Editorial rating:
ICANotes is a behavioral health software and electronic health records (EHR) system that scored 4.5 out of 5 stars during our independent review. ICANotes provides solutions for managing clients, clinical documentation, scheduling, and many other aspects of running a mental or behavioral health practice. Pricing for ICANotes is based on the number of practitioners and ranges from $46.30 to $155.30+ monthly.
ICANotes offers two different software versions at this time: ICANotes and ICANotes+. The latter of the two is the most updated version and will be ideal for most users, however, electronic prescription functionality is only available with the legacy ICANotes system.
Rating of ICANotes’ EHR
I have dedicated a great deal of time and attention to each EHR platform that I review. My goal is to help you make decisions that will guide your practice into helping as many people as possible while avoiding as many administrative hiccups as possible. I’ve spent countless hours using some of the best EHRs available, and also some of the worst. Throughout my time in private practice and community mental healthcare, I’ve learned what differentiates a great EHR from all the rest. After carefully reviewing and extensively testing the ICANotes platform over a 2 week period, I found that it is an exceptionally well-made piece of software. ICANotes excels in its unique design which helps to improve speed and accuracy in clinical documentation. As such, it performed well in the categories of client forms and intake management, calendar and scheduling, as well as treatment planning and notetaking. ICANotes scored lower in the categories of relative cost, as well as, practice management and reports.
Pros & Cons of ICANotes
Like the best mental health EHRs, ICANotes offers a unique design and layout that makes it easy to transition from a paper-focused office to an all-digital workplace. Customization options are robust and meaningful, while still being accessible, with progress notes and treatment plans being well-designed. ICANotes is an EHR with premium features and has a relatively high price compared to other EHR platforms. The customization options leave ICANotes less beginner-friendly than other options such as SimplePractice or TherapyNotes.
How to Sign Up for ICANotes
You can sign up for a 30-day free trial by visiting the ICANotes website and submitting some information about your practice. A customer service representative will reach out to you about setting up your account.
What is ICANotes?
ICANotes is an EHR system designed for behavioral and mental health practices. It offers features for client management, practice management, telehealth sessions, clinical documentation, and billing. ICANotes is a highly customizable and premium EHR that offers great functionality with a relatively high price tag to match.
According to a representative from ICANotes, the software is tailor-made for all behavioral health practices of any size, with solutions for psychiatrists and other medication prescribers as well. They also state that they take pride in customer service and have become well-known for their high degree of customer care.
To compare ICANotes with some of the other EHRs we’ve tested, take a look at our roundup of the best mental health EHRs of 2023.
ICANotes Key Features
ICANotes offers tools for client management, clinical documentation, scheduling, and other practice management tasks. At the forefront of these features is clinical documentation and intake which has a unique and intuitive system for note taking that eliminates a great deal of unnecessary work. ICANotes has a relatively higher price tag, with the lowest price plan being $46.30 monthly and can exceed $155.30 for a solo practice.
Client Management
ICANotes takes a unique approach to client management by creating a digital visualization of an actual chart room. I found this to be a clever design and ultimately helps make the organization of client charts more intuitive and efficient. This intelligent approach to design permeates throughout ICANotes’ client management system.
Entering clients into the system is simple and straightforward. Basic information can be entered, and then an invitation can be sent to the client for them to fill out the remainder of the information. It is possible to enter clients from multiple user flows throughout the platform, and searching for clients is similarly intuitive, allowing for multiple and partial search parameters.
ICANotes allows practices to filter their client census nicely and ensures that clients can be easily archived and sorted through in ways that make sense. It is possible to import large batches of client data. Rather than have the website parse through this, it seems like ICANotes has staff that handles data entry manually – when importing, you simply create a spreadsheet of the data and send it to ICANotes, which states they will enter data within 5-10 days.
Because of the premium features on offer, ICANotes earned 4.5 out of 5 stars in the “Client Management” category on our scoring criteria.
Client Forms & Intake
ICANotes offers a very strong and customizable intake process with an interface that’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Standard forms needed prior to intake can be sent to the client portal. Clinical documentation is completed in a flowchart-like process with buttons, drop-downs, and free text spaces. All segments of the process are fully customizable but are ready to use as soon as the software is opened.
It is simple to upload custom forms in ICANotes in many different formats, however, they will be static and not interactive for the client to fill out and edit. If you want custom interactive forms from scratch, it is possible to do, but a bit more time-consuming. However, many practices will likely be satisfied for quite some time with the existing forms and templates offered, as they include standard cases, specialized forms for adolescents and groups, and templates for more clinical assessments than I’ve seen in any other EHR.
Due to its unique design, the ICANotes intake process may be a bit difficult to get used to for many, however, once in place, it would offer an excellent degree of flexibility while also saving administrative time. Because of this, we have awarded ICANotes 5 out of 5 stars in the “Client Forms and Intake” category.
Calendar & Scheduling
Scheduling with ICANotes can be completed from multiple locations in the EHR. The calendar can be filtered by session types, office location, practitioner, and confirmation status among others. A standout feature is the “Quick Calendar” which allows practitioners to view only their appointments for the day and related information, making for a nice, consolidated view of the day.
It is possible to sync the ICANotes calendar with a Google Calendar, and setting availability/time off for each practitioner is very simple and intuitive. Appointments can be booked at any time increment for any length of time, and rescheduling is simple with drag-and-drop. Additionally, with the client portal, clients are able to request appointments and message their practitioners directly.
The ICANotes calendar and scheduling system manages to bridge the gap between customization and usability. It is a very powerful calendar tool with many degrees of filtering and automation, however, unlike other EHRs like CounSol.com, it manages to remain fully readable and easy to navigate. Because of this exceptional system, we have awarded ICANotes with 5 out of 5 stars in the “Calendar and Scheduling” category.
Add-on Service: Client Portal – $10+ monthly
Client portal access allows clients to request appointments, view their documents, update demographics, and message their practitioner. Portal access price varies from $10 to $200 monthly depending on the number of practitioners needing access.
Add-on Service: Appointment Reminders – $11+ monthly
Automated text message reminders can be sent to clients to remind them of their appointments. Pricing is based on the number of texts sent in a month and can vary from $11 to $201 monthly.
Treatment Planning & Notes
Treatment planning and notetaking within ICANotes are very similar to the clinical intake process. In its unique flowchart-like design, ICANotes allows practitioners to quickly create detailed notes with limited manual input. The library of templates and forms is unrivaled and offers a great deal of functionality.
Templates are included for safety assessments, mental health status exams, and a huge variety of 50 different clinical assessments including the PHQ-9 and GAD, and more specialized assessments such as SASSI and MoCA. Alternate assessments for adolescents are included when possible.
Overall, I was very impressed with treatment planning and notetaking in ICANotes. While it may be a bit intimidating for new users, the platform offers a great degree of functionality. Because of this, we have given ICANotes 5 out of 5 stars in the “Treatment Planning and Notes” category.
Add-on Service: ePrescribing – $33+ monthly
ICANotes includes support for e-prescribing through their legacy system, but this feature is not yet live on the new ICANotes+ platform. A representative states they plan to implement this soon. Adding a part-time prescriber is an additional $33 monthly per prescriber, meanwhile, a full-time prescriber costs $58 monthly.
Telehealth
Telehealth features in ICANotes are solid if a bit mundane. All of the standard features are available including screen sharing and secure text chat. The platform does allow for automatic backgrounds, but they don’t work particularly well. While it may lack some of the bells and whistles of Zoom Health, the ICANotes telehealth platform is stable and works well.
Managing telehealth sessions is straightforward in the calendar, as it allows for custom views. When generating an appointment, an invitation will be sent to the client’s email address for them to confirm and join. This feature works well, with invitation emails being sent out with no delay. It is also possible to create a telehealth session immediately, on-the-fly, from within a client chart.
The telehealth platform offered with ICANotes works well and would help any practice manage a remote caseload. I would feel comfortable using this platform every day. We have awarded ICANotes with 4 out of 5 stars in the “Telehealth” category.
Add-on Service: Telehealth – $10 monthly per practitioner
Telehealth is swiftly becoming a must-have feature for EHRs. Telehealth access is included in the trial and priced at $10 monthly per practitioner afterward.
Insurance Billing
Just as with the rest of the software, ICANotes offers a great deal of customization in insurance billing. Rather than shoehorn you into a specific clearinghouse, ICANotes allows practices to either pair with their existing clearinghouse, or, if the practice needs more integration, they can choose to partner with a selection of four different clearinghouses that integrate directly with the EHR.
Due to the variance in options, the cost of insurance billing is entirely dependent on the clearinghouse your practice chooses, however, all of them should offer similar functionality, and the four that are offered by ICANotes also integrate fully with the EHR for easy tracking of claims, as well as eligibility checks.
Due to its customization and flexibility, we have awarded ICANotes with 5 out of 5 stars in the “Insurance Billing” category.
Client Payment Methods, Collection, & Processing
Once set up, ICANotes allows practices to process credit cards – as well as FSA and HSA cards – with or without a credit card reader. Cash and check are always possible, of course, and the EHR allows clear documentation of this.
Setting up credit card processing can be a bit of a chore, as you have to reach out to support to set this up manually, with no self-service options. ICANotes partners with both CMS and BillFlash, and prices are not listed clearly, so you have to set up an account to get a full estimate.
Superbills and other reports are easy to generate from within the EHR and should be able to cover all of your bookkeeping needs easily. Because of these features, we have awarded ICANotes with 4 out of 5 stars in the “Client Payment Methods, Collection, and Processing” category.
Practice Management & Reports
Solo Practices:
ICANotes offers a few reports in its reporting dashboard, however, you are forced to generate them by the client, one at a time. It is a bit of a time-consuming process, but ultimately yielded a good deal of insight. Auditing charts can be completed by generating an audit report which is great for getting insight into which notes have been left unsigned and so on.
Group Practices:
ICANotes also offers some good practice management functionality for group practices. For instance, practices can generate a list of logins and logouts for all users, and monitor patient document downloads, among other reporting tasks. As well, different roles can be assigned to both clinical and administrative staff for varying levels of access and permissions within the EHR.
With its limited, yet adequate reporting capabilities, we have awarded ICANotes with 3 out of 5 stars in the “Practice Management and Reports” category.
Customer Service & Training
Throughout my time using ICANotes, I was impressed by the prompt and thorough response of customer support. As soon as I signed up for my trial, a representative reached out directly and was able to handle all of the questions I had for her.
In terms of training, ICANotes offers free demos and webinars to help acquaint practices with the features of the EHR. The training library included written and video entries to help with different issues that you might encounter. I was able to solve any problems I had by using them. That’s why we have given ICANotes 5 out of 5 stars in the “Customer Service and Training” category on our scoring criteria.
How Much Does ICANotes Cost?
ICANotes costs start at $75.30 monthly for a full-time, non-prescribing practitioner. This includes access to all of the base functionality, including client management, notetaking and treatment planning, and client intake. Prices increase depending on add-on features, as well as the number of practitioners and the type of service that they provide.
ICANotes Price Plans
Part-Time Non-Prescribing Clinician
$46.30 monthly includes the following features:
- Part-time access to EHR
- No Electronic prescriptions
Full-Time Non-Prescribing Clinician
$75.30 monthly includes the following features:
- Full-time access to EHR
- No Electronic prescriptions
Part-Time Prescribing Clinician
$105.30 monthly includes the following features:
- Part-time access to EHR
- Electronic prescriptions
Full-Time Prescribing Clinician
$155.30 monthly includes the following features:
- Full-time access to EHR
- Electronic prescriptions
Each clinician added to a subscription will increase the price by the amount above. Non-clinical staff can be added for $6.30 monthly for the first user, and then $45.30 monthly for every user thereafter
ICANotes Add-Ons & Other Fees
For an additional per practitioner fee, ICANotes offers these premium features:
- Credit card processing – Price varies
- Insurance claims- Price varies
- Telehealth platform – $10 monthly per practitioner
- Client Portal – $10-200 monthly, depending on the number of practitioners
- Text Reminders – $11-201 monthly, depending on the number of texts
Who is ICANotes Right For?
ICANotes offers a great EHR for detailed clinical documentation with robust customization and a unique design. ICANotes is also one of the few mental health EHRs that supports electronic prescriptions. It has a lot in common with some of the best mental health EHRs on the market today.
Practices Transitioning from Paper to Digital
ICANotes has a unique design that would make it easy for practices to transition from paper charts to electronic charts. The file room design that ICANotes takes would make the highly customizable software a bit more palatable for those with less EHR experience.
Practices That Need Detailed Clinical Documentation
It usually takes add-ons like Wiley Treatment Planners to attain the level of detail and precision that ICANotes has in its clinical documentation. I was very impressed with the level of customization possible.
Psychiatric Practices and Other Medication Prescribers
ICANotes stands among only a handful of mental health EHRs with integrated electronic prescriptions. While it is still only offered in their legacy system, it is also being added to the new ICANotes+ platform.
Who May Want an Alternative to ICANotes?
Due to its premium features, ICANotes has a relatively high price compared to other EHR platforms. There are other EHRs that do a better job of data analytics and reporting, and simpler, more modern, user interfaces tend to abound in other EHRs.
Practices on a Tight Budget
ICANotes is a premium EHR, with a premium price point. It is significantly more expensive than many of its competitors, however, ICANotes offers a lot more customization than most other options. If you’re looking for something more affordable, consider TherapyAppointment. TherapyAppointment offers a solid EHR that is easy to use and quick to set up. While it does not offer the same customization as ICANotes, its pricing is more affordable and may be a better fit for some practices.
For more information about this EHR, you can read our comprehensive review of TherapyAppointment.
Practices That Need In-Depth Data Analytics
ICANotes is a bit lacking in terms of reports and data analytics. For practices that are needing a better solution to this, SimplePractice is a good option. SimplePractice is an EHR that focuses strongly on business development, with a very useful analytics dashboard, a website builder, and a placement on a therapist directory.
To get a better idea of whether it will suit your needs, you can read our in-depth review of SimplePractice.
Practices That Want a Simplified Interface
With its robust functionality, ICANotes has a bulkier and less intuitive interface than some other options. EHRs like TherapyNotes might be a better fit if you are looking for a user-friendly and simple interface.
For more information about TherapyNotes’ features, you can read our comprehensive TherapyNotes review.
What Users Are Saying About ICANotes
Across multiple user review aggregate sites, ICANotes tends to garner relatively high praise. It is important to look at a variety of user review sites to get a full picture of what is being said. When we look at a few of our trusted sources, we can see a few trends that stand out for what users have to say.
The Good
Top-of-the-line Customer Support
Users tend to agree that ICANotes offers some of the best customer support and training for any EHR.
Longevity and Reliability
There’s a lot of love from users for the reliability of ICANotes and the confidence that it inspires.
Quick to Use
Users love the button-centric design of ICANotes which limits unnecessary administrative work.
The Bad
Limited Reports
Some users noted that reports are not as comprehensive as they’d like.
Inefficient Design
Some users pointed out that the design of ICANotes leads to too many extra pages and clicks to achieve the desired result.
ICANotes Vs. SimplePractice
In our independent reviews, SimplePractice earned 4 out of 5 stars, while ICANotes scored 4.5 out of 5 stars. Some key differences between the two include SimplePractice’s far more elegantly designed design, and a stronger focus on reports, data analytics, and building a practice. Meanwhile, ICANotes has stronger clinical documentation and better customer service.
Overall, SimplePractice has greater brand recognition and has become a standard option in the mental health EHR world. This leads to strong community support in the form of forums. While SimplePractice does offer solid customization options, overall, ICANotes’ customization is far more robust, and pound-for-pound is more affordable than SimplePractice when you factor in premium add-ons and extras.
For a better understanding of our scoring of SimplePractice, take a look at our full SimplePractice review.
ICANotes Vs. TherapyAppointment
TherapyAppointment offers a more elegant interface than ICANotes does. With TherapyAppointment, you will be offered a more refined package but
be lacking in significant areas, such as documentation and customization. While it is lacking in customization when compared to ICANotes, TherapyAppointment is an excellent out-of-the-box solution that requires minimal setup time.
Overall, ICANotes can be a bit more difficult to use and takes longer to set up compared to TherapyAppointment, but the patience may be rewarded if your practice needs more in-depth customization. But it is good to keep in mind that TherapyAppointment offers its EHR at a lower price, so it can be more affordable than ICANotes.
For a better understanding of our scoring of TherapyAppointment, take a look at our full TherapyAppointment review.
History of ICANotes
ICANotes was founded in 1999 and has consistently maintained and upgraded its EHR as time has passed. Recently, ICANotes has started migrating all of its features to a new platform called ICANotes+.
As of this writing, ICANotes has 54 employees noted on their LinkedIn profile and is headquartered in Annapolis, MD. According to a representative from ICANotes, the company values the time-saving design of its EHR and has a reputation for excellent customer service
Frequently Asked Questions About ICANotes
How Do I Cancel My ICANotes Subscription?
To cancel your ICANotes subscription, simply reach out to ICANotes Support and request a cancellation. Subscriptions cannot be canceled manually by users.
Does ICANotes Offer Refunds?
No. ICANotes does not offer refunds but does offer a comprehensive free trial.
Please visit the ICANotes Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more information.
What is ICANotes+?
ICANotes+ is the latest version of the EHR software by ICANotes. It is replacing the previous system and is a much-welcomed design upgrade. Electronic prescriptions still remain on the legacy platform, but this feature is being added to ICANotes+, according to a representative.
ICANotes Final Verdict
Overall, I found working with ICANotes to be intuitive and powerful. It is a solid EHR that, while lacking in design elegance, packs more functionality than most other EHRs I’ve tested. Clinical note-taking is the core of any EHR, and ICANotes has the most robust clinical documentation system of any EHR out there. While the price is higher, if your practice can afford it, I do believe this price is justified and I continue to recommend ICANotes
You should consider signing up for ICANotes’ free trial if you:
- Want in-depth and customizable clinical documentation features
- Don’t mind outdated style
- Want great customer service
You should consider looking for an alternative to ICANotes if you:
- Need a large degree of reporting and data analytics
- Are on a tight budget
