EHRs and EMRs are no longer just modern technology. It’s a necessity. If you want to avoid federal fines, provide value-based care and reduce physician burnout, you should implement an EHR/EMR system. But selecting a perfect solution from a range of EHR and EMR products can be exhausting. You need to evaluate multiple EHR vendors based on your unique needs.

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According to a report by Grand View Research, the CAGR of the electronic health records (EHR) market from 2021–2028 will be 3.7%. It also predicts that revenue in 2025 will be over $33.41 billion. Many EHR vendors are in the market, but the top five to seven vendors control a large share of revenue metrics and subscribers. That’s why you should think twice before investing in an EHR system.

We will be discussing the following topics in this article:

• What Is EHR?
• Key Differences Between EHR and EMR
• Benefits of EHR
• Common Features
• Top EHR Vendors
• EHR Vendors Comparison Strategy

Let’s get started!

What Is EHR?

Simply put, an EHR is a patient’s paper chart converted to a digital medium and stored either in the cloud or on-premise servers. However, they have evolved beyond being digital versions of paper records. Today, they provide you with a broader view of a patient’s health and history. You can access patients’ records in real time via the patient portal. EHR records medical history, patient encounters, treatment plans, medication immunization dates, radiology images, allergies and laboratory results.

Furthermore, you can create, share and store patient and population health data in a secure, digital format. These systems provide evidence-based tools to help you in decision-making while streamlining and automating operational workflows. Adopting an EHR has become a required feature by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed in 2009. This has led to market growth not only in the U.S. but also in other countries.

How Did the HITECH Act Spur EHR Adoption?

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) is a part of the American Recovery and Investment Act (ARRA) signed into law by the Obama administration in 2009. This act aimed to drive the adoption of EHRs by health care providers to help improve clinical outcomes. According to data published by Health IT, the EHR adoption rate of general acute care hospitals rose to 96% between 2019 – 2021.

Notification of Breach

According to the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule, providers should send alerts to patients within 60 days following the discovery of a data breach. If the breach affects 500 patients or more, health care companies need to notify the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Tougher Penalties for HIPAA Violations

The HITECH Act introduced federal fines according to the severity of HIPAA violations. It split penalties into four tiers. Look at the table below to gain an understanding of the penalty structure.

Publication of Data Breaches

The HITECH Act urged the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to post summaries of data breaches reported by HIPAA-covered providers. It included the name of the attacked entity, the breach’s category and location, and the number of affected individuals. The OCR named it the “HIPAA Wall of Shame.”

The HITECH Act brought a positive revolution in the health care delivery system. It made compliance the number one priority. It provided positive incentives through Promoting Interoperability Programs and negative incentives in the form of civil fines.

Types of EHR

We might think that deployment isn’t a huge issue. What if we tell you that it does impact your business model? You need to be aware of the systems that EHR vendors offer to make strategic decisions. Without further ado, let’s discuss the available deployment options.

Physician-hosted

You can store EHR data on your organization’s server using this system. All you have to do is purchase the hardware, software and server required to access it. You will also need an employee to handle updates and follow troubleshooting procedures. Large medical organizations benefit from this kind of deployment method. It speeds up data entry processes and is also considered a reliable source of information.

Physician-hosted systems provide you with granular controls to help maintain data security. Because you install it on your company servers, it becomes easier to access information even when the internet connection gets interrupted. It best serves large health care companies.

Remotely-hosted

Remotely-hosted systems transfer data from physicians to third-party servers. This external entity is responsible for data backup, system maintenance and security. You don’t have to hire a dedicated IT staff either. This helps you focus on patient care instead of dealing with technical headaches. If you run a small practice, this deployment type will be perfect for you.

Remote apps fall under three broad categories:

• Subsidized: In this case, if you have a relationship with any facility like hospitals, they will work towards funding the implementation of an EHR. But don’t forget that you won’t have control over the data.
• Dedicated: You can store information on the vendor’s server. This way, you will have an idea about the location of your data.
• Cloud: Today, several health care industries use cloud-based products. It enables you to access files electronically from anywhere, at any time.

Ambulatory vs. Inpatient EHRs

EHRs help medical providers securely maintain and exchange patient data. You can develop better treatment plans when you have the correct information in your hands. EHR solutions assist you in reducing medical errors and simplifying operational workflows. When it comes to selecting an EHR, you need to determine the type of your organization. For instance, you might encounter different challenges in an ambulatory setting compared to a hospital setting.

Some individuals believe inpatient and ambulatory EHRs are the same. Potato, potahto, right? What difference does it make? But ambulatory and inpatient EHR solutions serve distinct needs.

An ambulatory EHR system caters to outpatient health care needs like monitoring office visits and ongoing prescriptions. Providers can leverage historical data stored in these systems to develop personalized treatment plans. One of the prime features of ambulatory EHR platforms is e-prescribing.

Inpatient EHR applications fulfill medical needs in hospital settings like billing and tracking patient progress. They are more complex because they serve multiple departments. Computerized physician order entry modules are the backbone of inpatient EHRs.

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Difference between EHR and EMR

Medical practitioners use the terms EHR and EMR interchangeably. You must understand the differences between an EHR and EMR to avoid purchasing software that doesn’t suit your needs.

Want to know about these distinctions in detail? Read our article — EHR vs. EMR: A Comprehensive Comparison.

Primary Benefits

The top EHRs will likely have the following benefits for a health care facility:

• Streamline Workflows With Artificial Intelligence: According to the Clinician of the Future report published by Elsevier, 56% of clinicians expect they will make decisions using decision support tools that integrate with AI in 10 years. AI integrated EHRs assist you in adapting and learning from practice data. It helps you reduce administrative tasks and auto-capture clinical notes through its natural language processing (NLP) capabilities.
• Improve Data Security: EHRs encrypt patients’ files and are HIPAA compliant, protecting information from data breaches. Only authorized users can access documents using a decryption key.
• Increase Productivity: An EHR is easy to use and makes physicians’ work easier, quicker and manageable with flexible, intuitive and efficient programs.
• Ensure Regulatory Compliance: They provide comprehensive interoperability and security features and are ONC certified.
• Achieve Interoperability: EHRs enable you to share patient data between hospitals and insurance companies.

Note: While most EHR and EMR companies offer interoperability to keep the customer within their ecosystem, many build their software to work smoothly with their system only.

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Key Features

Top electronic health records companies commonly offer the following features.

• Patient Portal: Enable clients to access medical records, reschedule appointments, request medication refills, pay bills and interact with physicians. Help your staff focus on other essential admin tasks using dashboards.
• Clinical Decision Support: You can avoid prescription errors using embedded quality checking functionality. When the EHR identifies a conflicting entry, it alerts the doctor that the medication or diagnosis might conflict with the patient’s allergies or best practices. It also sends reminders with best practices, preventative measures and suggestions about solving common care issues.
• E-Prescribing: You can prescribe and track controlled substances with just a few clicks. You can also review and sign prescription requests from remote locations. Maintain DEA audit history to stay compliant with the latest laws and regulations.
• Computerized Physician Order Entry: Physicians and other health care providers can enter treatment orders and medical instructions directly into the software. These orders then route towards pharmacies, radiologists or laboratories for fulfillment or execution. It prevents prescription errors and checks problems and medication lists to protect patients from receiving unnecessary treatments and harmful doses of substances.
• Documentation: Utilize customizable templates to collect accurate patient data. The master patient index enables you to access client information to help you maintain documentation integrity.

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Top EHR Vendors

Our dedicated team of research analysts thoroughly examined several electronic health records companies to develop a list of high-performing competitors. Our analysts have rated these EHR solutions based on their strengths, limitations and user reviews. The scores are as follows:

• athenahealth — 88
• DrChrono — 87
• EpicCare — 87
• Cerner Ambulatory — 87
• eClinicalWorks — 85

We have included summaries, benefits, features and limitations for each of them.

athenahealth

athenahealth provides cloud-based solutions to help medical practices, hospitals and insurance companies optimize clinical and financial processes. It assists you in staying compliant with health care guidelines and regulations. You can enhance client experiences using patient engagement modules. Revenue cycle management capabilities help you improve financial outcomes.

Access clinical knowledge such as drug information and diagnosis and treatment guidelines using the medical decision support tool — Epocrates. You can uncover potential harmful drug interactions within minutes.

The vendor offers a team of experts to help you monitor MACRA and MIPS changes. The team also assists you in resubmitting denied claims within assigned deadlines.

Top Benefits

• Boost Revenue: Utilize the billing rules engine to achieve a clean claims rate. You can track financial metrics via the dashboard. The vendor provides a team of experts to help you with authorization works.
• Enhance Care Coordination: Enable multiple clinicians to access patient treatment plans to promote collaboration and deliver high-quality care. Share client records through CommonWell and Carequality to improve patient outcomes.
• Achieve Interoperability: Securely exchange data with other physicians to make informed care decisions. Locate patient data from trusted sources and integrate them into your clinical workflows.
• Improve Value-based Care Results: Monitor patient progress in real time to close care gaps. Access your practice or company’s dashboard to gain actionable insights.
• Capture Accurate Patient Data: Leverage the speech-to-text dictation functionality to avoid documentation errors. Navigate through patient encounter fields on the form using voice commands.

Primary Features

• Patient Engagement: Enable patients to pay via debit or credit cards or online wallets through the patient portal. Clients can exchange information with care teams, schedule appointments and request medications with just a few clicks. Send appointment reminders to patients to avoid no-shows.
• Revenue Cycle Management: Set gameplay challenges to optimize revenue cycle workflows and improve employee performance with athenahealth Gamify. Automate tedious tasks like A/R follow-ups to lower administrative burdens. Integrate with clearinghouses to reduce coding and billing errors. Identify and resolve denial issues using denial resolution modules.
• Documentation: Access customizable clinical templates to collect precise patient information. Add or modify data to keep everyone on the same page. You can use voice commands to reduce documentation time. Pre-encounter preparation modules help you review patient charts and identify if patients need additional tests before visiting your clinic.
• Telehealth: You can conduct video consultations with four individuals using group video conferencing functionality. Customize your video window to ease documentation. Enable patients to join video meetings via an email link.
• athenaOne App: Login via touch or face ID to ensure data security. Integrate with the desktop version and update information in real time. Complete crucial tasks using the clinical inbox.

Limitations

• Doesn’t provide robust claim scrubbing functionality.
• Users experience technical difficulties.
• Doesn’t offer advanced reporting features.

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DrChrono

DrChrono offers cloud-based solutions to help medical professionals streamline business operations. It provides practice management, billing, scheduling, e-prescribing, charting and revenue cycle modules. You can store unlimited data in a centralized database. You can also grant role-based access permissions to authorized employees to ensure data confidentiality.

Vital flowsheets enable you to monitor important vitals such as BPM or temperature. Send lab orders with just a few clicks. Automatically generate and submit CMS-1500 claim forms to payers. Assign precise ICD-11, HCPCS and CPT codes to bills to avoid denials. Produce faultless superbills for speedy payments.

The vendor provides MACRA and MIPS attestation services to help you boost revenue. The provider also offers a team of billing experts to help you resubmit rejected claims within 48 hours. They also assist you in optimizing front-end workflows.

Top Benefits

• Streamline Workflows: Leverage practice management tools to improve productivity and enhance patient experiences. You can automate repetitive tasks to save time. Automatically send appointment reminders to patients to reduce no-shows.
• Improve Profitability: Generate revenue reports to optimize financial processes. Use the denial analysis tool to find the root cause of the problem.
• Ensure Data Security: The system uses SSL AES 256-bit encryption to help you exchange information securely.
• Stay Compliant: Follow DEA, NIST and Surescripts e-prescribing guidelines to avoid legal troubles. Exchange vital information with patients through a HIPAA secure messaging portal.
• Remain Mobile: Enable physicians to document patient encounters. access schedules, view refill requests and respond to messages through iOS devices. The iPad EHR app integrates with patient engagement, medical billing and scheduling modules.

Primary Features

• Electronic Prescriptions: Send prescriptions to the client’s preferred pharmacy using the GPS locator. You can access patients’ prescription histories through the Superscripts network. Leverage EPCS capabilities to avoid prescription drug abuse and fraud.
• Smart Shortcuts: Create macro buttons to reuse past medical notes for similar appointments. It also enables you to eliminate data entry mistakes and save time.
• Appointment Profiles: Automatically add durations, reasons for visits and billing profiles to appointments. Predetermine appointment type to deliver quality care.
• Telehealth: You can schedule and conduct video consultations to engage with patients residing in remote locations. Access and edit the client’s chart without having to leave the appointment. Enable patients to book meetings via the patient portal.
• Charting: Add notes to medical images to gain a clear understanding of the issue at hand. Save markups as clinical notes and allow patients to access them from mobile devices. Use customizable templates to document correct information. Capture patient data using speech recognition.

Limitations

• Doesn’t offer a seamless data migration process.
• Users experience frequent crashes.
• Doesn’t provide robust charting capabilities.

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EpicCare

Epic’s EHR is suitable for large medical practices and can be deployed as a self-hosted or cloud-based system. It helps physicians maintain a record of a patient’s chart over time. You can manage operations like appointment scheduling, payment posting and billing. It offers revenue cycle, care management, reporting and patient engagement functionalities. It has a community of experts from various specialties.

It enables you to improve authorization turnaround times. Automatically send accurate patient data to payers to boost care coordination. You can review care gaps to improve clinical outcomes and quality of care. Access the bed huddle dashboard to gain an overview of bed availability. Utilize discharge management tools to reduce patients’ length of stay (LOS).

Key Benefits

• Achieve Interoperability: Irrespective of which EHR other health organizations use, physicians can share patient charts with them.
• Remain Mobile: Enable patients and physicians to access documents via Android or iOS devices. Log in to the application using face ID, fingerprint or four-digit code.
• Deploy on the Cloud: Enable employees to access information through mobile devices to increase operational efficiency and reduce administrative burdens.
• Enhance Patient Experiences: Clients can schedule appointments, attend e-visits, complete questionnaires and send messages to doctors via the patient portal.
• Stay Compliant: Exchange information through a HIPAA-compliant messaging portal. Stay updated about coding and billing regulations to avoid federal fines. It’s ONC certified.

Primary Features

• MyChart Patient Portal: Enable patients to access family and personal health data on mobile devices. Help them request physician assistance, check schedules and access educational materials. They can also exchange messages with doctors, complete questionnaires, set appointments and attend e-visits.
• Billing: Increase patient engagement and consolidate outstanding balances with physicians, hospitals and more in a single document. You can create payment plans to lower patients’ financial burdens. Automate billing processes to avoid coding errors, reduce A/R days and boost revenue.
• Scheduling: Decision trees help you book appointments without worrying about each department’s scheduling rules. It provides a predetermined list of questions to increase scheduling accuracy. It also assists you in reducing no-show rates and cancellations.
• Artificial Intelligence and Analytics: Empower people to ask questions and create customized dashboards. Combine and process clinical, quality and financial data into one data set from different sources. Curate and distribute analytics content on the web. It embeds machine learning algorithms in hospitals. Cloud-based dashboards support the deployment of AI models.
• Clinical Support: Leverage workflows, screens, predictive analytics, specialty applications and embedded decision-making capabilities. Recruit study members, conduct research and integrate findings into clinical documents.

Limitations

• No handwriting recognition.
• Doesn’t populate office software with operative reports.
• Doesn’t enable users to print multiple labels for patients.

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Cerner Ambulatory

Cerner Ambulatory, an EHR that can be deployed both on-premise and the cloud, supports 40+ specialties and fits practices of all sizes. It integrates seamlessly with all types of health care providers using communication protocols and industry standards, including local and national information exchanges. Along with that, it offers patient portals, billing, clinical documentation, appointment scheduling and data analytic modules. It’s ONC and Meaningful Use Stage 1 and 2 certified.

Key Benefits

• Improve Clinical and Operational Efficiency: Automate workflows, transfer processing, registration, admission and discharges, collect payments or copays before care delivery, and validate benefits and eligibility to provide interactive lists for managing workloads. Physicians can log into the portal using one username and password, log into virtual desktops, and gain no-click access to clinical workstations.
• Document Correct Information: Integrate with Dragon Speech Recognition to capture data quickly. The search bar helps you find information relevant to a word or clinical concept.
• Deliver Quality Care: Enable clients to download educational materials to help them gain an in-depth understanding of their health care journey. Help customers interact with doctors through HealtheLife.
• Ensure Compliance: Follow health care regulations and guidelines to avoid federal penalties. You can track and analyze your standing with regulatory changes via the dashboard. Stay in compliance with HIPAA laws to stay out of legal troubles. It’s ONC-ATCB and Meaningful Use Stage 1 and Stage 2 certified.
• Reduce Financial Barriers: Screen patients’ abilities to pay by estimating household sizes and income by checking Medicaid, financial assistance programs and charities using financial clearance modules.

Primary Features

• Documentation: Capture data using text or voice commands. You can also trigger document quality reviews to identify clinical evidence for a diagnosis. Manage patient identities like relationships, employers, demographics, guarantors and insurances through the enterprise master patient index database.
• Patient Portal: Customers can message physicians about allergies, immunizations and lab results, book and change appointments, request refills, send files, and update information within minutes.
• Scheduling: Enables you to schedule multiple appointments across different facilities, confirm medical necessity at different points, manage procedure interactions, and address and move adverse consultations.
• Revenue Cycle Management: Connect clinical and financial data to facilitate better revenue outcomes. Determine correct CPT and ICD codes to capture accurate charges. Calculate expected reimbursements and identify payment variances to increase cash flow.
• Care Management: Patient kiosks enable customers to confirm and verify appointment information. Clients can view and correct insurance data and demographics to complete registration forms. Create a single longitudinal record for each patient using HealtheIntent.

Limitations

• Users experience navigational issues.
• Steep learning curve.
• It’s difficult to modify existing data.

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eClinicalWorks

eClinicalWorks is a cloud-based module fit for medical organizations like ambulatory practices, health centers, urgent care and hospitals. It has tools for 50+ specialties and provides functions such as revenue cycle management, population health, patient engagement, kiosks, analytics, empanelment, telehealth, messenger, pre-visit planning and care planning. It is ONC Health certified.

The Healow app empowers patients to access their records from remote locations. It enables them to schedule appointments, view prescriptions, set medication reminders, exchange information with doctors and attend video consultations using Android and iOS devices.

Key Benefits

• Achieve Interoperability: Access nationwide CommonWell and Carequality networks and exchange data with other hospitals and practices. Save external records with a single click. Cross-reference patient identifiers across multiple EHR systems to identify and match each record, perform global patient searches and combine duplicate records with the enterprise master patient index (EMPI).
• Ensure Data Consistency: Integrate with medical devices like Holters, blood pressure monitors, vitals trackers, spirometers and ECGs. You can also integrate with non-medical devices like thermal prescription and label printers, and iris recognition systems. Supports refills and new response messages with pharmacy systems that support HTTPS and IP/Port communication.
• Increase Patient Satisfaction: Enable patients to track activities, and monitor blood pressure, weight, calories, blood sugar, BMI and sleep. Customers can schedule appointments through Healow Open Access. They can also make online payments through a secure link found in text messages.
• Deploy on the Cloud: The grid cloud system ensures data security. You can run automatic backups to avoid losing vital information. You can also access data from anywhere at any time via internet-enabled devices. It helps you stay connected to your EHR system during outages through eClinicalWorks Nimbus.
• Boost Cash Flow: Monitor claim statuses in real time. Evaluate the financial health of your practice through the dashboard. RCM Console notifies you when you receive collections or refunds. You can send out electronic satisfaction surveys to patients to gather information about payment experiences.

Primary Features

• Revenue Cycle Management: Run insurance eligibility checks to avoid denials. Work queue dashboards help you allocate resources and monitor A/R days. Partner with clearinghouses such as Change Healthcare, eSolutions, TriZetto Provider Solutions and Waystar to simplify claims processing.
• Analytics: Automatically import patient data in the documents section using HL7 messaging. It also supports embedded PDF reports. Create custom reports using the enterprise business optimizer. Perform clinical and financial analysis to optimize workflows.
• Telehealth: Send pre-visit questionnaires to patients to collect vital signs to help deliver personalized care. Screen patients for illness and review the social determinants of health (SDH) using screening functionality. Send texts or emails to remind patients about their appointments. Share your screen during televists to give patients an in-depth overview of their health care journey.
• Population Health Management: Develop clinical measures to improve chronic and preventative care using the clinical decision support system. Gather physiological data from patients’ wearables using remote patient monitoring functionality. Calculate clients’ risk adjustment factors (RAF) scores, compare past and current RAF scores and contact patients using integrated patient engagement modules.
• Virtual Assistant: Enable physicians to display a patient’s flowsheet, progress notes and account balance using the virtual assistant — Eva. Recall patient history, compare past and current progress notes, view educational videos, book appointments, and more without disrupting workflows.

Limitations

• Posting payments can be tedious.
• Poor customer service.
• Users experience occasional crashes.

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Comparing Software Vendors

We know the hassles businesses go through to find a system that suffices their organizational needs. With loads of data available on websites, it becomes overwhelming to find a perfect solution. But before you implement an EHR system, you should conduct an EHR readiness assessment. This will help you identify and resolve potential issues prior to implementation.

After conducting an EHR readiness evaluation, you can embark on your software selection journey. You should select a scalable platform to avoid replacement costs.

Below we have outlined certain things you should consider while comparing EHR apps.

You don’t want to invest in software that can majorly impact your finances, resulting in budget overruns. That’s why it’s vital to always remember to discuss the cost of the application. And don’t forget to ask if the system provides monthly or lifetime access.

You can access our price guide to learn about products’ hidden costs.

The next thing you need to focus on is creating a requirements checklist. Include all the features that you would like to have in your EHR app. This will help you to compare vendors based on the features they offer. Don’t forget that these requirements might come at an extra cost!

You should make sure that the EHR application provides interoperability. If the vendor doesn’t offer a secure data exchange, you should immediately cross the EHR app off your list.

Check what deployment options the provider offers. Cloud-based solutions enable you to access data through mobile devices. You need to install on-premise systems on your company’s PCs. If the app is not compatible with your devices, it will cause you losses instead of gains. So, check your operating system before you finalize a product to avoid unnecessary expenses.

The EHR implementation process can be tedious and time-consuming. There are a lot of factors involved. It would be good to have someone guide you through the changes, wouldn’t it? Most EHR vendors offer implementation assistance. Ask providers if they offer such services.
It’s possible at some point you’ll suffer from technical problems. Several distributors provide phone and email support options. Some of them also offer training courses and a knowledge base.

The EHR system should integrate with other digital products. Otherwise, transferring information from one application to another can take most of your time. Look out for products that offer integrative solutions.

Last but not least, ask other medical professionals about the vendor’s reputation. Don’t entirely rely on the testimonials provided by the software seller.

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Conducting a Vendor Assessment

It’s difficult to vet all providers in a single day. You can make the process easier by following the steps mentioned below.

Define SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-Bound) Goals

Unrealistic goals land us nowhere. And we don’t want to keep running aimlessly. All we have to do is set SMART goals. You can’t get up one day and tell yourself that you need an EHR app. You need to plan and plan and plan before you decide!

Analyze Current Workflows

One of the most important steps is to analyze your organization’s workflows. It will help you spot errors so that you can make a case in front of stakeholders as to why you need an EHR system.

Collaboration boosts harmony and promotes transparency. And together as a team, you will be able to pinpoint problems accurately. You can also conduct a survey and distribute it among teams to learn about the hassles they will tackle with an EHR. Use these questions as a starting point to initiate conversations with your employees.

• Will the platform solve our documentation problems?
• Do we require a cloud-based app?
• Do we need the solution for billing assistance?
• Will the application help us to ensure compliance with federal and state guidelines?
• Do we need a flexible system?

Make a list of integrations that you expect from the application. You might be using a system already. And you don’t want to spend time transferring data from one system to another. Instead, you would like to focus on patient care. That’s why you need to keep a list of integrations ready to know what you are seeking.

Ask Questions To Vendors

Never hesitate to ask questions. One hesitation can ruin your workflows and cause financial issues. You can ask vendors about cost, implementation fees, upgrades, support options and transition processes.

Software-related Questions

• Does the solution assist with MIPS reporting?
• Is the software ONC-ATCB certified?
• What are the pros and cons of the application?
• Is the solution HIPAA compliant?
• Does the solution provide documentation capabilities?

Pricing Questions

• Are there any charges for upgrades?
• What is the usual contract duration?
• Do additional functionalities come at an extra cost?
• Do you charge an implementation fee?
• What pricing models do you offer?

Transition Questions

• Will the implementation process disrupt my company’s workflows?
• How long will the transition take?
• Do you offer data migration assistance?
• Will you create a transition plan checklist for us?
• What happens if the transition fails?

Training Questions

• Is online or on-site training available?
• How do we schedule training sessions?
• Do you offer any supplementary courses?
• Can we access training materials through mobile devices?
• Do you provide a software manual?

Issue a Request for Proposal

After collecting all the information from vendors, you can send them an RFP. It enables providers to compare your requirements with their services and draw proposals that match your needs. We recommend reading our article on EMR and EHR RFP Best Practices to draft an error-free RFP.

Conduct Vendor Comparison

After you have the data, you need to analyze it. You can prepare a chart or an Excel sheet listing things that EHR vendors provide. Then you can shortlist those vendors who best meet your needs.

Ask Vendors To Provide References

References can either give you assurance about the software or can make you run in the opposite direction from the vendor. Whatever the case is, always ask for references.

It’s decision time!

Now it’s time to select the one you think can resolve your issues effectively. You can also reach out to us if you have any questions. May the best one win!

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Final Thoughts

Hopefully, the above list can help reduce the numerous variables related to switching or buying from an EMR/EHR vendor. Many physicians think that they help with better patient care, but also accept that current software solutions could use some improvement. Whatever your motivation may be for switching to a new system, making an informed decision is of the utmost importance.

Have you switched EHR vendors recently? Tell us in the comments section about the features you considered while buying and why you chose one company over other EMR/EHR companies.