If you run a medical practice, you already know that the right EHR can make your days a lot less chaotic—or a lot more frustrating. There’s no shortage of vendors promising the moon, but you need real answers before you even think about switching or buying. This guide is for practice managers, clinicians, and anyone tasked with sorting hype from reality. Let’s talk about how to actually evaluate Eclinicalworks for streamlining your operations and improving patient outcomes—without getting lost in feature lists or buzzwords.
1. Get Clear on Your Pain Points and Must-Haves
Before you even open a demo, get brutally honest about what’s driving you to look at Eclinicalworks:
- Is your current system slow, clunky, or missing key features?
- Are you losing too much time to billing headaches or chasing down referrals?
- Are patients complaining about the portal or appointment process?
- Do you need better reporting for quality measures?
Write down your top five problems. If you’re not clear on these, you’ll get distracted by shiny features and sales slides. The right EHR should solve your actual headaches, not just check boxes.
Pro Tip: Ask your front desk, billing staff, and providers what really slows them down day-to-day. Their answers might surprise you.
2. Understand What Eclinicalworks Actually Offers
Eclinicalworks is a big name in ambulatory EHRs, with modules for scheduling, billing, patient engagement, and more. Here’s what you’ll find:
- Integrated EHR and Practice Management: One system for clinical notes, scheduling, billing, and reporting.
- Patient Portal: Lets patients schedule, message, and review some records online.
- Telehealth: Video visits are built in (but check if you’ll pay extra).
- Mobile App: Access charts and schedule on the go.
- Population Health Tools: Track chronic diseases and care gaps.
But don’t just look at the list. Check what’s included in your price tier versus what’s an add-on. Some “core” features cost extra.
What works:
Eclinicalworks does offer deep functionality for medium-to-large ambulatory practices. The reporting is robust, and if you’re drowning in paperwork, the automation can save time.
What doesn’t:
The interface is famously busy. New users often complain about the learning curve. “All-in-one” sometimes means “jack of all trades, master of none,” especially for specialty workflows.
3. Test Usability—Don’t Trust the Demo Alone
A slick sales demo won’t tell you how Eclinicalworks feels after six hours of back-to-back patients. Here’s how to stress-test usability:
- Schedule a real workflow demo: Ask for hands-on time with your own scenarios: e.g., a nurse checks in a patient, a provider charts, someone submits a claim.
- Count the clicks: How many steps to order a lab, send a refill, or document a physical? More clicks = more frustration.
- Mobile and remote access: Try logging in from a tablet or phone (not just the desktop). Is it usable, or a headache?
- Role-based access: Can you easily control what different staff can see or do?
Pro Tip: Bring your most skeptical provider to the demo. If they get lost or annoyed, that’s a red flag.
4. Dig Into Interoperability and Data Migration
If you already have an EHR, moving data is usually the nightmare part. Don’t gloss over it:
- Migration support: Will Eclinicalworks move your existing data? What gets left behind (scanned files, attachments, notes)?
- Interoperability: Can you easily send/receive records from local hospitals, labs, and specialists? Is it using industry standards (HL7, FHIR) or mostly closed off?
- Patient access: Does the portal let patients download their records, or is it locked down?
What works:
Eclinicalworks does connect to many national networks, but connectivity can vary by region and partner.
What doesn’t:
Data migration is rarely seamless. Plan for hiccups, and insist on specifics about how much help you’ll get—and what’s extra.
5. Check Billing and Revenue Cycle Features
If billing’s a mess, your practice suffers. Eclinicalworks has built-in billing, but it’s not magic:
- Integrated clearinghouse: Some users love that claims go out from within the system; others find setup tricky.
- Denial management: Are there tools for tracking denials and resubmissions, or does that fall to a separate system?
- Patient statements and online payments: Can patients pay online, and does the system handle payment plans or recurring charges?
- Reporting: Can you easily track A/R, collections by payer, and productivity?
Honest take:
Eclinicalworks can handle billing for many practices, but if you have complex contracts or lots of out-of-network claims, ask for references from similar-sized clinics.
6. Ask About Support and Training—And Read the Fine Print
Support can make or break your rollout. Here’s what to ask:
- Availability: Is support U.S.-based? 24/7? Chat, phone, or just tickets?
- Response times: What’s average for urgent vs. routine requests?
- Training: Is it included, or extra? Onsite or remote? How much “go-live” help will you get?
- Updates: How often do they update the system, and does it break your customizations?
What to ignore:
Promises of “white glove” onboarding mean little if support is slow. Check online reviews for real-world complaints about support delays.
7. Compare Costs—And Watch for Hidden Fees
EHR pricing is notoriously opaque. Here’s what to look for:
- Per-provider fees: Is it monthly, annually, or per encounter?
- Setup/migration: Expect a migration fee—get it in writing.
- Add-ons: Telehealth, patient messaging, analytics, and specialty modules often cost extra.
- Hardware: Will you need new servers or devices?
Pro Tip:
Ask for a three-year total cost of ownership, including all the features you actually plan to use. Vendors love to quote a low sticker price, then pile on fees later.
8. Talk to Actual Users—Not Just Reference Sites
Don’t just trust the polished case studies. Find users like you and ask:
- How long did it take your staff to get comfortable?
- What’s the worst part of the system?
- How’s the support—really?
- If you could do it over, would you pick Eclinicalworks again?
Check online forums, LinkedIn groups, or local medical societies for unfiltered feedback. You’ll hear about the real annoyances—and workarounds.
9. Evaluate Reporting and Analytics (But Don’t Get Distracted)
Eclinicalworks offers plenty of reports and dashboards. The real question: will you actually use them?
- Quality reporting: Are the reports good enough for MIPS/MACRA or other value-based contracts?
- Custom reports: Is it easy to create your own, or do you need IT help?
- Actionable data: Can you flag patients overdue for care, or does the data just sit there?
Honest take:
More data isn’t always better. Focus on a few reports you’ll actually review every month. Everything else is noise.
10. Don’t Overcomplicate—Pilot First, Then Expand
Once you’ve checked all the boxes above, resist the urge to roll out every feature on day one.
- Start with your core workflows: scheduling, charting, billing.
- Pick a small team or location to pilot the system and gather feedback.
- Iterate, tweak, and only then add extras like telehealth or patient engagement tools.
Pro Tip:
No EHR is perfect out of the box. The best practices keep things simple, listen to staff, and fix problems as they go.
When evaluating Eclinicalworks (or any EHR), don’t get dazzled by the demo or overwhelmed by the spec sheet. Know your must-haves, ask tough questions, and insist on clear answers about support, costs, and real-world usability. Start small, fix what matters, and remember: the best system is the one your staff will actually use. Keep it practical, and you’ll make real progress—without the headaches.