There’s a saying in the software industry: Consumers buy on features, and leave because of support (or lack there of). Be sure to check references asking about technical support. There are many facets to consider in this regard. How long do you have to sit “on hold” before your telephone call was answered by a person? Did you have to leave a message in a support general voice mail box? How long does it take for someone to return your call and acknowledge you and your issue? What is the plan to have your technical question resolved and the timeframe to get it done? Can your issues be taken care of on the first call? Do you see a pattern developing where the vendor takes your name, issues a ticket number and “will get back to you”? This should be a “red flag” that this EMR vendor is faced with infrastructure needs. Your technical question should be addressed within a reasonable time. Do not confuse technical questions with customization. These two topics can be, and should be, separate by nature. A technical issue should be a priority for the technical support staff, while customization is a priority of the programming staff.
As more and more practices decide to go with an EMR, the EMR vendors will become stretched and the need to add technical support will grow, some vendors will address this problem, others will not. Your practice will see changes in personnel also. New hires are going to need training. This training will most likely be done by technical staff from the EMR company. Watch the company’s technical support. This is an indication of how well the company is managing the growth, and how likely they are to support you in the future. A couple of other key points to consider when determining if this EMR vendor is right for you and your practice; consider the company’s stability. How many installations do they have? (EMR vendors will give you a much larger number based on how many “users”.) The questions remain: How many installations do they have? This will tell you about their experiences in installation. What is their financial status? Are they a publicly held company or private? How many years have they been in business? Take the number of installations and divide by number of years in business. Here is an accurate depiction of the company’s’ financial status. What is their retention rate? (Many will boast a high number 90% or better. Remember many practices are converting to an EMR for the very first time and have not made a switch. But they will in the future.) Does this number have anything to do with technical support, or promises regarding features not delivered?
How much should you expect to pay for ongoing support? The industry standard is 20% of license fee. A little higher fee should result in exceptional customer support. If a support fee is lower than the standard 20%, you may expect longer hold times and slower technical resolution.
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