3 Reasons EHR and Traditional Case Management Software Are Not Enough for High-Impact Organizations

This week, we had the privilege of attending the annual conference for the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA). Nonprofit leaders came together to network, learn about trends in the human services sector, and find ways to better serve individuals and families. It was wonderful to meet with our customers and with other organizations to share ideas about how to move the needle for high-need individuals and families in our communities.  

What was surprising was how many times a nonprofit executive told us they used an Electronic Health Record (EHR) software to track their participants and then asked why their team would need to use another software system to track participant info. Many of the executive leaders we spoke to said that their agencies had behavioral health programs, so they were required to use an electronic health record, and they didn't understand why they would need additional software to track a participant’s social determinants of health outcomes.

Because it was such a frequent question at the conference, we wanted to answer the question for our readers. 

Why EHR and Case Management Software Aren’t Enough

We all know that tracking participant data is essential—but what you track and how you use it can make or break your ability to deliver meaningful outcomes. Most systems track activity, not impact. They’ll show that someone received 12 hours of case management or four therapy sessions—but not whether they found stable housing, sustained employment, or reduced emergency room visits.

Impact Management software takes case management to a new level. In addition to meeting all of your case management and compliance needs, Impact Management software helps nonprofits measure short, medium, and long-term outcomes on an individual, program, and organizational level. It also enables you to view your long-term impact.

The main difference between EHR software, nonprofit case management software, and impact management software lies in their primary purpose and target users:

1. Purpose and Functionality

• EHR (Electronic Health Record) Software:

  • Designed primarily for healthcare providers (doctors, hospitals, clinics).

  • Manages patient medical records, including diagnoses, medications, lab results, treatment plans, and clinical notes.

  • Must comply with healthcare regulations like HIPAA in the U.S.

• Nonprofit Case Management Software:

  • Built for nonprofit and government organizations offering social services (e.g., housing, counseling, food assistance).

  • Tracks participant interactions, needs assessments, and service plans.

  • Focused on program reporting and grant compliance.

• Impact Management Software

  • Built for nonprofit and government organizations offering social services (e.g., housing, counseling, food assistance).

  • In addition to tracking participant interactions, needs assessments, and service plans, impact management software measures outcomes and provides powerful insights into program and organization performance and long-term impact.

2. Compliance and Standards

• EHRs require strict adherence to medical data standards and security protocols.

• Case management software focuses on assessing participant needs and meeting funder reporting requirements.

• Impact management software meets all of your person-centered case management, program tracking, and compliance needs, and gives you outcome tracking tools and Analytics that give you visibility into client, program, and organization outcomes and impact.

3. Data Types

• EHRs handle clinical and diagnostic data.

• Case management systems track social and behavioral output data, such as the number of clients served and number of service hours provided.

• Impact management software tracks participant demographics and outputs, and also enables leadership to understand participant outcomes, the impact of intervention and programs, and identify potential areas of improvement.  

3 Problems Your Current EHR System Can’t Solve

1. Deliver Person-Centered Care and Services

EHRs focus on clinical records—they’re built for healthcare providers tracking diagnoses, treatments, and prescriptions. Case management software helps social service providers assess social risk factors and organize participant interactions but often lacks the ability to track long-term impact.

Impact management software bridges these gaps, giving organizations, funders, and policymakers a 360-degree view of how interventions affect an individual’s life over time. It allows teams to track progress, measure outcomes, and personalize interventions—ensuring that each participant gets the right support at the right time.

These interventions address factors such as income, employment, socioeconomic status, education, food security, housing, social support, discrimination, childhood adversity, as well as the neighborhood social and physical conditions in which people live, and the ability to access acceptable and affordable health care. Some examples of improved outcomes could include:

• Sustained housing after 6 months

• Maintained employed 3 months after completing job training

• Increased food stability

2. Optimize Programs and Improve Outcomes

It’s not enough to track what services were provided—organizations must also understand which services actually work. EHRs and case management systems often document interactions but fail to track effectiveness. Without deeper insights, nonprofits risk investing time and resources into programs that don’t drive lasting change. For example, you may discover that a financial literacy class results in higher employment rates only when paired with child care support—something you’d miss if you’re only logging services delivered.

Impact management software analyzes patterns, showing.

• Which interventions lead to the best outcomes

• When services are most effective

• Whether there are gaps in care that need addressing

With real-time insights, organizations can refine their approach, prioritize high-impact strategies, and ensure funds are spent wisely.

3. Raise More Money and Win More Grants

More and more funders are requesting outcome-based data, not just activity reports. And if they’re not asking for it yet, they will be soon. EHRs track health metrics, case management systems log service delivery and identify social barriers—but they don’t demonstrate how interventions drive real change.

Impact management software connects the dots, helping nonprofits:

• Show measurable outcomes to funders

• Demonstrate ROI on programs

• Identify high-impact interventions to scale

• Strengthen grant applications with data-backed success stories

When organizations prove their effectiveness, they secure lasting funding, expand services, and make an even greater difference in the communities they serve.

Conclusion

EHR and case management software serve important roles, but they aren’t enough to track impact, optimize programs, and secure funding. Impact management software connects data, measures effectiveness, and drives strategic decision-making—empowering organizations to do more, prove more, and ultimately change more lives.

Curious what this looks like in action? Take our Quick Product Tour and see how impact data can drive smarter decisions—and better outcomes.