5 Best Patient Portal Software for Physicians

By Your Health Magazine

Your Health Magazine

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5 Best Patient Portal Software for Physicians

Finding the right patient portal software can transform how your practice operates. The best patient portals for doctors streamline administrative tasks, improve patient engagement and enhance the overall quality of care. But with dozens of options on the market, how do you choose?

Whether you’re a solo practitioner or managing a multi-location practice, selecting top patient portal software for physicians requires understanding what features matter most. In this guide, we’ll explore five leading solutions that are helping medical practices deliver better patient experiences while reducing administrative burden.

What Makes Great Patient Portal Software?

Before diving into specific platforms, it’s worth understanding what separates exceptional patient portals from the rest. The best solutions offer intuitive interfaces for both staff and patients, robust security measures to protect sensitive health information, seamless integration with your existing electronic health record (EHR) system, as well as seamless integration with your main website (see examples of excellent physician websites here).

Your ideal patient portal should enable secure messaging, appointment scheduling, prescription refills, bill payment and easy access to lab results and medical records. Bonus points if it includes telehealth capabilities and mobile accessibility – features that have become essential in modern healthcare delivery.

1. Epic MyChart

Epic MyChart is widely considered the gold standard among patient portals for doctors, particularly for large healthcare systems and hospital-affiliated practices. If your practice uses Epic’s EHR system, MyChart is the natural choice for your patient-facing platform.

What sets MyChart apart is its comprehensive feature set and high adoption rates. Patients can schedule appointments, message their care team, view test results, manage prescriptions and even complete pre-visit questionnaires. The mobile app is exceptionally well-designed and patients consistently rate it highly for ease of use.

The downside? Epic systems come with significant costs and implementation complexity. MyChart works best for medium to large practices that can justify the investment and have the IT resources to support it. But if you’re already in the Epic ecosystem, MyChart delivers an unmatched patient experience that can significantly reduce phone call volume and administrative workload.

2. Cerner Health (Now Oracle Health)

Cerner’s patient portal – now part of Oracle Health following the acquisition – offers robust functionality for practices using Cerner’s EHR platform. This patient portal software provides physicians with powerful tools to engage patients while maintaining tight integration with clinical workflows.

Patients using Cerner’s portal can access their health records, communicate with providers, schedule appointments, and manage medications from any device. The platform can pull data from multiple health systems, giving patients a more complete view of their health history.

For physicians, Cerner Health’s portal reduces administrative tasks by allowing patients to self-service many routine requests. The secure messaging feature alone can save hours of staff time previously spent on phone tag. While the interface isn’t as polished as some competitors, the functionality is solid and the platform continues to evolve under Oracle’s ownership.

3. Athenahealth Patient Portal

Athenahealth has built its reputation on cloud-based solutions that work seamlessly right out of the box, and its patient portal is no exception. This is an excellent choice for small to mid-sized practices looking for top patient portal software for physicians without the complexity of enterprise systems.

The Athenahealth patient portal emphasizes ease of use for both patients and staff. Patients can schedule appointments, communicate with their care team, pay bills and access their medical records through a clean, modern interface. The mobile experience is particularly strong, reflecting how most patients prefer to interact with healthcare services today.

What makes Athenahealth stand out is its focus on the business side of healthcare. The portal integrates billing and collections seamlessly, making it easier for practices to get paid while offering patients convenient payment options. The platform also includes robust analytics that help practices understand patient engagement patterns and identify opportunities for improvement.

For physicians, the administrative relief is substantial. Automated appointment reminders reduce no-shows, online bill pay improves collection rates and secure messaging handles many questions that would otherwise require staff time.

4. NextGen Patient Portal

NextGen Office offers a feature-rich patient portal that works exceptionally well for specialty practices and ambulatory care settings. If you’re looking for patient portals for doctors that can handle complex workflows and specialty-specific requirements, NextGen deserves serious consideration.

The NextGen patient portal includes all the standard features you’d expect – secure messaging, appointment scheduling, prescription renewals, bill payment, and document access. But it also offers more advanced capabilities like customizable forms, patient education materials and integration with telehealth services.

One of NextGen’s key advantages is its flexibility. The platform can be configured to match your practice’s specific workflows and specialty requirements. This makes it an excellent choice for practices in fields like orthopedics, cardiology or women’s health where patient engagement needs may differ from primary care.

The learning curve can be steeper than some competitors, but practices that invest the time to properly configure NextGen often find that it becomes an indispensable tool for patient engagement and practice efficiency.

5. AdvancedMD Patient Portal

AdvancedMD rounds out our list with a cloud-based solution designed specifically for independent practices and small to mid-sized medical groups. This patient portal software for physicians prioritizes simplicity without sacrificing essential functionality.

The AdvancedMD patient portal integrates seamlessly with the company’s practice management and EHR systems, creating a unified platform that reduces the complexity of managing multiple systems. Patients can schedule appointments, complete intake forms, view lab results, request prescription refills and communicate with providers – all through an interface that’s refreshingly straightforward.

For physicians and staff, AdvancedMD’s portal reduces administrative burden through automation. Appointment reminders go out automatically, forms are completed before patients arrive and routine requests are handled without staff intervention. The platform also includes robust reporting that helps practices track patient engagement and identify areas for improvement.

The mobile experience is solid and the system’s reliability is excellent. While it may not have every bell and whistle of enterprise solutions, AdvancedMD delivers the core functionality that most practices need at a more accessible price point.

Making Your Decision

Choosing the best patient portal software for your medical practice depends on your specific needs, existing systems and budget. If you’re already using a major EHR platform, starting with their native patient portal often makes the most sense. The integration will be tighter and implementation will typically be smoother.

For practices seeking standalone solutions or unhappy with their current EHR’s portal, each of these 5 options offers compelling benefits. Consider factors like ease of use, mobile functionality, integration capabilities and total cost of ownership when making your decision.

The right patient portal software doesn’t just improve efficiency – it transforms the patient experience and strengthens the relationship between physicians and the people they serve. Take the time to evaluate your options carefully, and you’ll find a solution that serves your practice well for years to come!