What to Look for in an EHR for Private Practice

Tue Nov 11, 2025 by DrChrono Staff

Selecting the right electronic health record (EHR) system is one of the most critical decisions for private practices. With the right tools, providers can enhance efficiency, improve patient satisfaction, and reduce administrative burdens.

But with so many options in the market, how do you choose an EHR that meets your needs?

This guide will help you identify the key features and functionalities to look for in an EHR designed specifically for private practice.

Quick Recap:

Why EHR software matters for private practices
Key features to look for in an EHR for a private practice and pro tips
How to take the first step in finding the right system for you and your team

Why EHR Software Matters for Private Practices

Solo and small group providers face unique challenges. You wear many hats—clinician, administrator, biller, scheduler, and more. According to an American Medical Association (AMA) white paper, some common issues faced include:

Balancing clinical responsibilities with administrative tasks, such as coding and prior authorizations
Declining payment rates from insurers
Limited ability to collect and analyze meaningful data
EHR systems and updates are costly and often lack adequate support

Without the right technological support, these challenges can quickly add up, impacting patient care and your bottom line. Adopting a comprehensive private practice EHR early in your journey offers a multitude of benefits:

Improved Efficiency: Automate administrative tasks, reduce paperwork, and free valuable time
Enhanced Patient Care: Access complete patient histories, streamline communication, and make more informed clinical decisions
Sound Financial Health: Optimize billing processes, reduce denied claims, and improve revenue cycle management (RCM)
Stronger Compliance: Ensure adherence to critical regulations, such as HIPAA.

To find the right system, you may benefit from EHR evaluation tools. For example, the EHR Discovery Tool for New Practice Owners serves as a readiness assessment to help determine the best system for your practice. Answer a few strategic questions and receive a comprehensive score and resources to get you on your way.

In the meantime, we offer essential features to consider when selecting an EHR for your private practice.

Key Features to Look for in a Private Practice EHR

What does it take to become a high-performing practice? It begins with an EHR tailor-made for your needs. When evaluating options, consider the following key factors.

Customizable Charting Tools and Templates

No two practices are exactly alike, especially across different specialties. A general practitioner’s charting needs will differ significantly from those of a urologist or a chiropractor. And let’s face it; you don’t have time for rigid, pre-built forms.

That’s why customizable EHR templates are a necessity. Custom templates allow you to tailor documentation to your specific patient populations, common conditions, and workflows.

You also don’t have the bandwidth to type out repetitive notes manually. Customized charting tools can quickly auto-populate information and focus on the nuances of each patient interaction. This dramatically reduces charting time.

Pro Tip: When searching for charting tools, check if the EHR offers features like free-draw (where you can take a photo from your EHR and annotate directly on it) and medical speech-to-text for accurately dictated note-taking.

Integrated Billing and Scheduling

In the AMA paper we mentioned earlier, practitioners were asked what it takes to have a high-performing private practice. Several participants emphasized the need to be on “the leading edge of technology, particularly in utilizing EHRs to manage the data necessary to support quality-based payments.”

Integrated billing and scheduling can be part of this strategy. Instead of juggling separate software for scheduling and invoicing, a single, unified platform streamlines your workflow.

For example, when a patient checks in for an appointment, their billing information is automatically populated, and charges can be easily generated based on the services rendered.

The beauty is that the benefits of integrated billing and scheduling go beyond these initial advantages, including:

Reduced Administrative Burden: No more manual data transfer between systems, minimizing errors and saving staff time.
Improved Revenue Cycle: Integrated billing improves clean claim rates by eliminating multiple data entries and human errors. This results in faster claim submission, fewer denials, and quicker reimbursements.
Enhanced Patient Convenience: Patients can book appointments online when and where they want.

Pro Tip: When reviewing systems, check if they offer an integrated billing dashboard that allows you to view billing reports and analytics in real time.

Secure Patient Communication

In today’s digital age, patients expect convenient and secure ways to communicate with their healthcare providers. This is where HIPAA-compliant messaging is non-negotiable. This feature ensures that sensitive patient information shared electronically remains private and protected.

Similarly, secure and compliant digital intake forms help gather necessary patient data efficiently while maintaining privacy. A patient portal for private practice is arguably the most effective way to facilitate communication with patients and streamline workflows.

According to one paper, “new [patient portal] functionalities can benefit physicians and care teams by shifting some of the ‘production line’ tasks for each patient visit from the care team back to the patients.”

Patient portals provide a secure, centralized hub for various interactions. For example, patients can:

Securely message you with questions or concerns
Access their health records, lab results, and medication lists
View and pay bills
Complete pre-appointment paperwork from the comfort of their home

This self-service functionality not only empowers patients but also reduces calls to your front desk, freeing up your staff.

Pro Tip: Check if your EHR system has features that enable you to conduct virtual visits directly from your iPhone, iPad, or desktop while also sending e-prescriptions or lab orders simultaneously.

Doctor smiling with desktop

Improving Efficiency and Satisfaction through Technology

The right EHR isn’t just about managing records; it’s about optimizing every aspect of your practice. Below are a few key tips and strategies to achieve this goal.

EHR and Practice Management Integration

Your EHR and practice management software are two sides of the same coin, and when they work together, they create a powerful synergy. While the EHR focuses on clinical documentation and patient health information, practice management software handles the operational aspects: scheduling, billing, and administrative tasks.

An integrated system significantly simplifies daily practice operations and patient engagement. For instance:

Appointments scheduled are instantly visible in the EHR, linking to the patient’s chart.
Charges captured during a patient encounter in the EHR flow directly to billing for claim generation.

This seamless flow of information reduces manual data entry, minimizes errors, and allows your team to operate with greater efficiency.

Pro Tip: Search for an EHR that offers a mobile solution, allowing you to access your practice management platform anytime, anywhere, on iPad, iPhone, or the web. Check if the app offers features for patients, such as a self-check-in kiosk mode.

Enhancing Clinical Efficiency

The core purpose of an EHR is to make clinical care easier and more effective. Look for features that help reduce charting time, improve documentation accuracy, and boost overall efficiency. This includes:

Speech-to-text dictation: Convert spoken notes into text, speeding up documentation
Smart text and macro buttons: Pre-defined phrases and shortcuts for common entries
Electronic prescription tool for better medication management: E-prescriptions keep track of your patient’s prescription history in real time

Similarly, built-in audit trails and healthcare compliance tools are crucial for improving clinical efficiency. They ensure that all actions within the EHR are logged, providing a clear record for HIPAA regulatory purposes.

Pro Tip: Look for an EHR that offers clinical decision support tools that streamline the ordering of lab tests and medications and receive alerts for potential drug interactions or missing information.

Boosting Patient Satisfaction

A study revealed that nearly one in four patients delayed or avoided care due to administrative obstacles. The lesson here? Today’s patients want their office visits and medical care to be a seamless experience. If not, their health will suffer, and/or they may go to your competitor.

Your EHR can play a significant role in boosting patient satisfaction through various digital tools:

Online appointment scheduling: Allows patients to book at their convenience, day or night
Digital intake forms: Streamline the check-in process, reducing wait times and paperwork
Automated appointment reminders: Reduce no-shows and improve patient adherence

Pro Tip: An EHR with self-service features and secure cloud-based access not only boosts patient satisfaction but also builds trust. Patients appreciate convenience and the knowledge that their health information is easily accessible and securely protected.

Security, Support, and Scalability

Beyond features, the foundational elements of security, reliable support, and future scalability are critical for any private practice EHR.

Ensuring EHR Data Security and Compliance

Protecting sensitive patient data is not only a best practice, but also a legal requirement. HIPAA fines and penalties vary depending on the severity of the violation. Fines can range from $100 to $1.5 million per year, and criminal penalties can include jail time and fines up to $250,000.

Secure cloud-based EHR systems offer significant benefits that can help you stay compliant and avoid legal troubles. Reputable cloud vendors should provide a robust security infrastructure, including encryption, firewalls, and regular security audits. This ensures the protection of patient data and better security from cyber threats and physical damage.

Investing in HIPAA-compliant EHR software also ensures that your system adheres to the strict regulations governing the privacy and security of protected health information (PHI). Features like access controls and audit documentation are vital.

Pro Tip: Look for an EHR with integrated billing software that allows you to add custom descriptions to your CPT, ICD-10, or HCPCS codes. This helps avoid compliance issues such as overcoding or undercoding.

Support You Can Rely On

Choosing an EHR is a big investment, and the vendor’s support can make or break your experience. This is why EHR implementation support and onboarding matters. A good vendor will guide you through the transition process, ensuring a smooth setup and minimizing disruption to your operations.

When selecting vendors, look for those that provide ongoing training and comprehensive customer support for EHR systems. This includes:

Responsive technical support for troubleshooting issues
Regular software updates and bug fixes
Training resources (webinars, tutorials) to help your team maximize the EHR’s potential
A dedicated account manager who understands your practice needs

Scalable EHR Solutions for Growing Practices

As your private practice grows, your EHR needs will evolve. You might add more providers, expand services, or increase your patient volume. That’s why providers want a scalable EHR for growing practices—a solution that can adapt and expand with you.

This means the system should be able to handle increased data, users, and functionalities without requiring a complete overhaul.

Pro Tip: Transitioning to a new EHR system can be a complex undertaking, but with a scalable solution, you can avoid disruptive migrations down the line. Look for a scalable EHR that allows for seamless integration of new features, easy addition of new users, and flexible customization to accommodate changing workflows.

Female doctor with patient

Take the First Step with the EHR Discovery Tool

Choosing the right private practice EHR is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for the long-term success and efficiency of your practice.

To help guide your system selection, consider utilizing the EHR Discovery Tool. It is a structured approach to assessing your practice’s specific needs and matching them with suitable EHR solutions.

Also, look for additional guides and onboarding resources offered by reputable vendors— they can be invaluable as you navigate this crucial transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is choosing the right EHR system so important for a private practice?

Choosing the right EHR system is crucial because it has a significant impact on efficiency, patient satisfaction, and administrative burden. For private practices, which often face challenges like balancing clinical and administrative tasks and declining payment rates, a comprehensive EHR can automate tasks, improve patient care, and ensure HIPAA compliance.

What are the essential features an EHR for private practice should have to improve efficiency?

For improved efficiency, an EHR should offer customizable charting tools and templates (including features like free-draw and medical speech-to-text), integrated billing and scheduling to reduce administrative burden, and robust EHR and practice management integration for seamless information flow between clinical and operational tasks.

What considerations are crucial regarding the security and compliance of an EHR system?

Look for secure cloud-based EHR systems from reputable vendors that provide a robust security infrastructure (encryption, regular audits) and features like access controls and audit documentation. Integrated billing software that allows custom descriptions for codes can also help avoid compliance issues.

Why are vendor support and scalability important when choosing an EHR?

Reliable vendor support is crucial for a smooth EHR implementation and ongoing use, including responsive technical support, regular software updates, and training resources. Scalability is equally important, as a growing practice needs an EHR solution that can adapt and expand with increased data, users, and functionalities without requiring a disruptive system overhaul.