ICANotes and Kareo Clinical are web-based electronic health records (EHR) software designed for therapists. They are helpful for therapists by simplifying documentation processes and reducing administrative tasks. Knowing the best EHR software to use in your practice will enable therapists deliver quality and excellent client care.
Selecting the right EHR software as a therapist is important to improve your therapy practice. This article will discuss the comparison between ICANotes and Kareo Clinical. It will cover the features and cost options they offer, along with the benefits and shortcomings. This will help to guide you in making the suitable choice for your mental health practice.
What is ICANotes?
ICANotes is an online EHR platform with a practice management system for mental health practitioners. It is a robust behavioral health software that makes it easy for therapists to easily document client’s information and create progress notes. ICANotes focuses on reducing the complexity of documentation, creating treatment plans and billing. It is designed for all behavioral health professionals in diverse settings. This includes psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors and social workers.
Features of ICANotes
Client Portal – The portal allows clients to communicate with therapists and schedule appointments securely online. Clients can also view their mental health records when necessary. This feature enables clients to easily submit their forms or update their information with ease.
E-Prescription – ICANotes offers electronic prescription of medications. This feature allows therapists to quickly and accurately send prescribed medications to pharmacies.
Telehealth – It provides the privacy and convenience that many clients need. Through online consultations, ICANotes helps you manage secured assessments and virtual mental health therapy.
Claims Management – ICANotes EHR records proof of insurance and checks your client’s eligibility. The EHR platform allows you to electronically submit insurance claims to a healthcare clearinghouse.
Other features include- electronic payments, electronic signatures, rating scales, appointment reminders and scheduling.
Benefits of ICANotes for Therapists
- It has excellent live customer support service for mental health professionals.
- ICANotes provides different price options for mental health practices.
- It provides customizable forms and templates.
- It has over 70 rating scales and assessment tools for therapists.
- It enables easy appointment scheduling, sends and reminders.
- It helps therapists write comprehensive yet personalized notes and treatment plans.
- It improves compliance and meets regulatory standards.
- This EHR comes with automated invoicing and tracks payment easily.
- Therapists can easily manage their billing and financial reports.
- It provides HIPAA- Compliant video sessions.
Drawbacks of ICANotes for Therapists
- It may take new users some time to learn ICANotes. Some therapists who have used ICANotes gave reviews of how difficult it is to use the software.
- ICANotes have extra fees, which are optional and limited access to features such as telehealth services. Therapists are required to pay $10 per month per user to access telehealth features.
- Users find the interface dated and not user-friendly.
What is Kareo Clinical?
Kareo Clinical, which is now known as Tebra, is designed for independent mental health practitioners. If you own a small clinic, Kareo Clinical is for you. It is a cloud-based EHR software created to assist therapists with note-taking and administrative tasks. With this all-in-one EHR solution, therapists can create reports, schedule clients, manage clients data, and verify insurance. Additionally, it has extensive functions for managing and tracking payments. The platform is easy to navigate, provides a user-friendly experience for clients and expert guidance.
Features of Kareo Clinical
Mental Health Documentation – Kareo Clinical offers templates designed to assist therapists in documenting their client’s data with accuracy. These template designs are easy for mental health practitioners to use. They can be personalized and easily modified for different purposes, such as SOAP notes, session summaries, and treatment plans.
Write less, focus more
Automate notes and treatment plans while keeping your clinical style and the Golden Thread.
- SOAP, DAP, BIRP, EMDR notes and more
- Alliance signals
- SMART treatment plans
- HIPAA & PHIPA compliant
Secure Messaging – Kareo Clinical provides secure internal communication between staff and external messaging to clients. This feature ensures that clients’ information is secured in compliance with HIPAA regulations.
Clients Portal – Mental health professionals find it easy to manage their clients’ portals. With Kareo Clinical, clients can easily communicate with their therapist. This feature helps to improve the relationship between the therapist and the client.
Appointment Scheduling – Kareo Clinical provides this essential feature, which makes it easy to schedule therapy sessions with clients. It also comes with reminders to reduce appointment cancellations.
Billing and Payment – It provides a seamless and simplified billing process. It assists therapists with insurance and claims management.
E-Prescribe – The e-Prescribing feature of Kareo Clinical makes it possible for therapists to prescribe medications to their clients online. They give a full view of clients’ histories and prescriptions. This enables clients to get their prescriptions quickly.
Benefits of Kareo Clinical for Therapists
- It has an easy-to-use interface, which has made it easy for therapists to quickly learn and use the software.
- It is great for new and independent practices.
- Kareo Clinical allows easy appointment scheduling with clients.
- It provides easy access to medical records.
- It integrates with practice management softwares. This feature makes it possible for therapists to improve the productivity of their mental health practices. It helps to streamline mental health practice operations.
- Kareo Clinical tool helps to reduce billing procedures.
- Kareo Clinical has an effective documentation tool. Therapists find it easy and quick to document clients’ information.
- It uncovers opportunities for practice growth.
Drawbacks of Kareo Clinical for Therapists
- It is very pricey.
- Users of Kareo Clinical have experienced technical issues and gave a report of the software freezing. This may cause hindrance to clinical operations.
- Mental health practitioners have complained of delayed responses from the customer support feature.
Price Comparison of ICANotes and Kareo Clinical
ICANotes and Kareo Clinical both have three payment plans for users. ICANotes gives a free 30-day trial for mental health therapists while Tebra gives room to request a demo. Tebra’s pricing is very high and can deter smaller practices; however, the cost can be tailored to your practice needs.
| KAREO CLINICAL | Clinical Essentials | Billing Essentials | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| $349/member/month | $374/member/month | $599/member/month | |
| ICANOTES | Notes Only (Contains all features asides E-prescribe) | Non-Prescribing (Contains all features of Notes Only asides E-prescribe) | Prescribing (Contains all features of Notes Only With E-prescribe) |
| $55/month | $75/month | $213/month |
Comparative Analysis of ICANotes and Kareo Clinical
The table shows how the comparison of both software are in terms of device compatibility, mental health practice sizes, and customer service support.
| ICANotes | Kareo Clinical | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | ✅ | ✅ |
| Android | ✅ | ✅ |
| Mac | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ipad/Iphone | ✅ | ✅ |
| Web-based | ✅ | ✅ |
| Small-sized Practices | ✅ | ✅ |
| Medium-sized Practices | ✅ | ❌ |
| Large Practices | ✅ | ❌ |
| Email Support | ✅ | ✅ |
| Phone | ✅ | ✅ |
| Secure Messaging | ✅ | ✅ |
| Live Chat Support | ✅ | ✅ |
| Free Training | ✅ | ✅ |
Reviews of ICANotes and Kareo Clinical
ICANotes
Several mental health practitioners appreciate ICANotes software for its quick and accurate generated notes. They emphasized its capacity to provide high-quality, organized notes without the need to start from scratch each time. Most users find ICANotes to be very effective, and they emphasize how the software streamlines the work process.
Users found the telehealth services provided and secured the client’s portal very efficient. Some users complained about their inefficient customer service. Other users found the scheduling and calendar features less functional.
Kareo Clinical
Most therapists mentioned how easy it is to integrate Kareo Clinical software tools into their practices. However, some users also faced interoperability challenges as they found it difficult to integrate with other systems.
Reviewers appraised their excellent telehealth features. Although, some reviewers pointed out difficulties related to the billing services, including issues with managing claims and processing payments.
Conclusion
Both ICANotes and Kareo Clinical offer great features for mental health professionals. Therapists will need to consider their mental health practices needs and preference to make the best choice of EHR software. This includes your practice size, caseload, budget and practice requirements. It is important to place priority on your practice goals when seeking a suitable practice management system.
ICANotes is more suitable for small to large-sized practices who need a comprehensive and personalized documentation solution. Kareo Clinical is a better option if you prefer an easy-to-use platform with documentation features and several customizable templates for a small-sized practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kareo Clinical the same as Tebra?
Yes, Kareo Clinical has a new name called Tebra. Kareo Clinical was rebranded and merged with Tebra about three years ago. However, Kareo Clinical has the same functions but now identifies as Tebra.
Do ICANotes and Kareo Clinical follow HIPAA Regulations?
Yes, the two platforms follow HIPAA rules to protect clients’ information. ICANotes and Kareo Clinical are suitable for mental health practices as they focus on the security and privacy of clients’ data.
Do both Icanotes and Tebra EHR Software Support Telehealth Services?
Yes, both ICANotes and Kareo Clinical offer telehealth features. This allows mental health practitioners to provide virtual mental health care to clients who are unable to be physically present for therapy sessions.
How Do I Use ICANotes and Kareo Clinical Telehealth features?
The telehealth session on ICANotes and Kareo Clinical is easy to use. After launching the EHR platform, you can begin your session at the client’s appointment area. When you start the session, your client will get a text message or an email with the link to join you in the virtual video session.
Why other mental health professionals love Mentalyc
“A lot of my clients love the functionality where I can send them a summary of what we addressed during the session, and they find it very helpful and enlightening.”
Therapist
“It’s so quick and easy to do notes now … I used to stay late two hours to finish my notes. Now it’s a breeze.”
Licensed Professional Counselor
“Having Mentalyc take away some of the work from me has allowed me to be more present when I’m in session with clients … it took a lot of pressure off.”
LPC
“By the end of the day, usually by the end of the session, I have my documentation done. I have a thorough, comprehensive note … It’s just saving me hours every week.”
CDCII
