate many monthly claims. This plan starts at $2.18 per encounter and carries a $500 monthly minimum. Unlike the subscription model, the encounter-based plan applies regardless of how many providers a practice maintains – it is instead based on how many patients a practice sees and how many claims it generates. This makes it a good choice for practices that see about 230 patients per month, giving small practices with a low volume of claims the ability to use AdvancedMD's powerful platform.

Several features are considered "add-ons" with AdvancedMD, some of which are included in the base pricing of other EMR/PMS platforms. These include:

• Appointment reminders
• Insurance eligibility
• Credit card processing
• E-prescribing of controlled substances
• Electronic faxing
• Laboratory interfaces

Medical practices that also need outsourced medical billing can utilize AdvancedMD's revenue cycle management services. These services include access to the company's full software suite and cost 4% to 8% of monthly collections.

Key takeaway: AdvancedMD starts at $729 per provider, per month for an integrated EMR/PMS system. A stand-alone medical practice management software is available for $429 per provider, per month.

Ease of Use

AdvancedMD requires a significant learning curve. With some training, however, users can navigate the clean, well-organized user interface and make deft use of the many shortcuts and custom workflows available.

The biggest challenge associated with using AdvancedMD is learning all of the shortcuts, the multiple ways of achieving a task, and using the custom templates. While these features are useful in streamlining daily operations, they do require training. AdvancedMD provides one-on-one guided training to help get staff up to speed quickly.

AdvancedMD's user interface is sleek and intuitive, it is simply the plethora of features and navigation options that make the learning curve steep.

Key takeaway: AdvancedMD has a significant learning curve due to its lengthy slate of features. However, with training, your team should be able to quickly and effectively use the system.

EMR Features

AdvancedMD's EMR system offers a wide range of tools that can help providers streamline clinical encounters. Here's a look at the key features we reviewed.

Dashboard

The dashboard can be configured for each user, and features access to both administrative and clinical data, provided the user has permission to access that data.

AdvancedMD incorporates a feature known as "donut filters" to offer information about various performance indicators at a glance. Named for their circular shape, donut filters are visualizations of specific data or tasks. For example, clicking on the Messages donut filter brings up your inbox, while the HealthWatcher donut allows you to review patients who require recurring visits, perhaps for a chronic condition. Through the HealthWatcher donut, you can set recurring appointments, take additional notes about the patient, and send out automated appointment reminders by email, text, or phone.

Calendar

AdvancedMD's appointment scheduler is very easy to use and color-coded for quick reference. On the left side of the screen, you can select the locations and providers you would like to view on the calendar. The providers and/or locations appear in columns across the calendar. You can set the calendar to daily, weekly or monthly view, and different appointment types can be color-coded by user preference. Additional filters can be customized and added to the system during the implementation phase if your practice requires them.

For a quick view of patient information, you hover over a patient's name on the calendar view. A pop-up box displays the patient's name, address, insurance and more. You can review notes associated with recent appointments and information about the patient's upcoming appointment. AdvancedMD's waitlist feature allows staff to set time slots to automatically fill based on patient preference in the event of a cancellation or reschedule.

Charting, E-Prescribing and Coding

If a nurse takes a patient's vitals in the exam room, that information is available to the doctor during the patient's exam. When the doctor arrives, they can view the patient's card (essentially a face sheet), which displays their basic information, insurance provider, vitals, a summary of recent healthcare plans, medications, allergies and recent lab results.

Under the list of current and historic medications, doctors can electronically prescribe new medications or order refills on existing prescriptions. The system flags any potential interactions between medications or patient allergies. AdvancedMD integrates with Surescripts to check patient insurance and confirm which medications they've had filled within the past year, as well as with DrFirst for the electronic prescription of controlled substances.

There are templates for specific appointment types, creating a unique note based on the reason for the patient's visit. Templates are customizable to suit each provider's personal preferences and can be added to with text, hotkeys or voice dictation.

Favorited medication or lab results can be tied to specific diagnoses. AdvancedMD offers recommendations based on your typical treatment plans. For example, if you prescribe a specific medication alongside a urinalysis lab test for a diabetic patient, you can bookmark this plan and quickly select it for each diabetic patient you see. This information can also be modified after it is pulled into a patient's chart in case the encounter is unique in some way.

AdvancedMD includes a full library of ICD-10 codes you can quickly search and import from a list. If you don't know the code offhand, you can search by the name of the condition or diagnosis. Once the note is filled out completely, it can be locked and sent on to the billing team for charge entry and submission to payers.

Key takeaway: AdvancedMD offers one of the most comprehensive EMR systems we reviewed, including tools for charting, e-prescribing, and communications with other healthcare providers.

Medical Practice Management Features

AdvancedMD's medical practice management software offers powerful tools for both the front and back office. Here are the key features we reviewed.

Appointment scheduling

Setting a new appointment is as simple as clicking in an open time slot under the appropriate provider or location. You can select an existing patient or register a new one without leaving the scheduler. You can select the location, provider and appointment type. To reschedule appointments, you simply drag and drop them to an open time slot. You can also run batch or individual insurance eligibility verification checks to ensure your patients are still covered before their visit. On the provider side, you can view a daily snapshot that shows you which appointments are assigned to you in which locations.

Directly in the appointment scheduler, front-office staff can run a batch or individual insurance eligibility verification check prior to the patient's appointment. This displays the status of their insurance policy, as well as estimates for copayments, out-of-pocket expenses and prior authorizations.

Office staff can place pending appointments on a waitlist based on the dates and times a patient is available. If a slot fitting that criteria opens up, the appointment is automatically be set. Office staff, providers and patients will be notified. That appointment will then be tied to automatic appointment reminders via phone, text and email.

Medical Billing

AdvancedMD's billing module allows staff to effectively manage the revenue cycle of your medical practice, efficiently create and code claims, and, ideally, capture more money from payers. AdvancedMD integrates with Waystar and TriZetto clearinghouses, the fees for which are included in the subscription price of the software.

AdvancedMD maintains a complete ICD-10 diagnosis code library, plus a library of CPT codes. When a provider signs a clinical note in the EMR system, charges are automatically posted to the billing module. When billing in-house, medical billers can review the charges and the coding to ensure they are correct. After making any necessary revisions, they put the claims through AdvancedMD's scrubbing tool and submit them to payers through the partner clearinghouses. Billers can also manage denied or rejected claims in the practice management software, along with any relevant communications from payers.

AdvancedMD also integrates with credit card processors to enable copays and payments of outstanding balances.

Reporting

AdvancedMD's advanced reporting module grants data-driven insights into your practice's performance and patients' clinical data. The full reporting module is called AdvancedInsight.

Specifically related to the practice management software is the reporting module's financial dashboard, which shows details about claims generated, claims paid, days in accounts receivable and more. Like most dashboards in AdvancedMD, the financial dashboard is highly customizable and can be configured to show the most useful widgets on an individual user basis. The data is packaged in color-coded visualizations, such as bar graphs and pie charts, making it digestible at a glance. You can also create custom reports and set them to run daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annually.

Key takeaway: AdvancedMD's medical practice management software features an extensive reporting module, as well as tools that help improve medical coding and billing.

Implementation and Training

In previous reviews, AdvancedMD offered a tiered implementation package, starting a $1,995 for the most basic option. Since the company has eliminated the low-cost tiers, opting instead to offer a comprehensive implementation and training package that costs approximately $5,000 depending on the specific circumstances, a sales representative told Business News Daily. This implementation package includes:

• A dedicated account manager
• Provider credentialing with payers
• Managed data migration
• 20 hours of one-on-one training
• Online training courses
• Custom system configuration (custom workflows, templates, macros, etc.)
• Post-launch consultation

The implementation process typically takes between 8 and 11 weeks from the time a practice's insurance credentials are received. Following the implementation and training period, practices retain access to self-guided training materials for future reference.

The startup cost of AdvancedMD's implementation is significant, especially compared with some other systems in our review that include implementation in the subscription price. However, it is a relatively comprehensive implementation and training package that checks all the major boxes.

Key takeaway: AdvancedMD's implementation and training are extensive and relatively quick, albeit somewhat costly.

Limitations

AdvancedMD recently eliminated its low-cost tiers of implementation packages, meaning practices must meet a somewhat high upfront cost to adopt the platform. On one hand, this might make the system cost-prohibitive to smaller practices on a budget that are not suitable for the encounter-based program. On the other hand, moving toward a more comprehensive implementation package means every practice adopting the system has adequate training to effectively navigate the platform.

Additionally, the learning curve of AdvancedMD is significant. While it is our best pick overall, there are more intuitive products out there. The user interface is navigable and many of the tools are clearly marked; however, to make the best use of the system requires an understanding of available shortcuts and tools like templates, macros, hotkeys and more. Training during the implementation period is a must, and your staff will likely need to reference self-guided training materials well after the go-live date before they're proficient with the system.

Editor's note: Looking for an electronic medical records system? Fill out the questionnaire below and our vendor partners will contact you with more information.