How to Find Right EMR Vendor?

Health Care providers know the value of perfect EMR vendors

How to Find Right EMR Vendor?

Now a day, physicians have different choices to select a perfect vendor as there are approximately 400 vendors working in the health care market. But on the other hand, it is also very difficult for physicians and doctors to pick correct EMR vendor. According to the HIMSS, there are some guidelines, by following which a physician can get help to select right EMR vendor.

First to Know About Your Needs

Before choosing EMR vendor, make sure about your functional needs. Write down at least 10 to 20 functions you want an EMR to do for you. Make your EMR mission statement and write some priorities in it.

Make Shortlist of Functional requirements

Convert your basic need’s list into scorecard, and write notes of each category for each vendor you want. After that, prepare simple scoring system and assign each category. Also evaluate all vendors according to this list.

Pick out of Vendors

Now after making the list of your functional requirements, create a list of EMR vendors about which you want to know. Now here the question arises that how to get knowledge about vendors choices?

It is very easy to know about the vendors now a day. Many medical companies and organizations allow professionals to discuss their work experience with the vendors and their progress honestly.

It is very easy to determine the quality of vendors by visiting websites of vendors like, business, money they use in research, their number of clients and other.

It is also very important to know about vendor if the vendor is active in certification commission for health care information technology (CCHIT) and EMR leadership tasks forces like, Electronic Medical Records Vendors Association (EHRVA). These recommendations and searches would help you to know if that vendor is perfect one.

Discussion with the other colleagues, visiting the companies that are using the same EMR you are thinking to use, will help you to choose the EMR vendor.

Organizing Product Demonstration

Once you decided which vendor you are going to choose, arrange some product demonstration for them. Ask them to show their system during the demonstration, meanwhile some offers you to see their products via internet.

For the successful product demonstration, follow the given guidelines;

·        Try to spend at least 2 hours with the vendors for discussion.

·        Try to avoid any kind of interruptions during the discussion like phone calls, messages etc.

·        Be up dated about the products either yourself or get some helper for that.

·        Clearly discuss your points, your demands what you want to get and what kind of work you want.

·        Ask your vendor to keep the record of this demonstration with you. This will help you later.

Getting a perfect EMR vendor is not an easy task. This takes some time and some effort. But once you chosen your perfect EMR vendor, this would be your lifetime security of work.

Working on Budget

After selecting the product, budget comes next to getting it. The budget consider following general points;

Hardware

Most of the physicians need to upgrade their hardware to run the EMR without any distractions or problems. This would be the duty of your vendor to inform you that what kind of hardware you need to run that EMR? Now make planning on the cost of hardware upgrades including scanner, printer etc.

Skilled Provision

After getting perfect EMR vendor, discussing and finalizing all rules, you may need some expertise, including project manager, technology professionals and others.

Looking after

Somehow EMR vendors charge a percentage of software fees which is about 18%-25% annually. This is to regular upgrades, patient’s education and drug database upgrades.