Top physician software systems for modern practices

Physician software refers to a broad category of digital tools that help doctors run efficient, compliant, and patient-centered practices. While electronic health record (EHR) systems and electronic medical record (EMR) systems are central to most workflows, physician software also encompasses scheduling platforms, telehealth, medical billing tools, clinical decision support, and patient engagement systems.

In this article, we’re exploring the top physician software systems for physicians, with a focus on EHR systems that are reliable, efficient, and user-friendly. 

As a core component of physician software, EHR systems provide immediate access to comprehensive patient health information. Some of the key benefits of integrated physician software include informed decision-making and better care coordination. 

With up-to-date and complete patient data, captured in real time, clinicians can:

Streamlined billing and coding processes, together with faster patient information retrieval, helps physicians manage their practices more efficiently. EHR-based physician software is also a safer way to store information compared to paper records. With built-in robust security measures to safeguard data, modern physician software complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other regulatory requirements. 

As regulatory requirements become stricter, patient expectations evolve, and the need for operational efficiency grows, it’s more important than ever to implement effective medical software.

EHRs, as a central element of physician software, are crucial to:

While EHRs are essential, modern physician software often combines EHR with billing, scheduling, patient communications, and reporting tools. As the market for physician software continues to evolve, several solutions have emerged as leaders in meeting medical practices’ diverse needs. 

Let’s explore some of the top physician software platforms, including their key strengths and features.

Epic is widely recognized for its comprehensive and scalable physician software, which hospitals and large healthcare organizations primarily use. 

Key strengths:

The extensive array of features can pose a challenge for physicians to fully grasp. Reviews mention the need for external adoption tools and a structured educational program to effectively train teams. 

Cerner is a long-standing player in the physician software market, and offers strong integration capabilities for mid- to large-sized practices and hospitals.

This enterprise physician software platform has a large customer base and offers bespoke integrations and third-party plugins via Cerner’s application programming interface (API). Cerner enables clinicians to rapidly document patient encounters by using templates and workflows to streamline the process, reduce errors, and save time. 

Key strengths:

Cerner is easy to use and a popular platform for coordination and communication across the care team. This physician software is best suited for any hospital or large organization with multiple sites.

Due to its complex, modular design and extensive features, Cerner is not as user friendly as some other physician software options.

Athenahealth provides cloud-based solutions that are easy to use and cater to the needs of small and mid-sized practices. 

In addition, Athenahealth provides a customer success manager and live support agents to onboard teams and deliver ongoing end-user support.

Key strengths:

This physician software platform is most suitable for small practices and medium organizations. Athenahealth customers must use its revenue cycle management services.

‍eClinicalWorks provides a comprehensive physician software solution tailored to meet the complex requirements of medium to large medical practices with multiple physicians and locations. 

Key strengths:

It’s worth noting that the EHR-only plan does not include practice management or billing implementation services.

Tebra offers a comprehensive physician software platform designed specifically for private practices, combining EHR functionality with additional features to support billing and payments, practice growth, and patient engagement.

Key strengths:

Tebra’s physician software is modern, cloud-based, and ONC-certified with integrated billing, telehealth, and e-prescribing and eLab-ordering workflows. Its breadth of services (which include patient experience and marketing tools) meets practices where they are in their business lifecycle.

Tebra’s industry-leading physician software is built for private practices and was designed by healthcare providers. Write a note, prescribe a medication, view electronic medical records, and create a superbill in just minutes. Full customer service and training support is free of charge. 

Tebra’s EHR is built for independent practices and was designed by healthcare providers. Write a note, prescribe a medication, view electronic medical records, and create a superbill in just minutes.

When comparing key features to determine which physician software is right for your practice, there are several important factors to consider:

Functionality:

User experience:

Support:

Cost:

The best physician software choice ultimately depends on your specific practice needs, budget, and workflow requirements. Request demos and trials from a variety of vendors to determine which system best aligns with your practice's unique needs.

What is the most widely used EHR?

Epic holds the largest market share among physician software vendors in the US, with 28.21% of the overall market. 

In the acute care EHR market, Epic has significantly expanded its presence, servicing more than half of the inpatient multispecialty beds across the US. Cerner and eClinicalworks also support inpatient clinics. The remaining physician software systems on this list — Athenahealth and Tebra — are for ambulatory services and outpatient departments.

What software do doctors’ offices use?

Modern medical practices typically use a suite of interconnected tools that go beyond just EHRs:

While EHRs remain the cornerstone of physician software, these additional tools are essential for running an efficient, patient-centered practice. Larger practices and hospital-affiliated physician offices may use more comprehensive systems like Epic or Cerner, while smaller private practices might opt for cloud-based solutions like Tebra that offer more flexibility and lower upfront costs.

Which EHR company is the largest vendor?

Currently, Epic Systems dominates the EHR component of the physician software market in the US, particularly in terms of overall market share and usage across the country. Epic was the only EHR vendor to experience a net market share increase in 2023, adding 153 new acute care clients while maintaining all existing customers.

What specific physician software systems are used in healthcare facilities?

Epic is primarily used in hospitals, large health systems, and academic medical centers. Cerner is a popular choice for mid-sized hospitals and health systems. Athenahealth is prevalent in ambulatory care settings, smaller practices, and some hospitals. Tebra competes against larger vendors like Athenahealth and eClinicalWorks, and is recognized as a significant player for private healthcare practices.

What are the 3 main types of medical record systems?

The 3 primary types of medical record systems are:

While EHR systems are the foundation of most physician software stacks, consider how they integrate with your billing tools, patient engagement solutions, and scheduling systems. Look for platforms that offer modular or all-in-one solutions that grow with your practice. 

Small practices have challenges such as tight budgets, limited resources, and the pressure to deliver high-quality care. Fit-for-purpose physician software can help overcome all of these challenges and more.

Some criteria to consider when selecting physician software include cost, practice size, specialty-specific needs, ease of use, and integration with existing systems. The right physician software should not only meet your current EHR needs, but also give you a foundation for future growth and for adapting to changing healthcare demands.

To make your decision easier, we’ve created an EHR selection guide that takes you through the key considerations for choosing the right physician software for your practice.