Speech therapy EMRs
Speech therapy EMRs are an effective method for busy clinicians to streamline administrative tasks, collect and use data to help inform client outcomes, while engaging clients through telepractice at a time when clients say they are just as satisfied with telepractice visits as in-person visits.
Speech language pathologists can leverage numerous tools in speech therapy EMRs to simplify administrative tasks such as scheduling, documentation, billing and claims and reporting to focus more on their clients or building their practices.
Speech therapy EMRs also help facilitate seamless data collection by consolidating various inputs into a centralized platform accessible to different stakeholders:
- SLPs utilize speech therapy EMRs to organize assessments, document care, develop treatment plans, record session notes, engage clients and track treatment outcomes.
- Group practice managers rely on speech therapy EMRs for managing scheduling, billing, insurance claims, and analyzing revenue reports.
- Clients benefit from speech therapy EMRs with the ability to access forms, familiarize themselves with policies, self schedule appointments, make payments, sign documents and access assigned homework tasks.
If you're an speech therapist in private practice or a group practice administrator exploring suitable speech therapy EMR solutions, consider the following factors:
- Features: Features are the name of the game with speech therapy EMRs. Compile a list of essential features tailored to your practice needs and assess how they align with your objectives. For instance, if appointment management is time-consuming, prioritize software that enables clients to self-schedule and receive automated reminders. Additionally, reflect on past features you didn't utilize to avoid unnecessary expenses.
- Costs: Gain a comprehensive understanding of the pricing structure associated with speech therapy EMRs. For example, determine if there are additional charges for extra users beyond the base subscription fee, evaluate the potential use of add-on features, and inquire about cancellation fees.
- Free trials or versions: Prioritize testing software before committing to a subscription to ensure it meets your requirements without unnecessary functionalities. Assess factors such as security, stability, HIPAA compliance, and regular feature updates during the trial period. And a free trial will also help you get a sense of the feature set if you haven’t used EMRs in previous positions.
If you encounter challenges navigating these considerations, also assess how customer service responds to your questions.
Emphasizing features, pricing, and the opportunity to test various platforms along with security will help you make an informed decision.
Top speech therapy EMRs
We'll explore four leading speech therapy Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems: TheraPlatform, FusionWebClinic, ClinicSource and Tebra (formerly Kareo.)
TheraPlatform
Overview: TheraPlatform is a comprehensive EMR, practice management, and teletherapy solution tailored specifically for therapists in private practice. Founded in 2017 by a speech therapist in the Los Angeles area, TheraPlatform draws on extensive experience developing software suites since 2011, serving therapists and schools with over 40 apps. Product enhancements are driven by customer feedback and incorporate cutting-edge technology like AI.
Who it’s for: TheraPlatform caters to both pediatric and adult speech therapists, whether operating independently or within larger group practices. It offers advanced features suitable for practitioners requiring robust reporting capabilities and multi-location scheduling and filtering.
Highlights
Customization: TheraPlatform offers customizable note templates and intake forms, allowing users to tailor them to their specific needs. With built-in form builders, users can create personalized forms from scratch and share notes with clients, enabling easy signature requests.
Teaching Tools: TheraPlatform's offers dozens of apps and games created specifically for pediatric speech therapists along with a built-in whiteboard, interactive screen sharing with live annotations, and document upload and storage, including support for audio and video files like YouTube videos. These tools enhance live sessions and are available with Advanced plans.
Speech-to-text technology: Users can easily transcribe video, audio, or telehealth sessions with TheraPlatform's speech-to-text technology, simplifying the documentation process.
AI-empowered intake process: TheraPlatform uses advanced technology such as optical character recognition (OCR) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) to automatically extract information from client documents like insurance cards and driver's licenses. Clients can upload images of their documents, and relevant data is extracted and saved in their chart automatically.
EFax options: TheraPlatform offers HIPAA-compliant efax solutions as a secure and cost-effective alternative to traditional faxing. Incoming and outgoing documents are transmitted digitally and stored securely.
Automated billing and claim validation: TheraPlatform streamlines billing processes with automated features, allowing users to create and submit claims in batches. Real-time validation helps minimize rejected claims, speeding up payments.
Integrated clearinghouse: TheraPlatform provides integrated clearinghouse functionality with real-time claims validations, reducing the likelihood of rejected or denied claims.
Client portal: Clients have access to a secure portal where they can schedule appointments, complete and sign forms, view invoices, and access educational resources.
Customer feedback response: TheraPlatform values user feedback and provides excellent customer service, allowing users to request features and receive timely responses to their inquiries.
Home Education Platform: Includes a library of pediatric exercises, allows therapists to organize and upload worksheets, PDFs, audio and video files and assign them as homework. Parents and clients can log in to the client portal to review homework and print any assignments as well.
Start 30-day Free Trial and explore TheraPlatform. HIPAA Compliant Video and Practice Management Software for Therapists.
Fusion Web Clinic
Overview: Based in Greenville, SC, Fusion Web Clinic was designed and developed by a group of pediatric therapists and engineers and has been designing software for special education and outpatient therapy since 2006.
Who it’s for: Fusion Web Clinic is designed for pediatric therapists, including speech therapists. It offers features for documentation, scheduling, and practice management.
Highlights
- Pediatric focus: Made exclusively for pediatric therapy
- Home Education Platform: Includes a library of pediatric exercises, a file manager to upload your own exercises and a patient portal for clients to easily access materials. (Additional fee)
- Assisted Billing: End-to-end claims management that eliminates the need to call payers and train billers. (Additional fee) Plus a fee-based billing course.
ClinicSource
Overview: ClinicSource was founded in 2004. ClinicSource's headquarters is located in San Diego, California,
Who it’s for: Designed for any size clinic from five-person small clinics to multi facility clinics with hundreds of therapists can use the software.
Highlights
- Detailed reporting: Therapists can access in-depth reports to monitor productivity, finances and client outcomes that help inform decision-making
- User-friendly interface: Customers say the software has a user-friendly interface and reduces the learning curve for new users
- Comprehensive documentation: Offers extensive documentation tools, including customizable templates and automatic compliance alerts to ensure consistency and accuracy
Tebra (formerly Kareo)
What is it? Based in Corona Del Mar, CA., with an office in Costa Rica, Tebra is a joint venture of PatientPop and its parent company, formerly known as Kareo, which was founded in 2004.
Who’s it for? Small- to medium-sized health care practices that include speech therapists.
Highlights:
- Interoperability: Easily integrates with other systems
- Marketing hub: Offers the ability to reach and retain clients through automated reputation management and social media management
- Reporting capabilities: Easy-to-use dashboard provides data at a glance
Now that you have a high-level overview of the company and products, let’s dig into the features a little more to give you a clearer picture of the product and prices.
TheraPlatform | Fusion Web Clinic | Clinic source | Tebra (formerly Kareo) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Appointment management | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Automated reminders | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Automated Scheduling | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Chat/Messaging | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Cloud-based | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Google Calendar Sync | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | X |
Claims automation and batching | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ✔️ |
Progress reports | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
Efax | Add on | ❌ | Add on | ✔️ |
Client self scheduling | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Forms management | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Customizable templates | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Task management and assignment | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
Document storage | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Waitlist | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
ERAs | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Credit card processing and storage | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Auto generated superbills | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | Encounter forms |
Free trial | ✔️ | Free demo | Free demo | ❌ |
Telehealth | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ✔️ |
Built in apps and activities/exercises | Pro Plus plan only | ❌ | Add on | ❌ |
PRICE | $39/mo | $89 plus taxes | $74.95 | $125/month |
With the information presented above, you should be able to approach your search for the best speech therapy EMR informed.
With the insights provided, you're well-equipped to navigate your search for the ideal speech therapy (EMR).
Here's a summary to guide your decision-making:
Features: Consider your priorities and practice needs, focusing on enhancing efficiency in tasks such as note-taking, scheduling, and billing. Are you interested in incorporating telehealth options, especially for parents and pediatric clients? Evaluate the integration of relevant tools to optimize the patient experience.
Pricing: Take a comprehensive approach to pricing analysis beyond the monthly subscription rate to avoid future surprises and effectively manage revenue and expenses.
Key considerations include:
- High monthly fees may indicate excessive features. Identify the essential functionalities that align with your requirements.
- Low subscription costs may offer only basic functionality, necessitating additional add-ons for desired efficiency levels.
- Assess the value of add-on features based on their potential time-saving benefits.
- Anticipate future staff additions and associated fees for scalability.
- Account for transactional costs and be aware of potential cancellation fees.
Free trials: Utilize free trial periods offered by various speech therapy EMR providers, typically ranging from 14 to 30 days. Testing a product before committing enables you to make informed decisions, saving time and money in the long term.
Now equipped with knowledge on how top speech therapy, EMRs can streamline various aspects of your practice, consider selecting the most suitable EMR solution to optimize your business operations.
For further information and exploration, visit TheraPlatform's speech therapy software resource.
More resources
- Therapy resources and worksheets
- Therapy private practice courses
- Ultimate teletherapy ebook
- The Ultimate Insurance Billing Guide for Therapists
- The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Private Therapy Practice
