Choosing the Right EMR

Choosing the right electronic medical record (EMR) can make or break a medical practice. That said, there are still a number of health-care providers who often make the wrong choice. The reason: When choosing an EMR, it’s important to know how the system collects patient data, improves reimbursement, and reduces transcription costs, to name a few.

But doctors often go to vendor meetings without a list of the features they want, and don’t even know what questions to ask. Instead, they select systems that are flashy but fundamentally difficult to use. To get the necessary information, here are 10 questions to ask about an EMR before buying:

1. How will the EMR work with my existing systems, including scheduling and practice management?
2. Can the EMR be customized within my existing workflow and time constraints – and who will do the customization?
3. Can you provide a demonstration with an existing practice similar in specialty, size and workflow – in person or via a Webinar to my entire staff, including scheduling, billing, nursing and record management?
4. Can you provide a list of similar-sized practices with similar specialties I can call for references?
5. What training and support are included with my purchase?
6. Do you provide dedicated support for new client implementations?
7. What is the typical response time?
8. What are future support and maintenance charges?
9. What are future licensing fees?
10. Do you offer a 120-day escape clause in case you don’t supply adequate training, customization or support?

If you are looking for an EMR system for your practice, please contact us today to see how we can help.