If you run a healthcare practice or work on the IT side of a provider group, you know software can make or break your day. Between EHRs, CRMs, and the endless parade of "game-changing" B2B tools, it’s hard to know which features actually move the needle—or just create new headaches. This guide cuts through the noise. I’ll show you how Eclinicalworks compares to other business-to-business (B2B) go-to-market (GTM) software tools aimed at healthcare providers, focusing on what actually matters in the real world.
Who Should Read This
- Healthcare IT decision-makers
- Practice managers sick of demo calls and buzzwords
- Anyone evaluating software for provider operations, marketing, or patient engagement
If you want a brutally honest look at features, usability, and what’s just marketing fluff, you’re in the right place.
What’s the Deal with Eclinicalworks?
Eclinicalworks (often called eCW) is best known as an electronic health record (EHR) and practice management platform. But over the years, it’s morphed into an all-in-one system that claims to handle everything from scheduling and billing to patient engagement and population health. In theory, it’s a “one-stop shop” for outpatient healthcare providers.
But here’s the thing: plenty of other B2B GTM tools promise to help healthcare organizations grow, engage patients, and streamline operations. These include practice management systems, patient CRMs, marketing automation tools, telehealth add-ons, and analytics platforms. Most don’t try to be a full EHR, but they do fight for a spot on your budget sheet.
So, how does Eclinicalworks stack up, feature by feature, against the rest of the field?
1. Core EHR and Practice Management
What Eclinicalworks Offers: - Scheduling, charting, billing, e-prescribing, telehealth, and more. All in one interface. - Integrated patient portal for appointments, test results, and messaging. - Customizable templates for different specialties. - Claims management and clearinghouse integration.
How It Compares: - Most standalone B2B tools (think Salesforce Health Cloud, HubSpot, or Mailchimp for healthcare) aren’t EHRs. If you need a certified record system, you still need something like eCW, Epic, or Athenahealth. - Eclinicalworks tries to cover everything, but that means it’s not best-in-class at every feature. Some workflows feel clunky, especially if you’ve used newer, more focused tools.
Honest Take:
If you want one login for everything—charts, billing, scheduling—Eclinicalworks has a clear edge. If you just want to boost patient engagement or streamline outreach (without touching medical records), there are lighter, cheaper tools that won’t make your staff curse.
2. Patient Engagement and Communication
Eclinicalworks Features: - Built-in patient portal for messages, lab results, and appointment requests. - Automated reminders (email, text, voice). - Telehealth visits and e-visits directly from the EHR. - Surveys and automated follow-ups post-visit.
How Other Tools Stack Up: - Dedicated B2B GTM tools like Solutionreach, Luma Health, or Klara focus only on patient communication, and generally do it better. They offer slicker texting, branded emails, and more robust marketing features. - CRMs like Salesforce or HubSpot (with healthcare add-ons) offer advanced segmentation, drip campaigns, and analytics—great for larger organizations.
What Works:
The Eclinicalworks patient portal is functional and integrated, which is a win for smaller practices who can’t handle 10 logins. But compared to standalone patient engagement platforms, it feels dated and less customizable. If you want to run sophisticated campaigns or branded outreach, eCW will frustrate your marketing team.
Ignore the Hype:
Don’t believe any EHR that claims to be “all you need” for patient engagement. If patient communication is mission-critical, pair your EHR with a dedicated tool.
3. Marketing and Go-To-Market (GTM) Tools
Eclinicalworks: - Offers mass messaging and some basic campaign tools via the patient portal. - Limited tracking or analytics for outreach. - No built-in CRM for business development or referral management.
Other B2B GTM Tools: - Tools like Salesforce Health Cloud, HubSpot, and Outreach.io are true CRMs, designed for business development, referral tracking, and multi-channel campaigns. - Marketing automation platforms let you segment audiences, track ROI, and personalize messages far beyond what any EHR can do.
Reality Check:
Eclinicalworks is not a marketing tool. It can send bulk messages but lacks the analytics, campaign management, and audience segmentation that actual GTM software delivers. If you’re serious about growth (or tracking referral sources), you’ll need to bolt on a real CRM or marketing automation tool.
Pro Tip:
Many practices use Eclinicalworks for clinical operations and connect it with a CRM or marketing platform via integration tools like Redox, Bridge Connector, or even Zapier (for low-risk workflows).
4. Reporting and Analytics
Eclinicalworks: - Offers built-in reporting for clinical, financial, and operational data. - Dashboards for quality measures, MIPS/MACRA, and population health. - Reports can be customized, but the interface is clunky and has a learning curve.
Other Tools: - Dedicated analytics platforms (like Tableau, Power BI, or Qlik) crush eCW for visualizations, drill-downs, and ad hoc analysis. - Marketing and CRM platforms offer real-time dashboards for campaign performance and patient engagement—something eCW just doesn’t do.
What Works:
If you need to satisfy regulatory reporting or run basic financial reports, Eclinicalworks gets the job done (eventually). For deep insights, trend analysis, or data-driven marketing, you’ll need to export data and use something else.
What to Ignore:
Don’t expect Eclinicalworks to suddenly become a top-tier analytics tool. Use it for compliance and operational basics, not strategic insights.
5. Integrations and Ecosystem
Eclinicalworks: - Offers an API and marketplace, but integration is often harder than advertised. - Plays nicer with labs, pharmacies, and clearinghouses than with GTM or CRM tools. - Some third-party add-ons available, but selection is limited compared to Salesforce or HubSpot.
Other Tools: - Modern B2B GTM tools are built for integration—think plug-and-play connections with EHRs, billing, telehealth, and more. - Many have public APIs, robust app marketplaces, and tons of documentation.
Reality:
Eclinicalworks is slowly improving on integrations, but it’s still more “walled garden” than open ecosystem. Connecting it to outside GTM tools usually takes extra work, technical know-how, and probably a third-party vendor.
Pro Tip:
Before you buy, ask vendors to prove their integration live, not just with a slide deck. Broken integrations are a top source of buyer’s remorse.
6. Usability and Support
Eclinicalworks: - Long learning curve—lots of menus, old-school interface, and hidden options. - Support can be hit or miss. You’ll find plenty of frustrated users on forums. - Training is available, but plan for real downtime and staff grumbling.
Other Tools: - Most modern GTM software is designed for non-clinical users, so it’s usually cleaner and more intuitive. - Support and onboarding tend to be better, but you’ll still hit snags with healthcare-specific integrations.
What Works:
If your team is already using Eclinicalworks, adding more functions there might be easier than rolling out a new tool from scratch. But if you’re starting fresh, don’t underestimate the value of a modern interface and responsive support.
7. Pricing and Hidden Costs
Eclinicalworks: - Charges per provider per month, with extra fees for add-ons. - Implementation and data migration can get pricey, especially for larger groups. - Some features (like advanced analytics or telehealth) cost extra.
Other Tools: - CRM and GTM tools often charge per user, contact, or feature tier. - Integration and data migration are almost always extra—don’t get surprised. - Many tools offer free trials, but the true cost shows up in setup and support.
Reality:
No system is cheap, and “unlimited everything” always comes with caveats. Budget for implementation, training, and integrations—no matter which way you go.
What’s Worth Your Time (and What Isn’t)
Good Bets:
- Use Eclinicalworks as your EHR and for basic patient communication.
- Layer on dedicated GTM tools (CRM, marketing automation, analytics) if you need deeper features.
- Invest time in integrations up front—don’t try to make Eclinicalworks do everything.
Probably Not Worth It:
- Relying on Eclinicalworks for marketing or business development.
- Expecting seamless integrations without custom work.
- Hoping basic built-in reports will drive strategic decisions.
Bottom Line: Keep It Simple and Iterate
Don’t let anyone tell you there’s a “perfect” all-in-one solution. Eclinicalworks is solid for what it’s built for—clinical workflows and basic ops. Other B2B GTM tools shine when it comes to patient engagement, marketing, and analytics, but you’ll pay for that extra power (and the integration headaches).
Start with what you truly need, keep your workflows simple, and add tools as your needs grow. Most practices are better off with a few focused, well-integrated tools than chasing the myth of a single platform that “does it all.” Test, adjust, and don’t be afraid to ditch what’s not working. Your staff (and your sanity) will thank you.