OpenEMR vs Cerner: The Ultimate Comparison

Selecting the appropriate EHR/EMR system is vital for providers seeking a solution to enhance efficiency. As of 2024, the global hospital information system market is projected to grow significantly, reaching approximately $100.66 billion by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.58%.

In this expanding market, Oracle’s Cerner EHR dominates holding over 26% of hospital EHR shares in the US. Likewise, open-source EMR systems like OpenEMR have gained popularity and increased adoption rates in small clinics and medium-sized practices in the US.

In this blog post, we have shared the ultimate comparison between OpenEMR and Cerner, analyzing its features, cost considerations, scalability, and others. 

If you are a healthcare organization planning to select the right EHR/EMR solution, this blog post might help you to make informed decisions.

What is OpenEMR? [Key Features and Benefits]

OpenEMR is a powerful open-source electronic medical records system initially developed by Syntech in 2001. Initially, they named OpenEMR MP Pro, which later became OpenEMR.

It has various features and functionalities that allow clinics to centralize patient records, schedule appointments, manage billing, and more. Additionally, OpenEMR enables lab integration, prescription fulfillment, and report generation. The ONC fully approves it as a comprehensive EHR. The system is compatible with Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, and other systems.

OpenEMR provides several advantages for multi-department, multi-specialty hospitals, including:

• OpenEMR is open-source, which means there are no software costs.
• It is extremely adaptable and customizable, allowing it to meet a wide range of specialized requirements.
• OpenEMR connects with a variety of platforms.
• It provides seamless data sharing between departments, such as labs and imaging centers.
• Hospitals can customize OpenEMR’s features to meet department-specific requirements.
• The active community, including developers, is always there to support you.

Related: What Is OpenEMR? – A Complete Guide

What is Cerner EHR? [Key Features and Benefits]

Oracle Health’s cloud-based Cerner EHR serves healthcare institutions of all sizes and specialties. Features including revenue cycle management, graphing, documentation, and health analytics improve patient care while streamlining operations. 

These features ensure exact diagnosis and treatments by assisting in the maintenance of current, accurate patient information.

With support for more than 40 specialties, the system streamlines paperwork and task automation, freeing up medical staff to focus on patient care. Because of this efficiency, doctors can see more patients each day, increasing overall revenue without sacrificing care quality.

Related: Customize Cerner Like a Pro: Make the EHR Work for You

The Ultimate Comparison Between OpenEMR and Cerner EHR

Here is the ultimate comparison between Cerner EHR and OpenEMR. This includes: Cost comparison, best-suited practice types, platforms supported, usability and user experience, and security and compliance.

1/ Cost Comparison

• Cerner: $25/Per Month, per user. However, the pricing varies based on practice size and healthcare organization needs.
• OpenEMR: $0. There will be no cost to download, modify the system, or upgrade. But there will be hosting costs, for instance, if you plan to host OpenEMR on AWS, there will charge per hour cost (e.g. t2.small: $0.042 per hour).

When it comes to cost comparison, OpenEMR stands at the top. Because of its open-source nature, the software is available for free. 

Anyone with the device can download and host OpenEMR locally or use any cloud hosting like AWS or Google Cloud to access the OpenEMR.

2/ Best-Suited Practice Types

Cerner EHR is perfectly suited for Large-scale healthcare organizations while OpenEMR is suited for small-scale scale, medium-sized and can be scaled to meet large clinic healthcare practices needs.

Because Cerner is designed to manage a larger volume of patient data and can support multiple specialties. And OpenEMR can manage huge amounts of data and users ensuring that it can grow along with the organization’s needs.

3/ Platforms Supported

Each of the systems supports certain platforms. Cerner EHR supports various platforms such as Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and Chromebook. OpenEMR limits the platform supported. It supports a limited range of platforms which are Windows, MacOS, and Linux.

4/ Deployment Supported

For Deployment support, OpenEMR stands at the top as it offers both Cloud and On-premises support. In comparison, Cerner EHR supports only cloud-based.

5/ Usability and User Experience

When comparing both systems, usability plays a key role. OpenEMR, as an open-source platform, offers high flexibility but requires experts in customization. 

Cerner provides a solid interface with seamless workflow but has a steeper learning curve for beginners. Both systems excel in User Experience but cater to different needs.

6/ Security and Compliance

OpenEMR prioritizes data security through encryption and HIPAA compliance, which is aided by its open-source transparency, allowing users to evaluate and improve its safeguards. 

Cerner’s patented solution includes advanced security protocols that fulfill industry requirements such as HIPAA and HITECH. 

Both systems maintain compliance, but Cerner’s enterprise-grade capabilities make it appropriate for large practices that require strong security measures.

Key Differentiators Between OpenEMR and Cerner EHR

1. OpenEMR Highlights

• No installation costs; customizable for unique clinic needs.
• Automates billing, lab requests, and insurance tracking, reducing operational expenses.
• Offers detailed demographics and decision tools for personalized treatments.
• Centralized platform for managing records, scheduling, and financials.
• Secure messaging for patient-doctor interactions and file sharing.

2. Cerner Highlights

• Connects clinical, operational, and financial data with Health Network Architecture.
• Links medical devices and EHR systems through CareAware.
• Provides APIs and support for third-party app development.
• Aggregates data across vendors via Cerner Millennium.
• Full-service assistance for installation and ongoing use.

User Synopsis [Satisfaction Ratings by Users]

By evaluating reviews for Both Cerner EHR and OpenEMR in the Marketplace, here is the user satisfaction ratings:

• Cerner EHR: 73% of users recommend the Cerner EHR. “Good” Satisfaction Rating.
• OpenEMR: 78% of users recommend the OpenEMR. “Good” Satisfaction Rating.

 CapMind’s OpenEMR Customization and Integration Service

CapMinds OpenEMR consigns clinicians with the best features and ways to integrate. It makes their workflows more efficient and filtered. 

The integrated features will allow them to combine the ability of patient record management with conceptual and concurrent reminders. 

This enhances the process of decision-making and improves patient care and quality.

• At CapMinds, OpenEMR custom solutions are developed with much curation and accuracy to match the special practice needs.
• It will be low-cost, and the perfect budget solution for your practice’s long-term future.
• CapMinds OpenEMR prioritizes secure data management & ensures compliance with industry regulations, offering healthcare providers peace of mind.

Get the best technologies and HIPAA-compliant and efficient OpenEMR that can be tailored to fit your practice from CapMinds.

Our OpenEMR services facilitate a Modern User Interface (UI), customization, production support & training. Also facilitates billing, report & specialty enhancements, clearing house integrations, e-prescription, cloud, and more.

“Get the most experienced, proven, and perfect professional support for your OpenEMR”