{"id":1951,"date":"2012-03-12T18:50:43","date_gmt":"2012-03-12T22:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.poweryourpractice.com\/?p=1951"},"modified":"2012-03-12T18:50:43","modified_gmt":"2012-03-12T22:50:43","slug":"hidden-costs-of-client-server-ehrs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carecloud.com\/continuum\/hidden-costs-of-client-server-ehrs\/","title":{"rendered":"Hidden Costs of Client-Server EHRs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many practices believe a client-server based EHR requires one upfront lump sum, followed by years of not worrying about renewing the system. If you\u2019re one of these practice managers, think again.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Client-server EHRs are actually quite difficult to maintain. Despite the rising popularity of cloud-based EHRs<\/a>, several single-location practices opt for dedicated hosting because it appears to be cheaper, more practical and secure.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

However, this isn\u2019t always the case. Below are some of the financial issues related to adopting a client-server based EHR at your practice.<\/p>\n

Operating Costs<\/strong><\/p>\n

A number of practices think cloud-based EHRs will end up costing more than a client-server system in the long run. Yet there are a number of trickle-down costs associated with the latter.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s true that installing the server and software requires a one-time lump sum, many physicians and practice managers forget about the other subscriptions they need.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For instance, let\u2019s consider a licensing subscription of $6,500 for the first physician and $5000 for every additional doctor. We can drop it to a $5000 initial licensing fee for mid- and lower-level staff members, and maybe $4000 for each additional person.<\/p>\n

As far as interfaces are concerned, Health Information Exchange (HIE)<\/a>\u00a0interface setup fees could run you about $750, with an ongoing connectivity fee of $75. Your ePrescribing interface setup is inexpensive, but we still need to tack on $25.<\/p>\n

Of course, we follow with patient portals, whose costs could reach $500 in setup fees, and $75 monthly to your provider. Add another $20 monthly dollars to patient updates and reminders.<\/p>\n

Administrative processes aren\u2019t left out either. Budget $100 monthly per provider.<\/p>\n

Lastly, you\u2019ll pay for training<\/a> – $1,000 per day onsite is a standard rate, with web and phone sessions ranging between $200 and $500 a piece. Maintenance fees run at about 20%.<\/p>\n

So, in reality, is a client-server EHR truly a one-time fee type of deal?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Identifying Issues<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not only can a client-server EHR cost your practice financially, but it may make you lose precious time and energy.<\/p>\n

For instance, how often should your software be updated? Also, since client-server EHR vendors offer varying forms of technical support, how much do you need for your practice?<\/strong> Sometimes you wait 24-48 hours before a technician can arrive at your practice.<\/p>\n

Also, there are unforeseen issues associated with each software update that could slow down and affect your practice, making you lose revenue and possibly even patient trust.<\/p>\n

With the higher operating costs of client-server systems and the difficulty of identifying issues due to variation of version, install, local equipment and travel, is a client-server really a better option than a cloud-based EHR?<\/p>\n

What solution do you prefer – cloud-based or client-server?<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many practices believe a client-server based EHR requires one upfront lump sum, followed by years of not worrying about renewing the system. If you\u2019re one of these practice managers, think again. Client-server EHRs are actually quite difficult to maintain. Despite the rising popularity of cloud-based EHRs, several single-location practices opt for dedicated hosting because it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":32787,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[2],"class_list":["post-1951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growth","tag-growth"],"yoast_head":"\nHidden Costs of Client-Server EHRs - Continuum<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An onsite client-server EHR might ending up costing you more money in the long run than utilizing a cloud-based EHR.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carecloud.com\/continuum\/hidden-costs-of-client-server-ehrs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Hidden Costs of Client-Server EHRs - 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