Medical Experts look for the best possible EHR solution, which offers great functionality and support services. Electronic Health Records have been a mandatory tool for physicians since the implementation of the HITECH Act in 2009. Some offer cloud backup and secure access whereas some offer an integrated patient portal. A variety of functionalities are promised by the vendors such as Artificial Intelligence integration, CDS, COPE etc. Lesser the clicks, the better the productivity but it all depends on the software’s navigation panel. All in all, a standard EHR system is provided by the vendors not catering to your specialty. However, specialty-specific EHRs offer support for custom templates which have been designed for your specialty; this helps in expediting the documentation process. Urgent Care specialists are in a constant search for functionalities such as integrated knowledgebase, personalized dashboards etc.
So how do you figure out which EHR to purchase?
It all boils down to the most crucial features of the EHR:
- Patient portal integration
- Support for new treatments such as Immunotherapy
- Availability of speech to text technology
- Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE)
- Clinical Decision Support Tools (CDS)
- Specialty support: Oncology, cardiology etc
Besides these features some precautions that need to be taken are:
There should be no hidden costs, some vendors trap the user in different kinds of add-ons, support services etc. The entire ownership cost should be clearly mentioned in the terms and conditions of the sales agreement.
Are they offering some sort of backup; since data present online which is backed up on a cloud should be secure and redundant. Otherwise all the data within the cloud would be lost and nothing could be done to secure it.
Listing down your requirements:
Note down the requirements of the practice along with your partners’ requirements. Attention needs to be given to the struggles of the practice against the workflows being executed; whether it is the documentation taking up a lot of time of the physician, or the interoperability feature not functioning properly etc. Such issues need to be kept in mind while making the selection of an EHR system. The staff is a very potent factor in the successful implementation of the software. They need to be consulted regarding the EHR and its selection; since they handle the tasks of the front office etc.
Market Research needs to be conducted:
Before proceeding to the contact details of different vendors, research on the performance of different vendors needs to be conducted. Review websites such as Capterra and Softwareadvice can be accessed for an honest analysis of different vendors. Reading through articles, especially through healthcare related magazines can help you in achieving most of your research. Fellow physicians can help you with some inside feedback, pertaining to the software. While going through such reading material focus on the specifications of the product. Take into note the after sales services; this knowledge would definitely help in making the right decision. Short-list your selected vendors and then contact them via their email addresses. This list should be accompanied with the requirements of your practice.
The questions which you need to ask the vendor:
What are the computer-based requirements for the execution of this software?
Does it have support for the integration of Artificial Intelligence or does it come along as a built-in functionality?
Does it support newer methods of treatment such as Immunotherapy in Oncology, Computer assisted cardiac surgeries in cardiology etc.
Considering my practice, will it be easily implemented; considering the capabilities of the staff? Comparing the interface of the softwares against the previously owned EHR, whether it is easy to use or not?
How long would it take to be deployed? How much will the vendor charge for migrating the data from the previously owned system? In most cases, the vendor transfers data from the previous EHR system free of cost. It is entirely the responsibility of the vendor to safely transfer the data from the old software.
Ask the vendor for a demonstration:
Inform them about your requirements regarding your practice; send an email to the vendors and request a demonstration from them. Your email should contain the following subject line: Request for a demonstration. But before sending out an email to them, ask them for a request for a quotation.
During the demonstration:
While taking the demonstration keep a notepad besides you; this will help you in taking important notes.
After the demonstration:
The vendor which fulfills the requirements in the best way possible should be selected. Don’t compromise with your practice and its requirements.
Caution measures:
When you enter into a contract with the vendor do read the terms and conditions; it is often the case that the contract would last at least 5 years. So choose wisely when you make the final decision.
Migration is a serious concern when it comes to the post implementation phase. Data which is needed the most, should be transferred first. You would have to prioritize your data. Data which is 5 years older would be less important as compared to the data which is at least 6 months old. Therefore, categorization of your data is a must. Some vendors charge for migration of data, while others don’t. Do ask the vendor about it. This would be a great point to negotiate on.
Training your staff can be a hectic task, make sure you ask the vendor for proper implementation support. Without guidance, the implementation of the software could go sideways.
If all the above stated requirements have been fulfilled then you should proceed with the implementation of this software.
