DrChrono Medical Software Review
- DrChrono is an ideal medical software platform for small or new practices.
- DrChrono has four pricing tiers and levels of access that make it appropriate for practices of all types.
- DrChrono's drawbacks include limits on text and phone appointment reminders and the absence of an Android mobile app for doctors.
- This review is for owners and administrators of small or new medical practices who are considering DrChrono as their medical software provider.
DrChrono offers the most important medical software features – including patient charting, telehealth, scheduling, e-prescribing, patient reminders and performance reporting – with flexibility and pricing that are ideal for small and newly opened private medical practices. In fact, DrChrono's reasonable costs for the features it includes stand out so strongly that we named DrChrono our pick for the best medical software for new practices.
DrChrono Medical Software
The Verdict
DrChrono is excellent medical software for small and new practices because of its introductory tiers' low cost and extensive features. Larger practices can use it too, but some may feel hamstrung by the limits on text and phone appointment reminders.
DrChrono Editor's Score: 90/100
| Customization | 100 |
| Pricing | 100 |
| Reporting | 90 |
| Revenue cycle management | 90 |
| Patient reminders | 70 |
Why DrChrono Is Best for New Practices
DrChrono's introductory pricing tiers are highly affordable, yet the lower-priced packages don't mean new medical practices will lack the features they need to get started. Even at DrChrono's lowest tier, you get plenty of tools for scheduling, billing, patient charting, e-prescribing, patient reminders and reporting – everything you need for practice management. As such, you can get your office up and running without making a huge dent in your budget.
Key takeaway: DrChrono's low prices don't come at the cost of robust features.
Another reason DrChrono is a great choice for new practices is that the user interface is simple, especially on iOS devices, so first-time medical software users will face fewer obstacles while learning the ins and outs. DrChrono representatives are happy to assist your team with remote setup and implementation at no extra cost, and customer service is readily available long after your startup period. As a result, your practice will be completely equipped to serve your patients.
Pros
- DrChrono is highly affordable, but the low costs don't mean a lack of features.
- DrChrono offers free, hands-on setup assistance and extensive customer service.
Cons
- DrChrono sets limits on the number of text and phone patient reminders you can send without paying extra.
- DrChrono doesn't have an Android app for doctors.
Usability
When practices are choosing medical software, usability is often one of the top factors to consider. Based on our testing of the DrChrono platform, we found that it's highly user-friendly. Practitioners, nurses and front-office staff – even those who are uncomfortable with technology – should all be able to understand and navigate the program with minimal training.
You can reach all of the major applications from the top of the dashboard. These tabs include Schedule, Clinical, Patients, Reports, Billing, Account and Marketplace. Additionally, DrChrono's highest-level plan, Apollo Plus, includes revenue cycle management (RCM), which eliminates the navigational troubles that are common with medical billing software. And, of course, when you fully outsource your billing, you don't have to navigate confusing billing interfaces, making this another appealing (albeit more expensive) aspect of DrChrono.
DrChrono Features
Here are some of the features you get with DrChrono:
| Appointment scheduling | DrChrono's appointment scheduling suite is highly customizable and user-friendly, and includes real-time insurance eligibility checks. |
| Billing tools | DrChrono clearly indicates claims that have been created but not submitted while deftly scrubbing and coding claims, though not all plans include those tools. |
| Custom charts | DrChrono's customizable charts and templates vary by appointment type and, on an iPad, allow you to free-draw over patient diagnostic images. |
| Direct messaging | DrChrono's direct messaging suite enables secure patient communication, but it's not a substitute for email. |
| E-prescribing and labs | DrChrono's advanced e-prescribing tools are available with all plans other than the introductory Prometheus tier, which offers basic eRx. |
| Patient education tools | DrChrono offers patient education tools that cover numerous conditions and important medical advice. |
| Patient reminders | All DrChrono plans include patient reminders via email, phone, and text, but there are monthly maximums for the latter two types. |
| Revenue cycle management | DrChrono's RCM suite is expansive, but it's available only at DrChrono's highest price tier, Apollo Plus. |
| Reporting suite | DrChrono's highly customizable, filterable reports help you identify trends in your practice's financial performance and billing operations. |
Appointment Scheduling
DrChrono enables appointment scheduling through a standard calendar that can be viewed in a daily, weekly or monthly format. You can customize the calendar's columns to display specific practice locations, individual providers or other information.
The DrChrono appointment scheduling suite lets you book appointments in minutes, and as you do so, you can register new patients. This tool can come in handy for walk-in appointments, as you can immediately get these new patients into your system. The calendar's drag-and-drop view lets you reschedule appointments in a jiffy as well. If you need your calendar to indicate appointments by type, you can color-code them as needed.
DrChrono's scheduling suite can pair appointment types with the intake or consent forms patients need to complete. This pairing ensures patients are sent these forms after they book their appointments. As appointments approach, all DrChrono tiers except the entry-level plan (Prometheus) give you tools for checking patients' insurance eligibility in real time.
Although DrChrono can automate your patient appointment reminders, you can't send more than a preset maximum number of reminders when using phone or text, which is a disappointing limitation.
Billing Tools
DrChrono's billing tools save all clinical data and notes immediately after your encounter note is signed. After that, coders and medical billers can log in to DrChrono to scrub, code and file your medical claims.
The software also comes with extensive pending- and denied-claim tools. Each pending claim shows the claim's ID number, patient, payer, provider and value. Should you need to search for claims, these identifiers can act as filters. All pending claims also distinguish between the amount for which the claim has been billed and the amount paid.
The platform places a red exclamation mark next to claims your team has created but not yet filed. You'll also see clear indications of outstanding patient balances, and you can sort by 10 types of claim filters. These helpful filters include "ERA received," "in process at payer”" and "missing information."
Notably, these features are mostly absent from DrChrono's Prometheus and Hippocrates tiers, which prioritize electronic medical record (EMR) and practice management software over billing. However, you can create custom billing codes, auto-generated CMS 1500 forms, billing profiles and superbills with any tier.
Custom Charts
All DrChrono plans include customizable charts and templates. You can also use the system on an iPad to access free-drawing and text-addition capabilities that are ideal for marking a patient's diagnostic images as you please. Through this function, you can also take live images of your patient and draw on them. With the Hippocrates package and above, you get voice recording tools as well.
You can use DrChrono to load a different note-taking template for each appointment type. To do so, just click the Start Visit button after your patient checks in. You'll then see a note-taking template that matches your current appointment type.
All DrChrono charts also include tags known as patient flags. These color-coded tags include (but aren't limited to) the patient's insurer, statement balance, preferred lab provider and VIP patient status.
DrChrono's customizable charts overlap perfectly with your schedule, since you can also create custom appointment profiles. These start as templates that streamline your ability to add appointments and include medically relevant fields, such as the reason for the patient's visit. To optimize schedules, this tool can also set realistic time blocks for each appointment type.
Direct Messaging
All DrChrono tiers include direct messaging technology that lets you securely send patient documents and information. You can write and send these messages from the dashboard's messaging center or your patients' charts, but your communications will only reach other direct messaging platforms; DrChrono's direct messaging tools don't go to email inboxes.
E-Prescribing and Labs
Every DrChrono package includes the e-prescribing tools that come with all top EMR software, though the Prometheus level limits users to basic functions, including the following:
- Sending one, several or compound prescriptions
- Flagging potentially harmful interactions
- E-prescribing and detailing pharmacist instructions through fax, iPad or iPhone (no Android app for doctors)
- Searching for pharmacies based on a patient's location
- Reviewing a patient's full prescription history
Did you know?: If you need to use a mobile device for e-prescribing, you're limited to iOS. DrChrono doesn't offer an Android app for doctors.
The advanced DrChrono e-prescribing platform comes with tools for saving each provider's preferred prescriptions and pharmacies. If you want to secure your advanced e-prescribing software with electronic prescriptions for controlled substances (EPCS), you can do so with all tiers except the introductory one.
DrChrono gives you extensive lab ordering features, such as tools for favoriting frequently ordered tests. However, the Prometheus tier doesn't integrate with Labcorp and Quest Diagnostics.
Patient Education Tools
All DrChrono packages have patient education features, though the Prometheus tier doesn't include patient access to custom library tools. DrChrono's patient education suite spans both common and unusual conditions, plus important medical advice for before appointments or procedures.
Patient Reminders
DrChrono's patient reminder technology is included in every tier, but unfortunately, there are monthly maximums for how many text and phone reminders you can send.
- Prometheus: 100 reminders
- Hippocrates: 150 reminders
- Apollo: 300 reminders
- Apollo Plus: 600 reminders
If you need more than your plan allows, you'll need to pay 5 cents per text or 15 cents per phone call.
Did you know?: DrChrono limits the number of text and phone appointment reminders you can send each month before an extra per-reminder charge kicks in.
Revenue Cycle Management
DrChrono offers a solid suite of RCM services, but they're available only with the Apollo Plus plan. This tier includes the following RCM functions:
- Financial performance reports
- Patient collections and statements
- A claim status dashboard
- Coding
- Accounts receivable management
- A dedicated billing manager, billing specialist and account manager for your practice
Reporting Suite
DrChrono's reporting suite is quite comprehensive. You can use it to detect trends in financial performance and billing operations and react to them accordingly. All reports are fully customizable, and you can apply various filters.
If you're on the Apollo Plus plan and use DrChrono's RCM suite, you can easily view your claims reports, which show each claim's status in the billing process. Additionally, DrChrono's billers are indicated in the same places you'd typically see your staff biller listed. This structure gives you an unobstructed view of DrChrono's approach to your RCM.
DrChrono Costs
With the exception of the highest plan, DrChrono charges a flat fee per provider per month. Here's an overview of the pricing and features:
- Prometheus includes basic EMR and practice management tools and begins at $249 per provider per month.
- Hippocrates includes more in-depth EMR and practice management tools and begins at $349 per provider per month.
- Apollo incorporates medical billing software and starts at $599 per provider per month.
- Apollo Plus incorporates RCM and has the same structure as most medical billing services. That means you pay a preset percentage of your monthly collections instead of flat rates. Regardless of this percentage, DrChrono charges a minimum of $1,200 for this service, so you'll need a high billing volume to afford Apollo Plus.
To find the exact price your practice would pay, you may need to contact DrChrono for a custom quote. Before you do, we suggest looking closely at the plans on the vendor's website to learn more about the differences among the tiers. You can even try the platform before paying anything – DrChrono is one of the few medical software providers to offer a free trial. The 30-day trial period is an excellent opportunity for you to see if the software meets your needs and is easy to use.
DrChrono Setup
Setup typically takes four to eight weeks. We appreciate that no matter which package you purchase, you get thorough implementation and support tools, including the following:
- Free patient demographics importing
- A dedicated implementation contact and training team
- Data migration (although this costs an extra $30 per month for your first provider and $10 per month for each additional provider)
DrChrono Customer Service
With DrChrono, you get access to the following types of customer service:
- An online help center
- A dedicated account manager
- Periodic, proactive account checks
- Educational content linked to certain features
- Live chat on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET
This comprehensive customer support can prove especially beneficial for small or new practices or those that are new to medical software. However, on one occasion that we attempted to reach the company's sales team via the live chat tool, we never heard back. Another time, though, we received a response within two minutes.
DrChrono Drawbacks
Despite DrChrono's numerous benefits, the software has two downsides.
- Limited text and phone patient reminders: If you want the software to call or text your patients to remind them about their appointments, you'll face limits in doing so with all DrChrono tiers. These limits are especially low with the introductory plans.
- No Android app for doctors: DrChrono's mobile app for doctors is available only for iOS devices. If your providers and staff need access on Android devices, this can quickly become a problem. However, the DrChrono patient portal does have an Android app.
Methodology
We spent hours researching medical software. This process included software demonstrations, phone interviews and customer service calls, as well as analysis of customer service reviews available online, such as those listed on the Better Business Bureau website.
To thoroughly investigate DrChrono, we scoured its website for information, received a guided demo from company representatives and signed up for the vendor's free trial. We took similar steps for all of our medical software recommendations, as you can see in our review of Kareo and our CareCloud review.
When choosing the best medical software for new practices in particular, we compared the services' costs and essential features. We selected DrChrono as our top choice for new or small practices because it includes a robust set of tools for a low price.
DrChrono FAQs
What is DrChrono?
DrChrono is a medical software company that provides both EMR and practice management software to medical practices. This vendor also offers some of the best medical billing services, which can lessen your front-office staff's workload and potentially cut your costs.
Is DrChrono free?
DrChrono offers a 30-day free trial. After that, you'll have to pay to keep using the software, but you'll likely pay less than you would for similar platforms.
How much does DrChrono cost?
DrChrono's pricing plans begin at $249 per provider per month. In our research, we found this price to be especially low among medical software products.
Overall Value
We recommend DrChrono for ...
- New or small practices.
- Practices that need one integrated system for EMR, practice management and medical billing.
- Providers who like free-drawing on patients' diagnostic charts.
We don't recommend DrChrono for ...
- Practices that want to send large quantities of text and email appointment reminders.
- Doctors who need access to medical software on Android devices.
DrChrono Medical Software
The Verdict
DrChrono is excellent medical software for small and new practices because of its introductory tiers' low cost and extensive features. Larger practices can use it too, but some may feel hamstrung by the limits on text and phone appointment reminders.