Frequently Asked Questions

EMR stands for Electronic Medical Record, while EHR stands for Electronic Health Record. At their most basic level, each are ways for storing and communicating health records digitally. Behavioral Health EHRs are records that contain both behavioral health or mental health information and physical health information, such as:

• Personal and demographic data
• Assessments
• Diagnoses
• Treatment Plans 
• Progress notes 
• Medications
• ePrescriptions
• eMar (electronic Medication Administration Record)
• Outcomes
• Medical information, including
  • Laboratory data
  • Allergies
  • Imaging reports
  • Vital signs
  • Medical History
  • Immunizations

EMR and EHR software programs are designed to help providers better care for their patients and clients and operate more efficiently by using EMRs and EHRs. Behavioral Health EMR software and Behavioral Health EHR software focus on behavioral health and mental health. Some of these software programs also coordinate with EMR software used primarily by primary care physicians and hospitals to enable coordination between mental and behavioral health and physical health.

Behavioral Health EHR software programs are available in many different types. The most basic types are used by single practitioners (therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, etc.) or small mental health practices to serve clients. Many of these software programs also include billing and revenue cycle management functionality to make it more efficient for providers to get reimbursed by insurers and other payers for the mental health services they provide.

Some Behavioral Health EHR software programs focus on or include functionality specific to certain types of treatment, such as substance use disorder and intellectual or developmental disabilities. Some of these programs also include functionality for human services such as foster care and adoption and child and family services.

The largest Behavioral Health EHR programs are enterprise behavioral health platforms. These mental health platforms are sophisticated enough to help medium to large behavioral health providers offer a broader range of behavioral health and mental health services on a larger scale.

True enterprise behavioral health EHRs enable providers to manage their entire organization from one single platform. These include clinical care services for inpatient and residential and outpatient and day services. Many support a range of additional services including substance use disorder, intellectual or developmental disabilities, and primary care integration. Enterprise EHRs also include revenue cycle management and practice management functionality, as well as sophisticated analytical and business intelligence capabilities.

Behavioral health and mental health EHRs platforms provide a number of advantages.

• Clinical: Behavioral health EHRs enable clinicians to better track, coordinate, and monitor treatments and outcomes to improve the quality of care.
• Operational: Behavioral health EHRs enable provider organizations to offer care more efficiently and to get reimbursed by payers more accurately for the behavioral and mental health services they offer.
• Analytical: Data captured by behavioral health EHR platforms can be used to improve both quality of care and the efficiency of services provided.
• Access: EHRs with telehealth capabilities can help individuals access mental health services remotely, which is particularly important in rural areas where access to in-person care may not be sufficient due to a shortage of behavioral health care workers .
• Integrations: EHRs also help behavioral health providers better integrate care with other organizations, such as primary care physicians, labs, hospitals, schools, and other health and welfare agencies.