CureMD Review: Health Management Simplified

Published on December 9, 2019
cureMD review
Image via cureMD

CureMD is cloud-based Electronic Health Record provider that is trying to be the No. 1 and most user friendly cloud Electronic Health Record. Back in 1997, Bill Hashmat and his associates created the system, its roots are two decades old. 

CureMD is now one of the first systems in the United States to be utilized by a leading South American HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), using over 30,000 clinical practices, including CuidaMed in particular. CureMD maintains its global growth and presence in Europe, United States, South America and the Middle East, with its headquarters in New York City.

Features

CureMD includes the expected characteristics in its Electronic Health Record (EHR) range, including key features such as electronic charts, designation schedules, and electronic prescriptions. Data input is supported, but not manual data entry, instead it’s done via the alternate voice dictation method.

A patient portal that patients are free to use in scheduling their appointments, requesting a refill of the prescription, updating their state of health, and have access to education materials is also available. Patient lab results can be obtained and medical records too. This patient website is actually fulfills meaningful usage criteria at stage 2 in the United States and ahead of the curve.

There is an app included in CureMD called Avalon, an iPad app designed for the busy clinician on the move, which can also be used on the iPhone. This app is perfect companion for on-duty. Designed to be easy to use, the doctor can access appointments, check and even create patient notes, medical records and the document manager. Advanced functions, such as insurance eligibility verification, electronic prescription, collecting fees, etc, are also available and you even can dictate the transcription to the Siri text engine with a note.

The lab interfacing technology is a further useful feature of CureMD. It facilitates both the ordering of new patient laboratories and the electronic receipt of laboratory results, preventing any delay in the results. There are also integrated advanced functions, which can shift current laboratories against priors, alert them to anomalous results, and provide advanced reporting.

Another key feature of this EHR platform is electronic prescribing, which enables the pharmacist to link to more than 40,000 drug stores, both retail and postal. In addition to basic principles, CureMD implementation includes controlled e-prescription drug use, drug reconciliation functions, complete pharmaceutical history, and eligibility for prescription in real-time and form controls.

The billing function is also supported by CureMD and this is in-house rather than externalized by means of the CureMD Medical Billing Service to another provider. It also includes 32 different medical departments designed for end-to-end management of the revenue cycle, to achieve the maximum income. They claim to get help with claim setup, timely submissions, follow-ups and even help with refuses and payment postings.

Drawbacks

Every Electronic Health Record System has its inconveniences, including CureMD. It can be choosy about the browser used and it is the first issue that came up, because of its browser-driven base. For a lot of users it works only with Internet Explorer which is not first choice for most of the user these days as Chrome and Mozilla are dominating.

The speed of the platform is problematic for other users. The support team at CureMD encourages you to add RAM to your computer, swap the mechanical hard drive to SSD and upgrade your broadband connection to fiber. This is a lot of work before you may have to do before start using this app. The problems remain in digital diagrammatic despite their efforts. One of the concerns is the length of time it takes for clinicians to place orders in laboratories, because there is a busy office full of patients.

The billing again is a matter of concern. Users have complaints about a CureMD accounting service that too slowly complies with their claims.

The lack of flexibility on the platform is also criticized. This includes unmodified note templates and color coding types like some competing platforms, to make clear, for example, which are the new patients for whom the majority of practitioners block more time. The types of reports that can be executed are also limited.

Pricing

We welcome the fact that CureMD offers an advance starting price while a company contact is required for final pricing. Their EHR Cloud starts for $295 per month (£ 227) although no additional information is provided on the number of users it supports or the cost of additional options.

Free trial to assist users to decide whether CureMD works for their practice is also available. There is also an offer to switch to EHR with a limited time for $0.

Support

CureMD operates with a client server and a mobile application on a MicrosoftDNA platform. As a SaaS (Software as a service), with cloud data storage, Windows and Mac desktop software is available, and an iPad iOS app incorporated into version 10 g is also available. Sadly, no Android app is available.

There are a lot of support options onboard with all useful possibilities, documentation, live online and webinars. The lonely support option is available only for business hours after the initial set-up time.

Final verdict

With a focus on outpatient practices, CureMD is a popular HER system. The main points include a robust iOS app, a patient portal and a complete registration platform (e-registration), that is easy to use and yet fully featured. Most of the companies hesitate the upfront disclosure of pricing but we love the earliest revealing of prices by CureMD. The downsides include supporting the single browser, lack of flexibility, slower speeds and absence of an Android app. In general, CureMD is a strong entry for an EHR in the ambulatory setting.

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