Orthopedic EHR Buyers’ Guide

Orthopedic practices face a complex task when selecting an EHR due to the wide range of conditions they treat and the high patient volumes they manage. Selecting a specialty system still follows the same core process as any EHR purchase: gather input from clinicians, admin staff, and leadership to define clear selection criteria and prioritise features that support your practice’s goals.

However, orthopedic teams have more choices than most specialties. 

When comparing options, two factors usually shape the decision:

• How efficiently the system captures and structures orthopedic clinical data.
• How well it supports operations such as billing, reporting, and performance tracking.

Given these realities, what should you look for in the best EHR for orthopedics, and how do you evaluate your options?

This guide will help you understand:

• What requirements orthopedic EHR should meet, and which features you should consider
• How much orthopedic EHR costs
• Which orthopedic EHR vendors you should consider

Which orthopedic EHR features do you need?

Orthopedic practices handle large volumes of structured clinical data, coordinate care across settings, and manage risk when prescribing pain medication. Your EHR should directly support these realities.

Features to prioritize include:

• Flexible workflows and data entry: Orthopedic care spans sports injuries, surgery, rehab, and workplace injuries. Your system should adapt to these variations. Look for templates, configurable workflows, and multiple input methods (structured data, dictation, quick-select options). The best orthopedic EMR systems reduce clicks without limiting clinical detail.
• Intuitive design: High patient throughput leaves little room for inefficient interfaces. Choose a system that supports fast documentation, clear navigation, and integrated scheduling and patient engagement tools. Your EHR should help clinicians move quickly without sacrificing accuracy.
• Care management and interoperability: Orthopedic patients often receive care from multiple providers over time. Your EHR should make it easy to share records, track outcomes, and coordinate across settings. Look for strong interoperability and longitudinal patient tracking, not just visit-based documentation.
• E-prescription of controlled substances (EPCS): Pain management is central to orthopedics, and compliance matters. Your system should support secure prescribing workflows, access to prescription history, and tools to identify potential misuse. This is essential for both patient safety and regulatory compliance.
• Orthopedics-specific templates: Orthopedic documentation requires structured data for joints, injuries, procedures, and outcomes. Ensure the system includes specialty-specific templates that reflect real clinical workflows, not generic forms adapted for orthopedics.
• Customizable clinical content: No two practices document care in exactly the same way. Choose a system that lets you tailor templates, forms, and workflows without heavy vendor involvement. Flexibility here directly impacts clinician adoption.
• Customisable treatment plans: Some systems include pre-built knowledge bases that allow clinicians to generate “one-click” treatment plans, orders, prescriptions, and referrals. These features save time and standardise care without adding rigidity.
• Practice management and billing integration:
  Cost control and revenue performance remain top concerns. An integrated system should help you track financial performance in real time, automate billing and collections, and ultimately
  reduce administrative workload.

For more ideas, check out our guide to 50 features to look for in your next EHR purchase 

How much does orthopedic EHR cost?

Just like any other EHR product, the cost of an orthopedic EHR varies based on functionality, method of deployment, and vendor implementation fees. As well as the out-of-the-box price, you should consider:

• The number of modules required
• Hardware upgrades (if opting for an on-premise system)
• Implementation costs (consultancy, training, customization)
• Staff overtime during implementation
• Reduced patient throughput during implementation
• Maintenance agreements and vendor support packages

A Health Affairs study found that a typical multi-physician practice would spend about $162,000 to implement an EHR, with $85,500 for first-year maintenance costs. This will vary from practice to practice, so use it as a starting point rather than a fixed expectation.

While initial fees will vary from vendor to vendor, here are a few examples of base-level pricing from vendors who sell into the orthopedic EHR market. For more, download our comprehensive EHR pricing guide.

• TotalMD: $3999 per user (perpetual license)
• eClinicalWorks: $449 per provider per month
• AdvancedMD: $720 per provider per month
• Tebra (formerly Kareo): $300 per provider per month
• CureMD: $295 per provider per month

Which orthopedic EHR vendors should you consider?

The following is a list of four of the best EHRs for orthopedic practices. While you'll need to carry out your own requirements gathering exercise and shortlist vendors accordingly, these are a solid starting point. 

Phoenix Ortho EMR

Phoenix Ortho offers a dedicated orthopedic solution with integrated PACS and practice management.

The system supports point-and-click input, voice dictation, and transcription. Its integrated imaging connects X-rays, MRIs, and ultrasound directly to patient charts, reducing manual steps.

A key differentiator is its template-free workflow, which adapts to physician preferences. For high-volume practices, this can significantly reduce documentation time.

Exscribe Orthopedic EHR

Exscribe’s cloud-based orthopedic software is one of the best-reviewed EHRs for orthopedics on the market today. Exscribe offers a sophisticated practice management and PACS solutions alongside the EHR, and also offers mobile device compatibility through a native iOS app.

Users benefit from e-prescribing and a patient portal, allowing the patient to access health data easily without needing medical paperwork. One of the value points in this system rests in its ability to optimize workflows without extensive customization and development. To achieve these efficiency gains, Exscribe offers a knowledge base that enables the creation of customizable one-click treatment plans, orders for surgery and therapy, prescriptions, patient education, and referral letters.

The solution offers a great deal of flexibility in workflow and data entry preferences, allowing multiple providers to work seamlessly with the system.

Modernizing Medicine's Orthopedic EHR

Modernizing Medicine's Orthopedic EMR is a cloud-based, mobile-friendly system offering a standard suite of EHR features with practice management, revenue cycle management, and telehealth functionality. The system offers a touch-based interface and allows the ability to automate forms, billing information, generate patient education and e-Prescribe.

Modernizing Medicine’s product draws heavy inspiration from the interfaces used in other mobile operating systems. The product’s Electronic Medical Assistant (EMA) is able to enhance workflows by adapting to clinician preferences and facilitating clinical collaboration within an organization.

One of the unique features in this system is its ability to provide practices with a MIPS scorecard, real-time peer benchmarking, and automated reporting, allowing providers to track their performance under the newly implemented merit-based reimbursement program through CMS.

ChartLogic for Orthopedics

ChartLogic’s cloud-based EHR solution for orthopedic practices offers a full suite of EHR features, including practice management, medical billing services, e-prescribing, and a patient portal.

The system also features orthopedic EMR templates and flow sheets, which allow for customizable content and the ability to tailor workflows accordingly. Most important to time-pressed clinicians, ChartLogic boasts that its system allows for the creation of patient notes in less than 90 seconds by eliminating extraneous clicking and pull-down boxes, by featuring a complete patient note on a single screen.