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CareCloud Editor’s Score: 85/100
| Customization | 80 |
| Pricing | 85 |
| Consultation | 60 |
| Revenue cycle management | 100 |
| Telehealth | 100 |
Why CareCloud Is Best for Workflow
The CareCloud medical software dashboard is easy to navigate, offering users access to both electronic medical record (EMR) tools and medical practice management software (PMS) features. The architecture is flexible enough to accommodate individual users’ preferences to prevent disruptions to your team’s workflow. All tabs you need to access are at the top of your screen, and with just one click, you can get to billing, scheduling, charts or wherever else you need to go.
We were most impressed with how these well-ordered tabs combine with a navigational order that resembles how registration and checkout have long worked in the front office. We liked that there is never a need to navigate between multiple windows and that the software moves seamlessly from one phase of the encounter to the next. For an administrator, the software offers a clear overview of all operations.
This process was designed to mimic a common workflow. However, CareCloud is also highly customizable, allowing healthcare organizations to adapt the platform to their unique needs.
Pros
- CareCloud’s setup and implementation are minimally disruptive.
- CareCloud’s intuitive user interface makes the software easy to navigate, even for users with minimal training.
Cons
- Although CareCloud has competitive monthly rates, the setup and implementation fees are higher than those of other vendors we reviewed.
- CareCloud generally requires practices to sign long-term contracts, though some exceptions may be negotiated.
Usability
CareCloud says its patient experience software, named Breeze, is user-friendly for both practitioners and patients, and in our tests, we found that CareCloud’s medical software interface is, indeed, straightforward and self-explanatory.
The dashboard is built from tabs on the top of the screen. One click is all it takes to get you to key portals, such as scheduling, billing and patient data. Navigation resembles the steps you’d normally move along from patient registration through checkout.
On the practice management side, CareCloud is extensively customizable, so you can shape its structure to meet your practice’s needs. The EMR system is just as flexible, and you can reach out to the company’s service team for EMR training. In speaking with CareCloud reps, we learned that setup typically takes 90 days.
Features
Here are CareCloud’s key features:
| Appointment scheduling | CareCloud’s robust appointment scheduling platform includes numerous filters and extensive color coding. |
| Billing and claims | The CareCloud billing and medical claims suite includes expansive coding libraries and thorough claim scrubbing tools. |
| Charting and Note-taking | CareCloud’s user-friendly charting and note-taking tools make it easy to access and add information to patient charts. |
| E-Prescribing and Labs | CareCloud includes reusable order sets that expedite your testing needs and flag potentially dangerous drug interactions. |
| Patient experience | CareCloud’s excellent patient experience includes contactless payments, Clover-powered patient kiosks, custom workflows and a dynamic patient portal. |
| Patient payment | With CareCloud, patients can set up payment plans, as well as accept payment by HSA or FSA, or other uncommon methods. |
| Reporting and practice analytics | CareCloud’s customizable practice analytics and reports show you all the good and bad factors behind your clinical performance. |
| Retail and e-commerce | CareCloud is the only medical software provider we reviewed that allows you to set up and maintain an e-commerce operation for additional revenue. |
| Revenue cycle management | CareCloud’s revenue cycle management suite includes all the tools common among medical billing services. |
| Telehealth | CareCloud’s HIPAA-compliant, potentially reimbursable telehealth suite comes with onboarding and training. |
Appointment Scheduling
One of the scheduling features we liked most was CareCloud’s color-coded and filterable calendar, which can be sorted by appointment status and type. We found this to be an easy way to streamline an individual user’s workflow. You can choose a daily, weekly or monthly view and filter based on elements such as location or provider. Viewing your calendar columns is easy: Just select from several checkboxes or use the mini-calendar tool.
In the appointment status view, each status gets its own color. Upcoming appointments are light blue, and they change to light green when patients check in and dark blue when checked-out patients have pending billing. If the appointment has already been billed, you’ll see dark green instead. Canceled appointments stand out, as they’re red instead of blue or green. These color-coding features are among the most extensive we found in the medical software we reviewed.
There is also a list view that shows the patient’s name; the appointment date, time and location; the provider; the appointment type and status; and the patient’s insurance eligibility if your front-office staff has verified it.
Speaking of insurance verification, CareCloud makes this task easy with individual and batch tools and additional color-coding capabilities. A green check means eligible, a red X means ineligible and a yellow exclamation mark indicates outstanding insurance issues.
Source: CareCloud
Billing and Claims
CareCloud’s billing platform is integrated with its EMR system for rapid clinical data collection. This makes it speedy and simple to post charges and create claims. After a clinical note is signed, your billing staff can verify the codes that CareCloud generates and add ICD-10 and CPT codes. CareCloud includes a library of these codes, as well as E&M codes, though the platform will generate these.
You’ll also see encounters and bills labeled clearly in the CareCloud platform as unbilled, saved or posted for payer submission. You’ll see a complete list of patient checkouts in the unfulfilled encounters menu alongside the patient’s information. This information includes the patient’s name, appointment type, date, provider, location, insurance and remaining encounter value. With this information, you’ll know which unfulfilled encounters to prioritize.
We liked that after claims are submitted and your charges are posted, CareCloud designates all unfulfilled encounters as saved. From your saved claims portal, your billing team can get real-time status updates. Your team can also see provider information, as well as the final encounter value and ICD-10, E&M and CPT codes.
Another useful feature is CareCloud’s CollectiveIQ rules engine, which scrubs all claims and flags errors that could result in payer rejection or denial. This database is updated regularly with new errors leading to rejections and denials from clearinghouses and payers nationwide.
You can also manage denied claims in CareCloud’s billing portal. Alongside these claims, you’ll see reports flagging the most frequent reasons for denial. If you also sign up for CareCloud’s revenue cycle management (RCM) services, you’ll see medical billers’ real-time progress within this same hub.
Source: CareCloud
Charting and Note-Taking
In CareCloud’s charting tool, lists of upcoming appointments and checked-in patients offer an overview of the day’s schedule. You’ll also see which exam rooms patients are located in and a list of completed appointments. We especially liked that we could drag and drop to move patients between lists, which we considered a must-have feature for medical software.
Viewing a patient’s full chart is as easy as double-clicking their name. We like that CareCloud creates a running list of recently opened patient charts for rapid access, allowing users to easily toggle between charts for recent visits. CareCloud makes it easy to review multiple charts at once with a series of tabs at the top of the screen, which is perfect for comparing recent charges with notes from the patient encounter without cluttering the screen.
In the CareCloud charting portal, there is an Exam Notes tool that lets you use custom or preset templates to streamline your note-taking. In CareCloud’s Breeze platform, your notes will automatically populate with a patient’s medical history and current information. You can type or use hotkeys or voice-to-text (via M*Modal or Dragon integrations) to take notes, which makes it easier to maintain focus on a patient.
Unique to CareCloud’s charts is a wand feature that auto-indicates a patient’s information as entirely normal and healthy. You can also click a list entry and color it red to mark it as abnormal. When patients describe their symptoms, you can cross-reference the red text on your chart to determine potential causes. We found these tools to be effective methods for improving provider decision-making through readily available information and recommendations.
Source: CareCloud
E-Prescribing and Labs
CareCloud has numerous tools for e-prescribing and labs. The platform lets you create reusable order sets so that you can easily convey your patients’ testing needs to your staff and third-party practices. The CareCloud eRx suite also gives you real-time intelligence at the point of care so you don’t prescribe medications that could interact dangerously.
Patient Experience
Compared with other medical software providers, CareCloud’s patient experience stands out. Many software features that might typically be targeted at practices are instead geared toward patients.
For example, CareCloud’s custom workflows are structured around a seamless patient experience, starting with pre-visit updates and reminders via the patient portal. For practices with the Breeze add-on, patients can use on-location Clover-powered check-in and checkout kiosks, thus reducing work for the front office. There are also contactless payment options.
Certain patient or practitioner actions after an appointment will automatically trigger patient surveys and reminders to schedule future appointments so you never miss an opportunity to keep patients engaged and on the calendar. CareCloud includes secure messaging tools to streamline communications with your patients. The platform goes beyond messaging to include loyalty campaigns designed to keep your patients coming back if they have future medical concerns.
Much of CareCloud’s patient experience prowess comes from its dynamic patient portal. There, patients can check in and pay well before their appointment. You and your patients can easily communicate before appointments in this portal as well. The CareCloud patient portal lets patients request, reschedule and set up reminders for upcoming appointments. As they do so, they can easily update their demographic and insurance information, which your staff must approve.
Source: CareCloud
Patient Payment
CareCloud couples its comprehensive patient experience suite with unique payment tools. Although some of these features can be found in other medical software, most of CareCloud’s strongest patient payment tools are unique.
Perhaps the most notable of these features is the ability for patients to build their own payment plans. This way, patients can make partial payments if they can’t immediately afford the full cost of your services. Chances are, you’ll wait less time to get paid than if you didn’t have access to these tools.
When it’s time to pay, patients can choose from payment types ranging from standard credit cards to health savings accounts (HSAs) and flexible spending accounts (FSAs). CareCloud is the only medical software company we reviewed that makes HSA and FSA payment this easy.
Before patients pay, they can view a detailed statement that breaks down their current charges. Emailed receipts follow payments, which automatically post to your PMS.
Given the vast array of patient payment tools described above, CareCloud claims that your patient collection rate will be 5% to 10% higher than with other software platforms. CareCloud also estimates that you’ll earn 10% to 20% more revenue per patient encounter.
Reporting and Practice Analytics
As with most of the medical software platforms we reviewed, CareCloud has comprehensive practice management and data tools. CareCloud’s financial intelligence spans your entire operation, from billing to HR, and you’ll see this data in simple reports of your clinical performance. You’ll also get predictive analytics that include actionable big data.
The CareCloud analytics and reporting suite includes a customizable dashboard for your data. You can also enable and block report access to certain team members. CareCloud’s easily accessible, data-heavy reports are available on both desktop and mobile devices. These reports help you determine all of the factors, both positive and negative, behind your practice’s performance. You can also locate bottlenecks in your collections and billing cycle and then solve these problems to bolster your performance.
You can filter any reports you generate in CareCloud by payer, provider or staff member, and view them in daily, weekly and monthly formats. The reports are fully customizable, and you can set them to generate on a regular schedule and export them as PDF, XLS or CSV files.
Retail and E-Commerce
CareCloud is the only medical software we reviewed that includes tools for pushing your practice beyond standard medical care into retail and e-commerce. While this function isn’t necessary for all practices, those looking for additional revenue streams may find it helpful.
Through CareCloud, you can set up a web store and manage your inventory, offer sales and discounts, and provide customers with real-time shipping updates. And if customers don’t complete their purchases before leaving your e-commerce site, you can send them reminders to recover their abandoned carts.
Revenue Cycle Management
CareCloud’s RCM suite, called CareCloud Concierge, is quite extensive. It stands out especially for its large number of features. CareCloud Concierge fully integrates with almost any EMR or PMS. Your account management team will measure your growth with thorough analytics and reporting, and when you contact this team, you can expect prompt responses. Beyond data, your account management team will ensure your practice remains in line with the most recent and pressing industry changes.
Your account management team will include experts in billing, collection and remittance. These experts will seek to optimize your payment cycle, and other experts will post payments, work denials and issue patient statements. Additional billing services include claim submission, payer follow-up and negotiations, superbill charge entry, operative report coding and claim error resolution.
As CareCloud Concierge manages your revenue cycle, it will keep your practice in line with the most recent Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and ICD-10 regulatory changes. CareCloud Concierge can also assist you in receiving Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare (CAQH) quarterly re-attestations, and government, commercial payer and managed care plans.
CareCloud Concierge says the above services will increase your collections by at least 7% while cutting your costs, as well as lower the number of days in accounts receivable by 33%.
Telehealth
CareCloud’s HIPAA-compliant telehealth platform may be reimbursable depending on the state in which your practice operates. It’s included for all practices that use CareCloud and integrates completely with your EMR and PMS. You’ll receive onboarding and training support for a seamless start.
The CareCloud telehealth suite includes all the tools you might expect of remote appointment software, including easy appointment starting, clear video and secure connections. Patients can use CareCloud’s mobile app to view their appointments, and booking and rescheduling are easy. You can set up automated email and text patient reminders to lessen your administrative burdens.
Pricing
CareCloud’s prices depend on whether you opt in to only the PMS or both the EMR and the PMS. CareCloud’s PMS costs $349 per provider per month, which is more affordable than several competitors. For both EMR and PMS, you’ll pay $628 per provider per month. In most cases, your plan will tether you to a three-year contract, though some one-year contracts are available.
You can also opt in to CareCloud’s Breeze platform for digital patient check-in, point-of-sale payment and appointment reminders, for an extra $199 per provider per month. For RCM, CareCloud charges between 3% and 7% of your collections, which is lower than several competitors’ rates.
Despite the competitive monthly rates, CareCloud has high setup fees. We’ve detailed CareCloud’s setup process and costs below.
Setup
New CareCloud customers can contact the company’s professional services team for training on CareCloud Charts. CareCloud representatives told us that its customers typically need 90 days to fully implement their new medical software. However, you’ll likely pay a steep fee for setup assistance.
If you need to migrate data from another EMR platform to CareCloud, the process comes with a price tag of up to $5,000. This high fee remains unchanged from previous years, but CareCloud recently lowered its implementation fees, which start at $1,000 for medical software. However, even this price could be cost-prohibitive for smaller practices on a budget. (If your practice falls into this category, see our review of Kareo and our athenahealth review; neither of these companies charges extra fees for setup.)
For RCM, CareCloud setup starts at $1,000 per provider. The exact price may depend on several variables, including specialty and monthly claims volume. In general, CareCloud’s prices may quickly push smaller or lower-volume practices past their limits.
CareCloud’s implementation fees fall into three tiers – Essentials, Enhanced and Enterprise – which are detailed below.
Essentials
Essentials is CareCloud’s $1,000 setup plan, which includes standard, off-the-shelf software configuration. It excludes customization, templates and data importing services, though it does include an introductory call. You’ll also be enrolled in electronic data interchange. In addition, CareCloud will develop your interfaces with pharmacies and labs.
Notably, the Essentials setup plan lacks direct training. However, it does come with access to CareCloud University, which is full of self-guided training materials. It also includes a check-in with your account manager five days after you start implementation.
Enhanced
For the Enhanced setup, CareCloud charges a percentage of your collections; the exact percentage depends on your claim volume and value. With Enhanced, you get several customization features as you set up your system. CareCloud also provides some guidance and training while overseeing your data importation.
Enterprise
Enterprise is CareCloud’s highest-level setup tier. You’ll need to request a custom quote to find out how much you’ll pay. Your money will get you a fully hands-on, consultative approach to your setup as well as thorough training. You’ll also have an entirely customizable setup process.
Customer Service
After you set up your CareCloud medical software and complete your initial training, the company’s customer support team will remain accessible via phone, live chat or help desk ticket. In our interactions with CareCloud’s customer support staff, we found that all of our questions were answered thoroughly and courteously. CareCloud’s customer service team was often proactive about answering our emails and phone calls.
Drawbacks
CareCloud’s most prominent drawbacks include the following:
- High setup fees. Although CareCloud’s monthly fees are competitive, its upfront setup costs are among the highest we found in our research. Other companies may charge more per month for their services but little or nothing for setup. New medical practices or lower-volume practices may prefer these other medical software providers.
- Long-term contracts. Most CareCloud users must sign three-year contracts, which may be too binding for some practices. Although one-year contracts may sometimes be available, even these may prove too limiting. Other providers often offer month-to-month contracts.
Methodology
We spent hours researching medical software. That research included software demonstrations, phone interviews and customer service calls, as well as analysis of customer service reviews available online, including those listed on the Better Business Bureau website.
When selecting our best pick for workflow, we compared how medical software providers’ setups streamlined or blocked typical practice workflows. Compared with what we found from competitors, such as in our review of DrChrono and our AdvancedMD review, we chose CareCloud as the best medical software for practice workflow because of its smooth user experience, logical arrangement of features and competitive monthly rates.
What Is Medical Software?
Medical software comprises EMR and PMS technology. Medical practices use EMR platforms to improve their charting, note-taking, interoperability, e-prescribing, lab ordering and telehealth offerings. PMS platforms, on the other hand, assist with front-office billing, scheduling and other administrative functions. Learn more about EMR and PMS in our reviews of the best medical software providers.
CareCloud FAQs
What is CareCloud?
CareCloud is a company that provides medical software, such as EMR and PMS, to practices. It also offers tools for practices that are looking to add e-commerce to their offerings. Additionally, you can outsource your medical billing to CareCloud through its RCM services.
How much does CareCloud cost?
For CareCloud’s PMS, you’ll pay $349 per provider per month; this pricing is competitive. Combined PMS and EMR with CareCloud costs $628 per provider per month.
How many patients visit doctors who use CareCloud?
Over 4.5 million patients visit practices that use CareCloud for their EMR and PMS.
Bottom Line
We recommend CareCloud for …
- High-volume medical practices.
- Practices that need a hands-on consultative approach.
We don’t recommend CareCloud for …
- New and low-volume practices.
- Practices that don’t want setup fees and long-term contracts.
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