Ambulatory EHR buyers' guide

The global market for ambulatory EHR products remains the largest segment of the overall EHR market, and continues to grow.

In the U.S. alone, the ambulatory EHR market grew to approximately USD 5.49 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to around USD 7.6 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of ~5.57 %

Considering the challenges selection teams may face, it is important to understand the similarities and differences between inpatient and ambulatory EHRs, and know some of the most useful features available in ambulatory systems.  

Cloud-based (web-based) deployment dominates the sector, accounting for a substantial share of revenue, reflecting the demand for scalable, accessible EHR systems in outpatient settings.

Ambulatory EHR vs. Inpatient EHR

Ambulatory and inpatient EHRs address different workflows shaped by their care environment:

• Care context: Ambulatory practices interact across an ecosystem (other physicians, labs, imaging centers, outside pharmacies), requiring systems optimized for coordination and data exchange across settings.
• Data and summaries: Inpatient EHRs typically support things like discharge summaries, extensive in-hospital monitoring, and richer integration with hospital departments. Ambulatory EHRs focus more on treatment summaries, chronic care management, preventive screenings, immunizations, and longitudinal outpatient records.
• Quality measures: Outpatient systems prioritise metrics relevant to outpatient care (chronic disease tracking, preventive care compliance, immunization rates), whereas hospital/acute systems may handle broader in-hospital quality metrics.
• Deployment and scalability: Given the distributed nature, ambulatory EHRs more frequently rely on cloud/web-based systems for accessibility, vs. legacy in-house inpatient systems.

However, at their core, basic functionality is the same between the two types of systems.

Inpatient and ambulatory EHR systems share some common features, such as the minimum level of security, keeping problem lists, medication lists, and adverse interaction and allergy alerts, among others.

Check out our free EHR selection guide for a step-by-step guide on how to find your ideal EHR

Key functionality to look for in an ambulatory/outpatient EHR

Based on ongoing market analysis and industry trends, practices comparing ambulatory EHR systems should prioritise the following:

• Cloud/web-based deployment: As adoption data shows, solutions delivered via cloud/web dominate the ambulatory market, offering easier updates, remote access, and better scalability.
• Interoperability and data exchange: Sharing with external labs, imaging, pharmacies, and other providers is a must for coordinated care.
• Patient engagement tools (portals, telehealth integration, mobile access): With rising demand for remote care and patient convenience, support for telehealth/virtual visits and secure patient portals adds significant value.
• Practice management integration: Scheduling, billing, revenue-cycle support, E-prescribing, and administrative workflows tightly integrated with clinical modules streamline operations.
• Quality reporting and population health modules: Dashboards for chronic disease management, preventive care, and analytics for outcome tracking help practices meet reporting standards and deliver proactive care.

Leading ambulatory/outpatient EHR vendors

The systems reviewed below represent EHRs that have received favorable consumer satisfaction ratings and offer the required core and advanced features for ambulatory practices.  

Note: Market share and rankings fluctuate. Be sure to prioritize demos, user reviews, and practice size suitability over headline stats.

Check out our EHR software comparison for a comprehensive list of top EHR systems and pricing