AdvancedMD vs Epic

AdvancedMD vs. Epic EHR

Choosing the right medical software requires balancing clinical, billing, and patient engagement needs while minimizing risk. This comparison examines AdvancedMD (optimized for outpatient care) and Epic (designed for large health systems) across scope, security, interoperability, and pricing to help you determine the best fit.

1. Service range and customization

Both AdvancedMD and Epic offer specialty-specific workflows, enabling providers to tailor the software to their practice needs. AdvancedMD includes customizable templates for specialties such as cardiology, orthopedics, and pediatrics, while Epic delivers more than 60 specialty modules, including oncology through its Beacon module and radiology through its Radiant module. Both platforms support custom reporting and dashboards, giving providers the ability to track key performance metrics efficiently.

AdvancedMD stands out for its flexibility in adding features like telemedicine or reputation management without requiring major system changes. Its task donut visualization highlights pending tasks for faster workflow management. Epic, while highly modular, often requires extensive setup and IT involvement. It is built for large-scale, complex deployments, whereas AdvancedMD offers greater agility for smaller practices that need quick adaptability without heavy infrastructure.

2. Compliance and security

Both platforms are HIPAA-compliant, ensuring patient data protection, and support encrypted data transmission. They also comply with HITECH Act requirements for financial transactions and SOC 2 Type II for security controls. Additionally, Epic and AdvancedMD offer audit logs and role-based access controls to prevent unauthorized data breaches.

Epic puts a stronger emphasis on enterprise-level security, with ISO 27001 certification, making it ideal for hospitals handling vast amounts of sensitive data. It also includes AI-driven fraud detection and real-time cybersecurity monitoring. AdvancedMD, while secure, is more focused on smaller practices and does not publicly advertise ISO 27001 compliance. However, it provides multi-factor authentication (MFA) and automatic backups, ensuring data safety for independent clinics.

3. Ease of use and interoperability

Both systems support interoperability through FHIR standards, enabling seamless data exchange with labs, pharmacies, and other EHRs. They also offer patient portals (MyChart for Epic, AdvancedMD Patient Portal) for secure messaging and appointment scheduling. Cloud-based access allows providers to use either system remotely.

AdvancedMD is praised for its intuitive, color-coded interface, making it easier for smaller teams to adopt quickly. However, some users report performance slowdowns during peak hours. Epic, while powerful, has a steep learning curve due to its complexity, as training often takes weeks or months. However, Epic’s AI-assisted documentation (via ambient voice recognition) and Care Everywhere (real-time data sharing across health systems) make it superior for large networks.

4. Pricing and contract policies

Neither platform publicly discloses full pricing on their websites, requiring custom quotes. Both accept credit cards, ACH, and institutional billing. They also offer revenue cycle management (RCM) services at an additional cost.

AdvancedMD follows a per-provider or per-encounter model, with costs generally ranging from $429 to $729 per month per provider, plus charges for add-on features such as telemedicine. It offers month-to-month flexibility, although some users report early termination fees.

Epic is significantly more expensive, with self-hosted solutions starting around $1,200 and large hospital deployments starting at about $500,000. Monthly fees can range from $200 to $35,000, depending on scale, with training averaging about $2,000. Pricing models include one-time licensing fees, subscription plans, and revenue-sharing agreements for large health systems. Per-user costs vary, with physician licenses averaging $5,000 to $7,000, other clinical staff around $3,000 to $5,000, and read-only access costing $500 to $1,000 per user. Costs can escalate quickly for large facilities, so careful user needs assessment is essential before committing.

Conclusion

Choosing between AdvancedMD and Epic comes down to matching the platform to your organization’s size, complexity, and resource capacity. AdvancedMD is well-suited to outpatient practices that need quick deployment, adaptable features, and straightforward workflows without heavy IT overhead. Epic’s extensive specialty modules, enterprise-grade security, and advanced interoperability make it a better choice for large health systems that require deep integration across multiple departments and locations. Weighing your clinical priorities, technical capabilities, and budget will help ensure the software you choose supports both current needs and long-term growth.