Tips for evaluating Electronic Medical Records

Whether you are looking for additional functionality such as health management reminders, want to start ePrescribing or are looking to demonstrate standards for pay-for-performance Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) can be a useful tool. But with hundreds of EMR vendors in the marketplace how do you know who to add to your short list?

Here are a few ideas that will help you zero in on the best EMR software for your practice.

Get others in your practice involved. Find out what various members of your staff are looking for in an Electronic Medical Record system. Get their buy-in early. Hold regular meetings with providers and staff to discuss needs, concerns and questions, and list the problems you want to solve with the Electronic Medical Record software.

Look carefully at what the different vendors are offering. Concentrate on those that are well-established in the medical software field and that offer comprehensive training and support. Consider how well they are prepared to face future standards and whether they are CCHIT CertifiedSM, which demonstrates an Electronic Medical Record software’s functionality, interoperability and security.

See the program for yourself. In-person demonstrations are vital to determining whether a system will meet your specific needs. Request them from each short-listed company. Run through a number of scenarios that are likely to test the product’s suitability. Create a checklist of all the important features and requirements, and rate how well each Electronic Medical Record system meets these requirements.

Ask about implementation. No two practices are alike and Electronic Medical Record implementation requires fine-tuning to meet your specific needs. Find out how each vendor will customize your software, training and configuration to meet the needs of your practice.

Set a timetable. Find out how long each system will take to become operational. Integrated systems may be much easier to set up and resulting in less disruption to your practice than separate systems interfaced together. Be prepared to hold your Electronic Medical Record partner to an agreed upon timetable.

Listen to the experts. A number of industry groups have rated EMR systems and those reports can provide you with valuable insight. A report was recently released by Health Industry Insights, an IDC Company, which ranks a number of EMR providers by 1) Fit to Market Needs and 2) Ownership Confidence.

Healthcare Provider Industry Short List: Ambulatory  Electronic Health Records and Electronic Medical Records

Sage Software is providing free access to the Health Industry Insights report for 90 days. Simply visit www.SageHealth.com/HealthIndustryInsights to read the report in its entirety.

Ready to get started?
Health Industry Insights rated Intergy EHR by Sage highly for both “Fit to Market Needs” and “Ownership Confidence”. See for yourself how Intergy EHR can meet the needs of your practice.