What Medspa EMR Software Is and What Medspas Actually Need

What Medspa EMR Software Is and What Medspas Actually Need

Medspas have a very different vibe than a doctor’s office or hospital. Clients expect the luxurious ambiance of a high-end spa or salon, complete with relaxing music and lush seating in the waiting room.

Since medspas must meet the same standards as physicians when it comes to handling patient data, you might expect you’ll have to use the same electronic medical record (EMR) software. But it’s not necessarily the best option for your patients and services.

In this guide, we’ll explore the use of EMR software in medspas. We’ll lay out their benefits and drawbacks, and how Boulevard’s all-in-one solution can protect patient data while your team delivers premium care.

What’s Medical Spa EMR Software?

Medical practitioners and medspas use EMR software to manage and secure sensitive patient information in compliance with HIPAA . 

Every patient interaction prompts a provider to document clinical notes, including diagnoses, treatment decisions, and prescriptions. Clinicians rely on this data for two important reasons: It gives context that informs patient care and documents information necessary for insurance claims.

You might benefit from using medical spa EMR software because of the program’s HIPAA compliance. But because medspas offer so many different services from a traditional doctor’s office, client-driven, aesthetically pleasing platforms with high security standards often help medspas more.

For healthcare organizations, EMR systems are what keep an insurance-based practice organized. EMR software is slightly different from electronic health record (EHR) systems, which focus on interoperability with various healthcare providers, labs, and clinical specialists.

These are two of the most common systems you’ll find when browsing different EMR software solutions: 

• Server-based EMR software: Desktop-based records software hosts patient information on-site, which gives healthcare providers more control over who can access the data. These systems tend to have higher upfront costs, and need physical storage space, hardware maintenance, and regular backups.

• Cloud-based EMR software: Cloud-based EMR systems skip bulky on-site servers so team members can remotely access web-based software from most devices. Their lower upfront costs make them a solid choice for multi-site medspas and those that plan to scale business operations. Just be sure to check for compatibility with iPads, tablets, desktop, and mobile, depending on your medspa’s tech needs. 

Benefits of Medical Spa EMR Software

Between providing a luxe client experience and complying with strict protections over patient data, medspas have a lot to balance.

Here’s how medical spa EMR software supports better practice management and patient engagement.

Centralized Patient Records

From intake to follow-ups, clients might interact with a half-dozen different team members—and they all need to have the same patient records in front of them. Centralized, cloud-based systems allow team members to access the same information, so they can leave notes, edit files, and keep records up to date.

Smoother Intake and Communication

Centralized patient records mean your staff won’t have to ping each other to get the most up-to-date information. Since authorized team members have access to the same patient data, everyone can make informed decisions about patient care based on their medical history and stay on the same page about those choices, even when clients move between locations. 

Privacy and Data Security

Under HIPAA, medspa patients have the same rights to privacy as they do in their PCP’s office. Compliance is a core part of EMR software, bringing high-quality encryption and security measures to minimize the risk of data leaving your system.

Trade-Offs of EMR Software

A traditional EMR system will check all the boxes for the medical side of an aesthetic practice, but medspas do more than manage robust patient charts and bill insurance providers.

Here are some of the gaps EMR software leaves in medspa workflows. 

Built for Insurance Billing

EMR software integrates with third-party medical billing systems so it’s easier to pay and get paid from insurance providers. While this is a big plus for healthcare organizations, most medspa treatments aren’t covered—and you might not even accept private insurance, making this feature completely irrelevant. 

Medspas benefit from software features that focus more on the client’s experience than the clinician’s. An effective medspa software includes simple payment options, online checkout, and special packages like memberships. Traditional EMR software doesn’t include these features.

Lacks Interoperability

EMR software is designed to protect electronic patient records and doesn’t go much further than that. Medspas that use EMR software will need more platforms to handle online scheduling, inventory management, and membership renewals. When your team has to juggle multiple apps in one interaction, it’s more likely they’ll miss important details.

Little Support for Marketing, Retention, or Growth

Hospitals and doctors’ offices might turn a profit, but they weren’t designed with income in mind. Success comes from how many patients they help.

Medspas, on the other hand, are businesses. They attract clients and make money through marketing campaigns, loyalty programs, and upselling products and services. EMR software often doesn’t account for this kind of growth, so medspas have to add another platform (or multiple) to their tech stack to compensate.

EMR vs. Medspa Management Software: Understanding the Difference

Unlike EMRs, medspa management software is experience-first. Patient engagement is a major part of the program, alongside practice management and HIPAA-compliant data storage. 

The best medspa management software keeps every part of your workflow in one safe place:

• Clinical documentation: Customizable consent forms and document templates for aesthetic procedures, like fillers, laser treatments, and Botox injections.

• Before-and-after photography: Pictures that visually track treatment progress alongside written health information.

• Patient portals: HIPAA-compliant consent forms, new client intake forms, and guest questionnaires that patients can access. 

• Inventory management: Current stock levels and ways to reorder retail products and medical supplies.

• Revenue cycle management: Integrated billing and financial tools to make income easier to manage, from appointment scheduling to final payment. 

• Booking appointments: Booking systems for multiple treatment providers, rooms, and service packages.

• Data reporting: Identifying patient patterns, like the most popular treatments and providers, to tailor marketing campaigns and schedule smarter. 

Choosing the Right Tool for Your Medical Spa

Before you choose a medspa software program, ask yourself a few questions about how it will fit into your practice’s management and patient care.

What Level of Medical Documentation Do You Need?

Medspas that offer clinical services like dermal filler and laser treatments need to document more than basic client notes. Look for systems that support detailed patient charts, including photo documentation and consent forms. If the services you offer mean you have to track contraindications and treatment history, your patient portal should function more like an EHR system—HIPAA compliance included—than a booking tool.

How Important is the Client Experience?

If your brand is built around luxury, your software should reflect that experience with every interaction. Online booking, digital client intake forms, and automated reminders should make visits feel smooth and relaxed. And the best medspa management programs let you customize the whole program’s client-facing appearance to keep your brand image cohesive.

Do You Offer Memberships or Sell Retail Products?

A record system with inventory management integrations helps you track everything that goes into a significant part of your income. That way, your team doesn’t have to juggle endless spreadsheets and separate POS systems, which often lead to errors and missed lines on patient bills.

Is Growth a Priority?

A single-location medspa with a small team might get by with simple tools, but things will get complicated when it’s time to expand. If you want to add more treatment types or locations in the future, your system needs to be able to handle the growth. For instance, having more locations means you’ll need a platform with smart scheduling, shareable patient records, and clearer visibility into room and inventory management. That way, you can manage multiple locations without having to be in more than one place at a time.

Who Needs to Access Data?

Front desk staff, providers, and managers all need to access your medspa’s electronic medical records, but they probably don’t all need to access the same information. Look for record systems that segment access based on a person’s role while maintaining airtight privacy controls and HIPAA compliance.

How Boulevard Supports Medical Spa Workflows

EMR systems are built to document patient care. Medspas, on the other hand, need platforms that support clinical services, retail, and high-level client experiences. Boulevard fills the gaps that EMR systems leave behind, so teams have all the tools they need for all daily operations—in one place.

Boulevard’s all-in-one booking and payment suite gives medspas total control over their software system while ensuring health information stays private and secure with total HIPAA compliance. It’s helped clients like RUMA Aesthetics and Plump reduce payroll processing times from hours to minutes, book more services, and scale their businesses.

Ready to upgrade your medspa software? Explore Boulevard for Medspas to see how you can protect electronic health records without compromising on your clients’ experiences.