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Using Google as Your EHR – What You Need to Know

Raffi Bilek

Having run this site for a while now, I have a better sense of where people are coming from when they start to consider using Google for their Electronic Health Record system. So if you are trying to figure out what EHR you want to use (and how to do it cheaply and efficiently), here’s the basics of Google as an EHR.


  1. Google does not have a formal EHR. When I say “Google as an EHR” what I mean is using the tools and apps Google offers in such a way that it functions well as an EHR.

  2. Therefore, I am not selling an EHR product; I am selling setup support, guidance on using Google as an EHR, and some other helpful pieces like form templates and automations. (There’s lots of free info on this site as well that many have found helpful.)

  3. Also therefore, there is no monthly cost to use Google as an EHR. There is just the regular monthly cost of using Google Workspace (which runs from $7 to $22 – and the $7 version is sufficient for most people). Any of the services or products you purchase on this site are one-time costs only.

  4. All of this can be done in compliance with HIPAA. (That is to say, it’s a HIPAA compliant system, but any tool that is HIPAA compliant can be used in the wrong way. You can have the most secure email, but if you use it to email your buddy about your patient’s/client’s health information, you’re still up a creek.)

  5. What Google does NOT have is a way to bill insurance. Many formal EHRs do have this, and if you take insurance, that’s obviously a big plus which might be worth the extra expense. Alternatively, you can do billing yourself through a clearinghouse like Office Ally or Availity; or you can hire a biller.


So, how do you use Google as an EHR?


Well, you can check out the video of a typical workflow here. Below I’ll describe the various components you’ll probably need to use.


  • Email – you might already be using this. If you’re using an @gmail.com address, you probably want to switch to a paid workspace account anyway. (Workspace is just Google’s paid service. The email works exactly the same, except it’s HIPAA-compliant; free Gmail is not. Also, you get a @yourbusinessname.com email address, which is a lot more professional! 👍🏻)

  • Note that you need to sign a BAA with Google for Workspace to be compliant. See here for how to do that.

  • Calendar – obviously, this is where you enter your schedule so you don’t book everyone at the same time. If you get the higher tiers of Workspace you can also use it for online scheduling where clients can schedule their own appointments with you.

  • Google Meet – basically the same thing as zoom. Some differences here and there, but it works just as well, and for no extra cost!

  • Google Drive – this is just like the hard drive on your computer – it’s a file storage/management system. Except it’s on the cloud. This is where you can store your notes, charts, forms, etc. and save them in client folders.

  • Google Docs – this is sort of part of Google Drive. It’s a word processor (like Word!). You can type notes here and save them in the client folders.

  • Google Sheets – also integrated with Google Drive. You can make spreadsheets for recordkeeping, billing, etc.

  • Google Forms – you can use this for all your forms, from the initial contact form on your website to your intake to questionnaires you might want to have them answer. It is not perfect; for one thing, it doesn't look all that nice. For another, there is no signature feature. (That said, it is absolutely possible to use these legally and compliantly. See here for more info.)

  • Google Voice – you may want to use this as a business phone, and that’s fine; but you have to pay extra $10/month for the HIPAA compliant version. Can’t just use the free version.



That’s pretty much what you need to know. You can also find more helpful stuff on this site like DIY videos, forms you can take and use or build off of, and automations that will speed up your work (for example appointment reminders, or automatically save intake form submissions to a PDF file).


I also encourage you to check out the blog posts for more information about a variety of topics. And you can always reach out for more help!


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