Preparing your practice for EHR implementation can be an arduous task. The truth is advice columns often contradict each other and the guidance you receive from fellow physicians may not necessarily apply to your practice.
But there are some bases that every practice needs to cover when looking into purchasing an EHR. The following are three of the most important.
Gauge Your Practice’s Readiness
Is your practice prepared to deal with the workflow changes associated with switching from paper records to digital, or from one EHR to another? Answering this involves analyzing both your financial and clinical circumstances.
First off, you have to be financially ready. Client-server EHRs typically require high installation costs, which can cripple your practice financially. Alternatively, cloud-based EHRs like CareCloud Charts help ease the financial burden by charging a relatively inexpensive monthly fee with no additional startup costs.
Next, you’ll have to ascertain if your staff is ready for the switch. A lack of computer literacy on behalf of your staff could make implementation slightly more difficult, so look for a vendor with a dedicated implementation team to ensure a smooth transition.
Create a Plan
Implementation planning begins by determining how integrating a new EHR will affect operations in the short term. There are going to be initial slowdowns while staff gets accustomed to the new system, so don’t expect to operate at maximum efficiency right off the bat. Adjust expectations accordingly.
You’ll also have to identify concerns regarding security issues that may arise as a result of implementation. Review the new HIPAA omnibus rule to ensure you’ll be in compliance once implementation is complete. You don’t want to suffer financial penalties because of a lack of awareness.
Sort Through Vendors
Once you have a plan in place, you’re ready to start looking at potential vendors. To determine which solutions will work for your practice, provide vendors with the common patient and office scenarios so they can show how their software will counter these problems.
It’s also important to ask vendors to be clear about costs. For instance, many client-server EHRs pride themselves on being a one-time expense for your practice. But if you have to pay for software and hardware upgrades later on, how “one-time” is it?
Also, don’t just rely on what the salesperson tells you. Ask to speak to current users in your specialty to get an idea of how the software will work for your practice.
Choosing to implement an EHR is one of the biggest decisions your practice will ever make. So don’t just rush into a new system, but analyze your practice, plan ahead and conduct intensive research before settling on a new EHR solution.
Find out why CareCloud Charts is the best EHR for your practice by contacting us at 1-877-342-7517 or hello@carecloud.com.
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