Types of Software Used in Healthcare 2026

If you work in social care and are comparing systems, see our guide to best care management software in 2026.

What are the five main types of software used in the healthcare industry?

The five broad types are clinical records such as electronic health or patient records, care management and digital social care records, medication management software, scheduling and workforce management software, and communication, portals and reporting systems. Organisations may use several systems together, with integrations allowing information to move between them.

1. Clinical records
2. Care management and digital social care records
3. Medication management
4. Scheduling, rostering and workforce management
5. Communication, portals and reporting

Clinical records: EHR and EPR

An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital record of a person's health information. In the UK, the term electronic patient record (EPR) is commonly used in NHS settings. These systems can contain information such as diagnoses, treatments, medicines, investigations and clinical notes. NHS England describes an EPR as a digital version of a hospital record and says EPRs allow authorised healthcare providers to access and update patient information. NHS England's frontline digitisation programme has supported the rollout and optimisation of EPR systems across NHS trusts. Who uses them: Hospitals, GP practices, community services and other healthcare organisations. Hospital example: NHS England's EPR programme covers NHS trusts and includes hospital records containing diagnoses, treatments, medications and test results. Social care example: Social care providers may need access to information from health services, but their primary operational record is generally a social care record rather than a hospital EPR.

What to look for:

• Appropriate access controls
• Accurate and structured records
• Interoperability
• Audit trails
• Secure information sharing
• Clear data-retention arrangements

NHS England emphasises that digital systems need to be interoperable so information can move between health and care settings securely and lawfully.

Care management and digital social care records

Care management software is designed around the day-to-day organisation and recording of care. In social care, this can include care plans, daily notes, assessments, goals, risks, reviews and other records relating to a person's support. In England, the term digital social care record (DSCR) is used for systems that digitally record information about people receiving social care. Social care providers also use software for scheduling, medication, communication and reporting. Who uses them: Registered managers, care managers, care coordinators, support workers and other social care staff. Social care example: PASS provides digital care planning, linked tasks, risk assessments, outcomes and reviews, with medication information linked to its eMAR functionality. Hospital/healthcare example: Care management functions can also exist alongside clinical systems in health services, but they should not automatically be treated as substitutes for a clinical EHR or EPR.

What to look for:

• Person-centred care plans
• Daily recording
• Assessments and reviews
• Risk management
• Mobile access
• Permissions
• Audit history
• Data export
• Integration with other systems

For UK adult social care, CQC provides specific guidance covering digital records and the handling of information and technology.

Medication management: eMAR and e-prescribing

Medication software helps organisations manage information about medicines and, depending on the system, prescribing, administration, schedules, alerts and records. eMAR means electronic medication administration record. It replaces or supplements paper medication administration records with digital records of medication-related activity. Who uses them: Healthcare professionals, care workers, care managers, pharmacists and other authorised staff, depending on the setting. Social care example: PASS's eMAR system records medication administration, provides alerts and reminders, and links medication information with care records. Healthcare example: Medication information can also form part of an EHR or EPR. NHS England states that electronic health records can contain information about prescribed medication and treatments.

What to look for

• Clear medication schedules
• Administration records
• Permissions
• Alerts
• Audit trails
• Integration with care or clinical records
• Data export
• Appropriate mobile access

The exact requirements differ considerably between a hospital, GP practice, care home and homecare service.

Scheduling, rostering and workforce management

Scheduling and workforce software helps organisations plan staff availability, shifts, duties and workforce capacity. In healthcare, e-rostering is used to help organisations understand staffing requirements and deploy staff. NHS England's e-rostering guidance describes systems that provide visibility of staffing levels and help managers plan and deploy staff. Its guidance covers acute, mental health and community NHS providers. Who uses them: Workforce managers, care coordinators, registered managers, administrators and frontline staff. Healthcare example: NHS England has published case studies of NHS trusts using electronic rostering to replace paper-based processes and improve workforce visibility. Social care example: Birdie combines care management and rostering within its platform, allowing providers to manage care and workforce scheduling through connected software.

What to look for

• Staff availability
• Shift allocation
• Skills and competencies
• Leave management
• Schedule changes
• Mobile access
• Timesheets
• Payroll integrations
• Reporting

For social care, rostering is often closely connected to the practical delivery of care because staff schedules determine who is available to support people.

Communication, portals and reporting

Communication and reporting software helps organisations share information, give authorised people access to relevant records and turn operational data into reports. Examples include staff communication tools, patient or family portals, dashboards, analytics and reporting systems. These may be standalone applications or features within a wider healthcare or social care platform. Who uses them: Staff, managers, patients or service users, families and other authorised people, depending on the system. Healthcare example: The NHS App provides patient-facing digital services for people registered with participating NHS GP practices in England and the Isle of Man. Social care example: Birdie provides separate interfaces for agency staff, carers and families, including a Family App designed to keep relatives informed.

What to look for

• Role-based access
• Secure messaging
• Family or patient access where appropriate
• Notifications
• Dashboards
• Exportable reports
• Audit trails
• Interoperability

The key consideration is whether people receive the right information without giving them access to information they should not see.

What is the most popular healthcare software?

There is no single reliable answer to the question “What is the most popular healthcare software?” because popularity can be measured in different ways. A vendor may have the largest revenue, the most hospitals using its system, the most individual users or the largest presence in a particular country. The answer also changes by healthcare setting. An EPR used by hospitals is not directly comparable with a social care record system, eMAR platform or workforce application. For example, NHS England's national EPR programme focuses on the use and optimisation of electronic patient records across NHS trusts, while its workforce programme separately measures e-rostering and e-job-planning adoption. For this reason, a responsible comparison should state what is being measured, where and when rather than describing one product as the world's most popular healthcare software.

How social care software differs from hospital software

Hospital and social care organisations can both need digital records, medication management, scheduling and secure communication, but their workflows are different. Regulation and inspection: UK social care providers operate within a social care regulatory framework, including CQC requirements in England. Healthcare organisations have different regulatory and governance requirements. Long-term relationships: Social care records often follow a person's ongoing support, while hospital records may focus more heavily on episodes of treatment and clinical activity. Shift-based staff: Care homes, supported living services and homecare agencies often need detailed scheduling and rota management alongside care records. Daily records: Social care staff may record routine support, outcomes, observations and changes throughout a person's day. Budgets and operations: Social care software may need to connect care delivery with staff hours, scheduling and operational administration. Family involvement: Depending on the service, families may need controlled access to updates or communication. The important point is that software should be evaluated against the organisation's actual workflow rather than simply choosing a system because it is widely used in another part of healthcare.

Where CitizenOne fits

This guide is published by CitizenOne, a provider of care management software for social care. CitizenOne provides care management software for supported living, care homes and other social care providers. Its functionality includes journaling and case notes, plans and goals, medication records, shift scheduling, secure email, internal chat and a mobile app. CitizenOne hosts its system in the EU using Hetzner, an ISO/IEC 27001-certified host, and offers a free account without requiring payment details.

FAQ

What are the five main types of software used in healthcare?

The five broad categories are clinical records such as EHRs and EPRs; care management and digital social care records; medication management such as eMAR and e-prescribing; scheduling, rostering and workforce management; and communication, portals and reporting. Organisations often use several categories together rather than relying on one system.

What is the most popular healthcare software?

There is no single answer because popularity depends on the measure. You could compare revenue, number of hospitals, organisations, users or geographic coverage. The answer also differs between hospitals, primary care and social care. A responsible ranking should always identify its measure, country and date.

What is the largest healthcare software?

“Largest” needs a defined measure. It could mean the largest vendor by revenue, the system used by the most organisations or the platform with the most users. These measures can produce different results. This guide therefore does not name one product as the largest healthcare software without a clearly comparable, current source.

Is care management software the same as an EHR?

No. An EHR or EPR is primarily a clinical or patient health record, while care management software is designed around managing and recording care and support. There can be overlap, particularly around notes and medication, but the systems serve different workflows and may need to exchange information.

What is an eMAR?

An eMAR is an electronic medication administration record. It records medication-related information digitally, including administration activity and, depending on the system, schedules, alerts and other medication details. eMAR functionality can exist inside a wider care management platform or as part of another medication-management system.

Do care homes use the same software as hospitals?

Not necessarily. Care homes have different workflows and information requirements from hospitals, so they may use digital social care records, care planning, medication and rostering systems designed specifically for social care. Some information may need to be exchanged with health services, making interoperability important.

Conclusion Healthcare software covers many different jobs, from clinical records and medication management to care planning, workforce scheduling and communication. The right category depends on the setting and workflow. If you work in social care and are comparing systems, continue with our guide to best care management software in 2026.