What is Medical Charting Software?
Medical charting software is used for clinical documentation, storing complete patient records like medical history, progress notes, and treatment plans. Charting programs are the tools by which clinicians can continue to deliver care with efficiency.
While medical charting systems are recognized as essential tools for documentation by nurses and other clinicians, the perceived stress associated with these tools significantly contributes to their daily cognitive load. This is why the rigid and time-consuming EHR workflows are evolving to integrate with intelligent, AI-powered solutions that help reduce errors and maintain care quality, all to free clinicians from desk work.
In this article, we will discuss why medical charting software needs to be integrated with flexible solutions, the different types of medical charting systems, some considerations when using online medical charting software, and how Heidi simplifies charting so care flows naturally.
Why Medical Charting Software Is Essential in Healthcare
Medical charting software has become a vital part of clinical practice as patient needs grow more complex. As regulations adapt to changes in care workflows and technology, they evolve and become more detailed, which creates a complex system for billing. As a result, care providers are left with documentation requirements that are as complex.
This necessitates auditing software programs that are compliant with evaluation and management (E&M) guidelines to seamlessly fit existing clinical workflows. As pen-and-paper medical charting starts becoming obsolete, the need to reduce preventable errors like illegible handwriting and missed details grows.
However, the burden of tedious EHRs is a significant concern, highlighting the need for more adaptable documentation methods for nurses and GPs.
Structured and standardized documentation enabled by advanced documentation software like Heidi is ubiquitously used in modern health settings. The friction in the workforce caused by EHR burden is reduced, and clinicians no longer suffer from the unceasing stacks of paperwork.
Heidi’s integration with different medical charting software shows what’s possible when accuracy meets automation. It sets the stage for understanding the different types of charting systems in use today.
Types of Medical Charting Systems
Modern medical charting systems are programmed to be either embedded directly or partially. Highlighted below are real-world examples of the different medical charting system types and how they work when integrated with AI scribing software.
In this case, let’s take a look at how medical charting software programs integrate with the leading AI documentation solution, Heidi:
Direct Backend Integration
AI charting software programs work best for enterprise systems when bi-directionally connected with Heidi. Simply put, it makes note-taking, record-keeping, appointment scheduling, and more flow smoothly. Here are examples of Heidi-compatible charting systems that helped thousands of clinicians across regions.
- Gentu - Using Magentu’s practice management software Gentu, your appointment list automatically shows in the Heidi platform. When you create letters and notes with Heidi, these documents are saved straight back to Gentu with a single click.
- Athenahealth - If you work in a larger health group in the US, Athenahealth integration with Heidi saves you time by returning notes directly into the patient chart as soon as it captures the details, while the conversation naturally goes.
- MedicalDirector - Heidi directly embedded as Smart Scribe into MedicalDirector means no extra installations or inconvenience with integrations. Record live patient conversations without interruption, customize your notes, and push to complete documentation before your next session.
- Best Practice - Configured during setup with Heidi as a third-party integration, you can simply navigate to the Sessions Schedule tab where the patient appointment is listed, then proceed with your session casually. Multiple consults in a single day are now possible without excessive admin stress with its seamless integration.
Widget Integration
Typically available in integrations marketplaces, widget integrations are Heidi’s fastest way to implement automated medical charting or push data into EMRs. Because Heidi appears on the patient chart screen, there’s no need for clinicians like you to switch tabs, causing a low-friction path to landing in practice management systems (PMS) like the following examples:
- MediRecords - A PMS with a strong presence in ANZ, MediRecords allows you to self-activate Heidi, and it will show up in your dashboard whenever you open a patient record. With Heidi, you can place additional context under Today’s Notes after a patient visit.
- Halaxy - Within Halaxy, clinicians can transform any note into comprehensive documentation with a single note push. In ANZ, care teams in diverse practices integrate Heidi with Halaxy to maintain the same voice and style in producing documentation in any way they wish.
- Semble - Heidi can auto-handle your documentation for walk-in or telehealth visits so you can focus on conversing with your patient. Best suited to private UK clinics needing fast embed and secure data residency, Semble and Heidi do not require a complicated setup with the lightweight widget approach.
- CareStack - Particularly built for US-based dental and other specialty group practices, CareStack supports the Heidi widget to provide clinics an easy way to adopt an automated medical charting program without complex backend builds.
The rich interoperability of EMR integrations reduces double entry of medical data and makes governance for enterprise teams more scalable. At the same time, the device flexibility and easy rollout provided by widget integrations are unparalleled when it comes to simplifying a complicated workflow.
Integrating Heidi is exactly how the team at Family Doctors @ Tuggerah successfully redeemed at least an hour in their day on documentation. Dr. Theresa Colina, MD, FRACGP, Practice Principal, runs a small clinic and is willing to innovate. As she puts it, “[Typing] is the worst thing because you have to capture everything that has happened in the consultation…the most challenging part is that you have to finish your notes by the time the patient exists…and you’re already late for your next appointment.”
This burden consumed time and pulled attention away from her patients, which underscores how documentation demands compromised face-to-face care. By adopting Heidi, she found the flexibility and simplicity that she exactly needed to restore that interaction.
"AI takes away the little things that take you away from patients and patient care. It can only get better,” Dr. Colina shared with relief, noting that Heidi’s customizable notes and easy interface save her and her team several hours each week. That regained time not only translates directly into stronger patient connections but also into a clinic that can run more smoothly without sacrificing quality of care.
Key Considerations When Using Medical Charting Software
Medical charting software programs vary in cost, functions, and use cases, all of which make up the key points to consider when using one in practice. Listed below are key factors to consider when evaluating or implementing medical charting solutions:
Safety of Patient Information
Across major regions, baseline expectations for patient information safety, like invariable audit trails and entering business associate agreements (BAAs), are similar. Considering that healthcare services encompass telehealth, patient safety is of paramount importance. However, more elaborate technical safeguards are subject to jurisdictional rules.
Prime examples include HIPAA laws in the US, the APPs and My Health Record controls in Australia, and PIPEDA/PHIPA in Canada. In the EU, the GDPR is enforced, and in the UK, the NHS Records Management Code of Practice is implemented. Using a compliant medical charting software is a sure-fire way to ensure security wherever you practice or deliver patient care.
Ease of Access to Health Data
Medical charting software solutions keep patient data accessible in one place. The convenience they allow enables clinicians to review, analyze, and edit records to ensure they are up-to-date. This way, patient charts are immediately and conveniently transferable between departments, clinics, or hospitals.
In the US, clinicians using electronic medical charts are supported through the 21st Century Cures Act, which prevents them from “information blocking” that may delay care. In Australia, clinicians can conveniently and securely access aggregated patient data in the My Health Record system. In the UK, patient-facing visibility is now the default through the NHS app, and clinicians can easily access medical records through the charting software.
Streamlined Diagnoses and Treatment
Standardized and structured documentation was found to be associated with better documentation quality. Moreover, documenting with structured terminologies like medical codes improves the reuse and safety of clinical data. Embedding medical charting software with tools that can enhance the manual aspect of clinicians’ workflow helps to create a more efficient way to diagnose and treat patients.
Standardized Coordination and Communication
When documentation is structured, communication across teams is seamless and, therefore, care is not compromised. In different regions, some new rules tighten security requirements, so charting software needs multi-factor log-ins or audit trails. For example, as part of the HL7 protocol, Heidi is built to work with the FHIR standard, so even if it is largely innovative as a tool, it is still clinician-friendly and easy to use.
Doubtlessly, the emergence of EHRs was vital for a way to centralize individual health records. However, as much as it was efficient for record-keeping, the burden to maintain consistency and thoroughness in the records took a toll on clinicians’ cognitive load. Efforts to address such documentation complexity are led by health-tech providers like Heidi in support of clinicians to practice medicine instead of paperwork.
Transform Medical Charting into a Seamless Part of Care
By capturing each consult accurately and structuring notes in real time, Heidi helps clinicians recall patient details effortlessly and support confident clinical reasoning. Designed to lighten cognitive load and return focus to patients, Heidi consistently delivers high-quality documentation across every specialty and setting, offering measurable gains in efficiency, accuracy, and more tangible benefits, such as:
- 1-2 hours reduced admin time: Heidi cuts down documentation time which significantly decreases stress levels leading to burnout among clinicians.
- Automated routine calls: You can offload inbound front desk calls and outbound follow-ups so your staff focuses on complex care, not phone tags.
- Cost savings: Adoption of Heidi helps specialists and GPs in hospitals to maximize their performance and deliver care better hands-free, without needing extra staff for admin.
Powering over 1.8 million patient charts in consultations each week, Heidi is built with top-notch security and compliance at its core, meeting HIPAA, NHS, GDPR, APP, and other major privacy regulations. Data is stored regionally, and no audio is ever retained. This gives clinicians complete control over note access and retention.
Frequently Asked Questions about Medical Charting Software
How does medical charting software actually work?
Serving as the digital version of the patient chart, medical charting software helps clinicians manage and store information to easily track care progress and patient outcomes. Medical information stored typically includes details of medical findings, diagnoses, medication, imaging, and laboratory, among others. Clinicians’ charting workflows are more securely performed with standardized templates from Heidi, the AI scribe that automates documentation from end to end.
What is the best medical charting system?
The best medical charting system adapts to decision factors and priorities that vary per practice and business needs. For example, some health systems may prioritize workflow integration and AI capabilities, while smaller clinics may prefer to prioritize cloud-based access for customizability. No matter the case, the best medical charting system works far better when integrated with Heidi, the AI solution in healthcare that adapts to over 200 specialties with robust compliance and product support.
What are the inclusions of a free medical charting software?
Generally, free medical charting software solutions offer free practice systems with core charting components, with varying provisions per country. The typical free charting software includes features such as basic scheduling and intake, billing, and patient notes. An example of a free medical charting software is Halaxy integrated with Heidi, allowing you to take advantage of live transcription, personalized templates, note generation, and other AI functions to auto-complete your documentation.
