Practice Fusion – A Cloud-Based EHR Solution

Practice Fusion is an electronic health record system that physicians with small to mid-size practices can use to do everything from basic charting to e-prescribing. Practice managers can handle billing using Practice Fusion’s web-based tools, along with scheduling patient visits and managing outside marketing tasks.

If you’re a physician or a practice manager, then head to Practice Fusion’s website to create your own EHR. Fellow physicians on your staff will primarily use Practice Fusion for medical charting. More than 220 flexible templates can be used to expedite the charting process. Meanwhile, the platform’s convenient “patient facesheets” provide physicians with all the most relevant charting information — including diagnosis history, medication list, immunization records, and past medical histories — on one overview page. Physicians can also use Practice Fusion to connect with laboratories and submit e-prescriptions to more than 70,000 pharmacies across the U.S.

Office managers and front desk staff will appreciate Practice Fusion’s online booking and scheduling tools. Patients can find your practice by searching by specialty and location, and they can check out your physician’s calendars without ever picking up the phone. Meanwhile, a dedicated billing section allows practice managers to create “secure superbills” based on actual charting information. Practice Fusion has partnered with three web-based billing partners, ADP AdvancedMD, CollaborateMD, and NueMD, to make the billing process as seamless as possible.

Practical Uses:

• Use templates to speed up the charting process
• Coordinate patient schedules at multiple clinics
• Send e-prescriptions to more than 70,000 pharmacies
• Give patients secure access to their own medical records

Insider Tips:

• Practice Fusion has integrated with ADP AdvancedMD, CollaborateMD, and NueMD
• Send patient referrals digitally using Practice Fusion’s forms
• Patients can book their own appointments through the “Patient Fusion” site
• Practice Fusion can be set up to send automatic appointment reminders

What we liked:

• Practice Fusion is free for physicians with small to mid-size practices
• All messaging within the Practice Fusion platform is HIPAA-compliant
• Practice Fusion offers comprehensive reporting tools
• Physicians can submit e-prescriptions from any location

What we didn’t like:

• Practice Fusion is still working on releasing its iPad app

Alternatives:

• Allscripts – http://www.allscripts.com
• eClinicalWorks – http://www.eclinicalworks.com
• Greenway Medical Technologies – http://www.greenwaymedical.com

Company Info:

• Launched: 2005
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California
• Founded by: Ryan Howard and Matthew Douglass
• Web site: http://www.practicefusion.com

Costs:

• Free