Review: Mobile Charge Capture Apps for Doctors

To help busy physicians and practice managers navigate the current mobile billing app market, our lead analysts spent this week evaluating trending developments in electronic claim processing technology and sifting independent third-party data evaluations to isolate which products stand above the rest in the present, and which show the most promise moving forward.

Medicine is trending mobile, and the streamlined portability and accessibility of smartphones and rounding apps enable physicians to achieve higher levels of productivity on the move with streamlined workflows, greater functionality, and cloud-based information sharing.

Building around the central theme of fast, accurate billing, four companies stand out from the rest when it comes to addressing provider pain points, minimizing revenue leakage, empowering higher productivity, and setting the bar for technology-enhanced efficiency for providers in hospitals, skilled nursing centers, and various inpatient facilities.

Top Spot: Claimocity

The Claimocity charge capture app offered the best combination of features, value, and flexibility. With roots in medical billing and coding services, the company has developed a reputation for innovation when it comes to hospitalist-specific software options.

For example, their newest module showcases an EHR-integrated note generator built into a mobile charge capture workflow, enabling providers to complete both their billing and medical documentation requirements right from the app in a fraction of the time.

It is the only solution of its kind that we could find, which is an uncommon statement in a saturated medical software field.

Claimocity is also the only mobile charge capture software on this list to offer both stand-alone functionality and an all-inclusive end-to-end software solution.

They are the current best-in-class option, and their practical approach to advanced technology and artificial intelligence automation really sets them apart as one of the industry movers likely to be making the most waves in the coming years.

Practically speaking, Claimocity is a good fit for rounding physicians with acute and sub-acute care specialties such as internal medicine, infectious disease, physical medicine and rehabilitation, inpatient psychiatry, hospital nephrology, and fields associated with patients in LTACs, IRFs, SNFs, and hospitalist-centric care environments.

Core Features

1. Note Generator – A single workflow fulfilling both medical documentation and charge capture needs in a fraction of the time, enabling rounding doctors on the move to submit claims and send signed progress notes into their facility EHR directly from the app.
2. Care Coordination Module – A backend organization tool for large practices to enable a greater level of provider and facility coverage organization.
3. Smart Census – An artificial intelligence assisted central hub for billing, adding visits, managing patients, switching between facilities, and submitting documents.
4. Practice Management – A full suite medical practice management software platform
5. HIPAA Messaging – A secure in-app provider to provider messaging system
6. Practice IQ – An array of provider and practice-level reporting and benchmarking analytics for identifying
7. QR Code Scanner – A convenient demographics input tool for new patients using a simple scan of the patient QR code on their chart or wristband
8. Code Assist – An optional toggle that enables providers to outsource coding to the billing team on complex encounters, when running behind, or as a full service.
9. Practice IQ – Practice and provider level KPI reporting and benchmarking reports with coding efficiency evaluations and peer to peer comparisons
10. Compensation Management – A practice level rules engine for managers to set up provider payment formulas and structures that updates daily to give physicians updated access to their earnings in real time.
11. Smart ICD-10 List – A smart search engine for ICD-10 results to reduce search time and enable providers to find what they are looking for quickly and easily
12. Voice to Text – A voice to text functionality that enables providers to dictate notes, and finish charge capture and progress note workflows with just voice instructions.
13. RCM Services – Optional end-to-end medical billing and coding services from a team of over 4k certified coders, auditors, and experts

Notables:

• Speed of the capture process has top marks of all tested.
• The “Smart Census” and “Practice IQ” are effective central features.
• Modern design of the app is user friendly and visually appealing.
• Reporting functions are easy to access and useful for analysis.
• A single solution for practices tired of multiple software and services.
• The only charge capture with a direct integration into PointClickCare.
• Workflow automations use artificial intelligence to accelerate tasks.
• Real time integrations pull and share census data with EHRs and facilities
• Receive notifications of new patient admissions at PointClickCare facilities
• Engaging demo and lower pricing than expected

Bottom Line:

Entering charges can be a tedious process for doctors, but Claimocity’s automation tools and high efficiency workflow solutions handle the bulk of the busy work and shift the back to patient care. The app tested out as the fastest of the group, and our UI/UX expert ranked it as exceptionally well designed, user friendly, intuitive to navigate, and conducive to fast and effective bursts of production at the point of care.

We ranked Claimocity at the top because it not only offers more but the core charge capture functions and app structure outperform the top competitors which explains the ridiculous lifetime customer retention numbers and high user-satisfaction ratings.

Customer Reviews

“It’s rare that a company makes strong claims and then outperforms those claims, but they really have it down to a science.” A. Milens (review via Capterra)[i]

“Better than expected – and we had high expectations.” (review via FinancesOnline)[ii]

“Great app for billing if you’re an MD, DO, PA or APRN. The user interface is intuitive. Highly recommended.” – JSR20181202 (review via AppFollow)[iii]

Runner Up – pMD^®

With over 20 years of experience providing charge capture and patient billing collection at the point-of-care, the pMD Charge Capture^™ app is a popular software solution for healthcare providers.

Designed for simple functionality, the software is an effective option that can handle provider level billing and coding needs while focusing on greater clinical communication capabilities as a secondary central focus.

Core Features:

• Secure Messaging – A simple clean HIPAA compliant messaging system with read receipts and straightforward layout
• MIPS Registry – A MIPS compliance reporting tool for CMS clinical requirements
• Patient Handoff – A communication tool to help share relevant information for effective patient coverage and care coordination
• CPT/ICD-10 Library – A coding resource list for providers
• Billing and Collections – Optional revenue cycle management services from patient intake to collections

pMD^® sticks to what it does well, which is point of care billing and helping providers communicate effectively through the app with key stakeholders in the care coordination process.

The HIPAA-compliant, secure messaging is built into the pMD^® app and is equipped with read receipts so providers can see if their messages have been received. This is a useful tool for enabling accountability and helping providers know when they need to try a different method of communication. Or they can utilize the software’s message reminder escalation feature, prompting more timely responses.

Customizable front-end prompts and back-end claim-scrubbing through the app are designed to increase reimbursement, and pMD’s^® MIPS Registry reporting tools help capture necessary data to assist practices in meeting CMS’s clinical quality requirements.

For new users, pMD^® will automatically populate their contact list with providers in the care community who are already using its text messaging.

Notables:

• Accurate code selection for providers and easy fine-tuning for billers.
• Specialized reports, including an ESRD dialysis dashboard for nephrologists, a length-of-stay report for hospitalists and an auditing report for hospital rounding.
• Real-time interfaces that electronically gather and route demographics, rounding lists, room numbers and more.
• Their recent offering of medical billing and coding services which when used with the charge capture app, can reduce information losses, and missed charges.

Bottom Line:

As a mobile charge capture, pMD is a great option with a strong communication focus built on capable components. Along with Ingenious Med, it has the longest tenure of software sources on this list but falls short of the number one spot simply because Claimocity offers these same functions plus significantly more.

Customer Reviews

“This app has been really great during a time when things have gone remote.” -Katie Alexis (review via AppGrooves)[iv]

“It makes entering charges much faster. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it lacks the option to change the date. It’s a great feature if you are entering charges for the current day. Otherwise, I end up having to open the profile to change the date. – ddc!! (review via Apple App Store)[v]

“Doctors. Billing should be the last thing on your mind. I’m a physician. Low cost. Great app.” – Brian Borkowski (review via Google Play Store)[vi]

Third Place – Ingenious Med

Like Claimocity, Ingenious Med offers more than a simple charge capture solution, providing a well-designed hybrid billing solution with light practice management elements created to enhance any integrated EHR functions and help providers gather the actionable intelligence they need to better optimize their practice performance and in turn make better business decisions.

Unlike Claimocity, very light is as far into the practice management functions as Ingenious Med goes, and as a stand alone charge capture like pMD, it requires a separate practice management platform and separate EHR, not to mention an RCM solution and other integrations, which slowly adds up to more software and services trying to patch together than is ideal for high efficiency and consistent productivity.

Core Features:

• EHR Extender – integrating data to help capture more potential charges
• Value-Based Rounding – helping to accurately track quality metrics
• Practice Optimization Analytics – to help identify areas for improvement

The charge capture app is Ingenious Med’s primary mobile and web-based solution for improving physician productivity and hospital performance at the point of care.

With over 20 years in the industry, the charge capture functionality has stayed consistent and is HIPAA-compliant and compatible with all EHRs.

The app pulls real-time census data via ADT feeds and offers automatic prompts and filtered coding choices designed to lighten provider workloads.

Also, by providing visibility into physician activity through its reporting functionality, practice managers can better address problems affecting their revenue cycle.

Notables:

• Improving the billing side and analytics functionality of an EHR makes a noticeable difference in practice performance
• Ingenious Med offers a good charge capture with strong secondary value offerings
• The practice optimization analytics offers providers real-world opportunities for improvement
• The comprehensive functionality of the app is higher than pMD and MD Coder and in some ways is on par with Claimocity.
• The elegant software design is well mapped and creates a good user experience

Bottom Line:

Ingenious Med is a great option with a strong argument to be number two on this list ahead of pMD.

Though limited in the broader scope of the end-to-end revenue cycle by nature of the stand-alone product, the core functions of the software and smart drift of the technology align with a progressive approach to improving efficiency and assisting with the informed decision making necessary for holistic improvements to revenue generation and productivity.

Reviews:

“I love how you can copy your billing from the previous day if there are no changes to be made. This allows me to be more efficient and overall, more productive.” – Jamie L. (review via Capterra)[vii]

“Ingenious Med helps physicians simplify their work by taking loads of administrative tasks off their shoulder, enabling them to focus on their patients instead of being straddled with other concerns. Native iOS and Android apps enable users to access real-time information whenever they see their patient, check their schedule, or communicate with other members of the team.” (review via FinancesOnline)[viii]

“The software allows physicians to easily bill for their professional services. There is a coding guide built in that may be used. The software works on many platforms. Reporting capabilities are fantastic. Integrates with our EMR to pull patients in.” – Jim (review via Capterra)[ix]

Fourth Place – MDCoder

Designed to aid providers in maximizing productivity and growing their practice, MDCoder by Medical Design Technologies (MDTech) was introduced in 2002.

A stand-alone product like pMD and IngeniousMed, the MDCoder charge capture workflow can be tailored to a provider’s current billing process via custom fields and other features.

The app offers digitalized data entry, integrated patient feeds, and a seamless patient handoff.

Core Features:

• Secure Messaging – HIPAA compliant messaging system
• Hospital Integration – A patient data integration for provider hospitals
• MIPS/MACRA – An automated capture of MACRA/MIPS codes
• CPT/ICD-10 Library – A coding list for providers to search from

MDCoder’s customizable drop lists enable quick data entry for multiple fields that contain the same information, and users can browse specialty-specific drilldowns or search from a global database for efficient charge capture. It can be integrated with most major PMS systems and provides flexible, web-based reports.

Notables:

• Hospital and facility integrations are a strong suit.
• Automated capture of MACRA/MIPS codes.
• Synchronization of data from multiple physicians into one database.
• Status indicators that display whether quality measures are incomplete, partially complete or completed for each patient.

Bottom Line:

MD Coder has a lot to offer providers with a good array of functions and a good charge capture value proposition.

Customer Reviews

“Great customer service, very responsive” – Catplay31 (review via AppGrooves)[x]

“The Customer Support and Technical Support team is A+! They are knowledgeable and offer resolutions quickly.” – dstar2 (review via Apple App Store)[xi]

“Crashes frequently, but when works- great application.” – Pikkai (review via AppGrooves)[xii]

---

[i] Milens, Alyssa. “Claimocity Reviews.” Capterra.com, Gartner, 12 June 2020, www.capterra.com/p/198999/Claimocity/#reviews.

[ii] “Better than Expected – and We Had High Expectations.” Financesonline.com, FinancesOnline, 27 Feb. 2020, reviews.financesonline.com/p/claimocity/better-than-expected-and-we-had-high-expectations-226416/.

[iii] “Claimocity – Reviews, Rating and Rankings in App Store.” AppFollow.io, AppFollow, 27 May 2021, appfollow.io/ios/claimocity/1447074504?country=us.

[iv] Alexis, Katie. “PMD Charge Capture – Reviews.” AppGrooves.io, AppGrooves, 20 May 2021, appgrooves.com/app/pmd-charge-capture-and-messaging-by-pmdsoft-inc.

[v] ddc!! “‎PMD.” PMD – Ratings and Reviews, App Store, 7 Nov. 2019, apps.apple.com/us/app/pmd-charge-capture-messaging/id298467642#see-all/reviews.

[vi] Borkowski, Brian. “Pmd – Apps on Google Play.” Google Play, Google, 28 June 2020, play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pmdsoft.android&showAllReviews=true.

[vii] L., Jamie. “Ingenious Med Verified Review.” Top Software at Capterra, Gartner, 18 Sept. 2018, www.capterra.com/p/122713/Ingenious-Med/reviews/1070985/.

[viii] C., Jarrod. “Ingenious Med Verified Review.” Top Software at Capterra, Gartner, 18 Sept. 2018, www.capterra.com/p/122713/Ingenious-Med/reviews/1070321/.

[ix] L., Jim. “Ingenious Med Verified Review.” Top Software at Capterra, Gartner, 18 Sept. 2018, www.capterra.com/p/122713/Ingenious-Med/reviews/1070392/.

[x] CatPlay31. “MD Coder Pro – Charge Capture.” AppGrooves.io, AppGrooves, 25 Jan. 2021, appgrooves.com/app/md-coder-pro-charge-capture-by-medical-design-technologies-llc/positive.

[xi] dstar2. “‎Md coder pro.” App Store, Apple, 20 Apr. 2021, apps.apple.com/us/app/md-coder-pro-charge-capture/id1501793878#see-all/reviews.

[xii] Pikkai. “MD Coder Pro – Charge Capture.” AppGrooves, AppGrooves, 22 May 2020, appgrooves.com/app/md-coder-pro-charge-capture-by-medical-design-technologies-llc/positive.