The EMR Software Maze – Where to Start

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 7, 2009 -- Unless you have 200 days available to look and research EMR software (400 EMR software solutions reviewing 2 a day), the EMR software selection process can seem a little daunting.

Further complicating the issue is mergers and acquisitions. The last thing a physician wants is to spend money on an EMR software package, only to have it shelved by the acquiring software vendor.

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The EMR Software Maze – Where to Start

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Step 1 – Looking beyond just today’s needs, going 5 years out, what are your critical requirements. Keeping in mind new and forthcoming regulations, stimulus incentives and practice growth.

Example: CCHIT Certification is important for Stimulus funds qualification and peace of mind. SureScripts eRX is also important even if you don’t have eprescribing ambitions today. Additionally, does the EMR software integrate with the HL7 exchange right out of the box?

These are all very basic, but fundamental capabilities that most every medical practice will be confronted with, within the next 5 years.

Step 2 – Considering the bigger picture now can save thousands down the road. Many medical practices select “Best of Breed” products. Software “A” for billing, software ‘B” for scheduling, software “C” for medical records, and software “D” for eprescribing and so on. Each separate software solution carries its own maintenance agreement, technology requirements, hardware and operating system requirements in addition to integration or interface requirements. The cost of managing multiple medical software solutions can grow substantially.

While replacing the “Best of Breed” solutions with a single offering may cost more initially, in the long run, you will save thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours.

Step 3 – Don’t buy the wrong software for the right price, or the right software for the wrong price. Like most things in life, price is negotiable. Making a buy decision solely on price can leave your medical practice stuck with an EMR solution to difficult to use, difficult to learn, duplicating time and effort for the sake of software.

Instead, find the right EMR software solution, then negotiate a price you can live with.

Step 4 – Putting off a purchase to EMR software now puts your medical practice at risk in several key areas. For starters, due to the HITECH Act of 2009 (Health Care Stimulus Incentive), thousands upon thousands of medical practices will be purchasing EMR software at an increasing rate. The backlog for implementations is growing, and could potentially put your first year’s stimulus incentive (18,000) in jeopardy. Secondly, with a national average of 8% under-billing per encounter, not being on an EMR software solution which helps you code higher E&M levels cost you money in lost revenue.

Step 5 – Check out both sides of the grass. The old adage, “The grass is always greener on the other side” has some merit. Therefore it would be in your best interest to look at both a specialty EMR software solution as well as a general EMR software solution, adaptable to most specialties.

Example, the specialty EMR software solution may have all the pieces you need for success, with a user interface that is cumbersome, difficult to use, and time consuming. It’s the UI (User Interface) you have to deal with day in and day out for a long long time.

A general, adaptable EMR solution may have the templates and tailorability to provide you with what you need, with a much easier to use UI.

While ease of use may sound trivial now, once the purchase and implementation has been completed, the UI carries much more significance.

Step 6 – Put PrognoCIS EMR software on your shortlist. We encourage you to look at other EMR solutions first. Because we believe when you see the simple yet powerful interface of PrognoCIS EMR software, PrognoCIS EMR software’s tailorability, scalability and capability, you will feel comfortable with your decision in selecting PrognoCIS EMR for your medical practice.

More information can be found online at http://www.octavesolutions.com

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