Choose an EHR System for Therapists That Will Transform Your Private Practice

What if I told you there was a way to make your life easier? 

No matter how much you love your job, there’s a few tasks that could feel a bit tedious. If you’re still doing all your charts on paper, you're pulling files, and putting them away every single day. Organizing things alphabetically gets tiring – we’re here to tell you there’s a better way. 

EHR systems are an integral part of our future as we move towards more digital methods of storage. They're even encrypted, making them more secure than paper files. These software platforms can also streamline how you run your practice. Doing so, they can help minimize potential clinical errors.

If you’re afraid you’re not tech savvy enough to use an EHR system for therapists, you're not alone. The good news is that they’ve come a long way. Many are now user-friendly interfaces even your great-great-grandmother could figure out. The actual hardest part is picking one for yourself.

Let’s go over some of the factors you should consider when choosing the best EHR system for your practice.

What Does EHR Mean?

Let’s go over some of the basics. 

EHR stands for Electronic Health Record. An EHR system is an all-encompassing software that stores your patients’ health information. These systems are widely used by small clinics with just one staff member up to large hospitals and medical facilities. 

An EHR system for therapists is a program that helps you keep your client’s data organized. Everything is securely stored from their basic information, medical history, and treatment progress.

How Will My Practice Benefit From The Best EHR System for Therapists?

You can compare an EHR system to an old-school filing cabinet filled with folders and records. The difference is that it's digitized and comes with nifty features. It not only saves space in your office, these features help in streamlining your workflow.

They can be so beneficial to a practice. 78% of physicians reported that using EHR systems positively affected patient care. If that figure alone doesn’t convince you of the importance of using EHR, here are a few more reasons to use a system: 

• Convenient access to patient notes or charts: Most EHRs are designed with convenience in mind. Long gone are the days of records getting lost, misfiled, and stuck together. The intuitive interfaces now make it easy to pull up any patient’s records in a matter of seconds. 
• Faster delivery of patient information: These systems make it faster and easier. They also provide more security when communicating with other practitioners. You could even communicate with clients as well. You can send a large chart through the portal and skip the fax machine altogether.
• Easier note-taking: Many EHR platforms have medical speech-to-text tools. They make taking notes faster and easier. You can also create your own therapy progress notes. You can copy and insert them directly into the client’s records. 
• Better awareness of potential drug interactions: If you’re a Psychiatrist, most EHR softwares have a safety feature built in. These features alert you of any potential dangerous drug interactions. This is helpful if you have patients that take prescriptions or supplements from other physicians.
• Save time and money: As people often say, time is money. Automating systems can save a lot of time and this frees up space for you to go home early, or even see more clients. .

Guide to Choosing the Best EHR System for Therapists

We’ve gone over a few of the benefits of having an EHR system in your therapy practice. But, keep in mind that not all softwares are equal.

So, how do you know you’re choosing the right one, and whether it's worth the cost? 

Here are some factors to consider when you’re choosing an EHR platform.

Decide Where To Host Your Data

Because this is a piece of technology, there are some logistical matters to consider. One of these decisions is picking where you want to host or store your data. There are three types of data storage that are commonly used. Choosing one can narrow your choices down. This is a factor that will affect not only security, but your budget as well.  

Here are the three most common data hosting options:

• Physician-hosted system: In short, you set up your own central file storage platform or server. You'll also ensure its security, and host all patient EHRs there. Note that this can be a huge (and expensive) undertaking for a small private practice.
• Dedicated hosted system: In this case, all your patient data is hosted or saved on your vendor’s dedicated, physical servers. A third-party will be handling your data back-up and security. Depending on the distance from the server site, you may have a bit of system lag.
• Cloud-based system: Instead of hosting the data on physical servers, it’s stored on the internet via a cloud or internet-based computing platform. You'll have the capability of logging-in from any device. This also means a third-party will be managing your data.

What To Look for In EHR Systems for Therapy: Identify Your Goals

What do you want your EHR to get done for you? Are you looking for a better way to keep files, or do you want one that can do insurance billing for you too? 

The best system is going to be the one that answers to the specific needs of your practice. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with all the different features each EHR System offers, ask yourself similar questions. Determine what your priorities are in choosing a software. Take a look at the limitations or inefficiencies you’re currently experiencing. 

Consider Your Practice Staff When Choosing EHR Systems for Therapists

You might be working solo right now, but have plans to expand and get some administrative help. You might even want to bring on another therapist. You should consider their job duties and needs when picking an EHR system as well. 

For administrative staff, you should consider a few things. They will want to easily check clients in/out, take payments, and book appointments. An EHR system with an easy to use workflow will be important. If you add another clinician to your staff, there are other things to consider. You'll want the ability to create their own log-in. They may also want the capability of managing their personal work schedule.

If you’ve got other mental health practitioners on your staff, they might also get incentives. For example, psychiatrists can get federal health information technology (HIT) incentive payments. All for using an EHR.

Match the EHR System to Your Practice Size

No matter how great an EHR system is, it might not be the right one for your practice. Sometimes they're better suited for larger practices and hospital systems. If you’re operating a small practice, you’ll have to consider that some of them might not be the best fit. 

Since you’ll be investing money into this, you'll want to make sure the platform is suitable for the size of your practice. A system can have a ton of features and seem to be of great quality. They might not all be ones that you’d even use though. The greater cost wouldn’t be justified in these cases. . 

Check for Compatibility and Integration with Other Therapist Software

Have you already started using an Office Management Software (OMS)? Or picked one that you’ve decided to use in the future? 

If you have, this is a good place to start when looking for a good EHR platform. The great news is that a lot of tech companies have created systems to be able to integrate together. Your OMS provider can give you a list of EHR programs that it is compatible with. You can seamlessly continue with your work. If you decide to go this route, you wouldn’t have to overhaul your existing workflow, but combine them. 

Other systems that might offer compatibility are billing and payment systems. If you’ve already got some things working and in place, you don't have to change everything. This way you can have operating systems co-exist harmoniously. 

If you haven’t set any systems up, it's not a problem. You can look into an EHR system that has OMS capabilities. This means you can do booking and invoicing all in one. 

Ensure HIPAA Compliance

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is the most important when it comes to EHR software. Almost all systems will be HIPAA compliant. This is because every healthcare provider needs to be compliant with this law. You’ll still want to double check to be sure. 

Keep in mind that if you're entering therapy progress notes into your EHR system, you'll need an extra layer of safety. HIPAA requires additional data protection in place to protect that information. You’ll want a platform that meets HIPAA’s compliance and federal standards.

You should familiarize yourself with HIPAA’s security rules, minimum standards, and other requirements. This ensures you’re keeping patient’s data and your practices records secure. 

Read the Fine Print

Before you sign a contract with any EHR vendor, you should do your due diligence and read the fine print. Pay close attention to the little details of the contract. You can find things included that were never even thought about.

Here are a few things to pay attention to in contracts:

• Patient information or data ownership
• Plan for potential contract termination
• Plans for potential vendor insolvency
• Access to medical records after the contract ends
• Employee training for EHR use
• System updates 
• Contingency plans or support in case of system issues

Compare and Contrast Several EHR Systems for Therapists

If you’ve short listed a few promising EHR systems, you can take the time to compare them and see which one suits you best. Even if you’ve already reviewed each system’s functionalities, tools, services, and costs, etc. it can help to lay them all out visually. 

Luckily, the APA has a useful EHR tool comparison table available for use. If you have your own criteria that differs, you can make your own spreadsheet. 

Most information should be found on the EHR System’s website. If you have questions, you can contact them to ask for specific details. Many sites even offer free-trials. You can even get a demo sessions through a virtual meeting so you can try them out first. 

Ask Around and Get References

If you want real opinions about certain softwares, where better than from your community? 

Many private practice therapists might not consider getting references for an EHR system. If you’re one of those people that reads reviews for every item you buy, why should it be any different for an EHR? 

You can even look up online reviews of the EHR system to see what people are saying about it. While the company might have really great reviews on their website, it's hard to know if they're real. Getting feedback from other practices and colleagues might give you a better picture. 

Some vendors might be able to provide you with a list of references. If you find someone willing to talk to you about the EHR system, it can give you great insight. You can set up a short call, email or chat with some of their current clients. 

Pro tip: Have your questions prepared in case someone accepts your request for a short interview.

Grow Your Network and Your Practice with the Best EHR System for Therapists

If you aren’t able to get a list of references from the vendor, you’ll have to do the legwork and ask around yourself. Luckily, we have a network of therapists in our community here for you. We're more than happy to discuss EHR systems and what works for our practices. 

At Clarity Cooperative, you’ll find peers going through the same things as you. You'll also find those that can provide wisdom to help guide you forward in your private practice journey. You’ll be able to comb through our many resources, including our guide to choosing an EHR system, and practice toolbox.

Try out all of our features with a risk-free 30 day trial to our Pro subscription, and come say hello in our community forum.