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                                    EXHIBIT 5

                      OPINION OF RANDOLPH L. M. HUTTO, ESQ.



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[MEDAPHIS
CORPORATION
LETTERHEAD]


                                                    May 6,1999

Medaphis Corporation
2840 Mt. Wilkinson Parkway
Suite 300
Atlanta, Georgia 30339

    Re:  Medaphis Corporation -- Form S-8 Registration Statement

Ladies and Gentlemen:

    I am the General Counsel of Medaphis Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the "Company"). In connection with the proposed filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission of a Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration
Statement") relating to 2,000,000 shares of the Company's voting common stock,
par value $.01 per share ("Common Stock"), to be offered pursuant to the
Medaphis Corporation Non-Qualified Stock Option Plan for Non- Executive
Employees, as amended (the "Plan"), I have examined and relied upon such
records, documents, certificates and other instruments as in my judgment are
necessary or appropriate to form the basis for the opinion set forth below. In
all such examinations, I have assumed the genuineness of signatures on original
documents and the conformity to such original documents of all copies submitted
to me as certified, conformed or photographic copies, and as to any certificates
of public officials, I have assumed the same to have been properly given and to
be accurate.

    This opinion is limited in all respects to the federal laws of the United
States of America and the laws of the State of Delaware, and no opinion is
expressed with respect to the laws of any other jurisdiction or any effect which
such laws may have on the opinion expressed below.

    Based upon the foregoing and subject to the limitations, qualifications and
assumptions set forth herein, I am of the opinion that the shares of Common
Stock to be issued upon the exercise of options (the "Options") granted to
eligible employees under the Plan are duly authorized and, assuming that (i) the
shares of Common Stock so issuable continue to be duly authorized on the dates
of exercise of the Options; (ii) on such dates of exercise the Options will
constitute the legal, valid, and binding obligations of the Company and will
(subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, and other laws affecting the
enforceability of creditors' rights generally) be enforceable as to the Company
in accordance with the terms of the Plan; and (iii) no change occurs in the
applicable law or the pertinent facts, then, when the Options are duly and
effectively exercised in accordance with the terms of the Plan, the shares of
Common Stock so issuable will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

    I consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Registration
Statement.

                                   Very truly yours,


                                   /s/ RANDOLPH L. M. HUTTO
                                   Randolph L. M. Hutto
                                   General Counsel