Here’s some good news to brighten your day: many doctors feel that EHR systems improved their product performance in 2024. Despite the many headaches caused by a growing clinical documentation burden, it’s great to know that the best EHR systems are improving.
This article summarizes the best EHR software in 2024. We’ll cover the leading three EHR systems and the top software pick for small practices.
What are the best EHR systems?
There are many ways to rank EHR systems. This list of the top 3 EHRs follows rankings from the Best in KLAS Software and Services Report. We trust KLAS Research because they’ve been ranking EHR software since 1999, and their 2024 report reflects input from healthcare professionals at over 5,000 organizations.
That said, the best EHR system is the software that most effectively meets your needs as a provider or organization. If you can choose between EHR systems, we recommend asking colleagues in your specialty about their experience.
1. EpicCare
Epic is the most widely used EHR system, so it’s not surprising that it took first place. The 2024 Best in KLAS Report ranked Epic #1 for Overall Software Suite for the 14th year in a row.
Many organizations adopt Epic because it provides a comprehensive system for managing patient records, scheduling, billing, and clinical workflows. Providers find the software interface relatively user-friendly, and it’s scalable for use in large hospital networks. Finally, Epic’s prestigious reputation gives it a leg up in the industry.
Small practices may feel Epic is too expensive and difficult to implement and prefer a more straightforward EHR solution.
Here’s how one provider describes their experience with Epic:
“I love that EpicCare EMR is easily searchable, it provides lots of options for customization, both in terms of utility and view. It also has a sort of memory of your more recently entered orders, which makes it easy to reorder.”
2. MEDITECH
MEDITECH is another leading EHR vendor with about 15% of the market share for ambulatory EHRs. Like Epic, MEDITECH integrates its EHR into a suite of patient management, billing, and scheduling tools.
Compared with other large vendors, MEDITECH is often seen as more cost-effective. Its lower price tag and easier setup make it a more attractive choice for smaller hospitals, community health systems, and rural providers. In fact, KLAS ranked MEDITECH as the top EHR software for acute care in small hospitals (EPIC took that title for hospitals with 150+ beds).
While providers generally feel MEDITECH is easy to use, some wish it was more flexible. This tradeoff between being easy to learn (fewer features) and customizable (more features) is an important consideration when choosing an EHR.
Here’s one reviewer’s summary of MEDITECH:
“It integrates for seamless communication for hospital services, with all chart aspects easily viewable without a few clicks once the patient’s chart is opened. All orders, vitals, lab results, notes, progress reports, etc. are easily accessed.”
3. Oracle Health (Cerner)
Oracle Health’s EHR was another top KLAS Overall Software Suite award contender. The company has a solid global reputation, ranked by KLAS as the top acute care EMR in the Middle East and Africa for six years.
When most people hear the name Oracle, they probably think of databases. Oracle Corporation entered the healthcare software space in a big way in 2021 when it acquired leading EHR vendor Cerner Millenium. At the time, about a quarter of US hospitals used Cerner’s EHR system.
Cerner is now part of Oracle Corporation, one of the largest software companies in the world. This merger with a leading database system reflects Oracle EMR’s strengths, which center around scalability, security, robust analytics, and interoperability. For example, Oracle Health is a good option for hospitals and providers who want to track performance metrics, analyze patient outcomes, and optimize operations.
Similar to Epic, Oracle’s complexity has drawbacks. It can be expensive to implement and maintain, and there can be a steep learning curve for provider and staff adoption.
Here’s what one provider has to say about Oracle Health’s EHR:
“This is an excellent system for inpatient hospital use. It’s well organized and easy to find what you’re looking for. It’s also easy from an administrative/organizational standpoint to create customization.”
Best EHR for small practices
Most doctors in the U.S. are now employed by a hospital or health system. But that’s a significant change from a decade ago. If you’re self-employed or work in a private practice or small clinic, you may find the above list of best EHR systems more expensive and complex than you need.
4. athenahealth
athenahealth is another leading EHR vendor and a popular option for smaller practices. athenahealth won the 2024 Best in KLAS award for Overall Physician Practice, displacing Epic, which took that title in 2023.
Providers at smaller practices will appreciate athenahealth’s clean, intuitive interface, which makes it an accessible EHR to learn and use. The company emphasizes efficiency with software that incorporates task automation and comprehensive patient management tools.
Additionally, with no long-term contracts, athenhealth’s EHR is a good choice for small to medium-sized practices looking for an affordable and easy-to-implement EHR solution.
Here’s how one provider summarizes the benefits of athenahealth:
“The user interface is very friendly and everything is set up to guide you through easily while entering patient information.”