Interview the EMR Vendors
Think of the EMR vendor as your partner. Like any partner it is best to get to know them as well as you can before you ink the deal. What you don’t ask can hurt you after the fact. Plan your work, then, work your plan. What would you like to know about your potential partner? Is this potential partner stable, both financially and support wise? What is their company history? Company philosophy? Company direction? Will they be there to support you in the future? What happens if the company that you select goes out of business? Contacting a consultant like EMR Experts, Inc. can walk you through these very important questions prior to signing the deal. Do not sign a contract without advice from a professional. Stay in control of the meeting. You will be dealing with seasoned professional sales representatives. Marketing hype can be spun in your direction. Stand firm on your needs and desires. Go to the meeting armed with your list of questions. Ask straight questions, expect straight answers. If you feel there are many empty promises being made, beware. If the EMR vendor promises customization or enhancements to features that will suit your needs, get it in writing beforehand and add it to the contract. Remember, if it is not in writing, it doesn’t exist.
Manage your results and progress systematically. Don’t fall victim to vendor promises. In this case the vendor’s first line of representation is the sales representative. This is the face of the company. Look beyond the face. When speaking to this person try your best to get a feel for them as a person. Were they a pleasant person to talk to on the phone? Were they courteous to you and respectful of your questions? Did they display any signs of rudeness? Were they “short” with you? This attitude prior to the sale does not become better after the sale. They will ultimately be responsible for your customer satisfaction upon installation completion. In short: once the sales rep has made the sale to you, they move on to the next customer. This is not to say they no longer care about you, but their attention to you is not as focused as it was prior to the sale. All sales people are not bad people, they are motivated by different factors than a physician, and while their intent may be pure, the end result may display signs of something else. This is driven by the leadership of the EMR vendor you are considering. Talk to your sales executive and ask them questions to capture their personality traits. This will also help you in determining the level of post sale support. Is this sales rep able and willing to help you in a tight spot?
EMR Software Product Demonstrations
The EMR demonstration process can be very complex and confusing. If you decide to move towards an EMR, don’t drag the process on. After a while many of these EMR vendors will begin to meld together. This is toxic in nature on a couple of different levels. Too much time spent looking and re-looking can cause confusion. Keep in mind this is not your only responsibility. This just becomes one more thing on your plate. Set a time frame to review and decide within that period. If you want to look over these EMRs in a six month period, don’t waste your time. The products and companies will have changed over that period of time, and what you review today, may not be the same later. Even if you like a product today, you should not buy from them without taking a second or third look. So decide to make the move, research, review, review again, ask all of your questions and the final step is to act. Don’t go at this alone, there are too many factors involved in this. Seek help where you can. There are consulting firms that may charge a fee for this service. Ask other practices of their experience and learn from them. Learn the good, learn from the bad. Ask this very important question, “If you had to go back and do it again, what would you do differently? What questions would you have asked”? Sit back and listen. The stories will astound you. A good product with a poorly managed installation and implementation can cause a bad experience. Leave this to the pros.
Quickly disregard the products that will not meet your needs. Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to cross vendors off your list. This is your practice and you are looking for a viable partner. Make this partner just that; a partner not an adversary. The wrong partner can lead to a horrible relationship. This is not good for anybody. Just the difference between the practice needs of a web-based product and a client-server based can be all the difference in the world. Focus your attention on the web-based or client-server based first, look at the difference; make a decision on that aspect first. Go from there. This will dramatically improve your efficiencies.
After you have established your desire to go with a web-based (ASP- Application Service Provider) or client-server; how many different EMR systems should you look at? How many EMR products is not enough to provide an adequate term to due diligence? How many EMR products are too many to keep the system differentials fresh in your mind? With so many different variables to consider, work hard to stay in charge of the process. You may run into aggressive sales reps that want to take control of you and your decision making authority. Remember, at the end of the day, you hold the check book.
Electronic mediacl record product demonstration - What to expect
While contemplating the step of going as far as a product demonstration, what should you expect? Do you interrupt your workday by inviting a sales rep or product specialist into your waiting room, then ultimately one of your exam rooms if you don’t have a large office or conference room? Would you rather have an EMR vendor mail you a product demonstration CD? Think about the opportunity to review a product on the EMR company website as well. The previous two options by nature do not allow the opportunity to ask questions or describe operational scenarios unique to your practice style. Finally, consider online interactive demonstrations through a variety of internet meeting solutions such as “Go To Meeting”, WebEx” and the like. More and more EMR companies are attempting to demonstrate their product through the latter means. It is inexpensive, interactive and allows for control of the screen to be passed from presenter to audience member with a simple click of the mouse. While this internet demonstration is taking place, you will also dial into a teleconference meeting room as well. A typical internet meeting can allow as many as ten or more audience participants from a variety of geographical locations.
When looking at an EMR company for the first time, tell the presenter to keep the presentation at a “forty thousand foot look”. Many of the presenters have a tendency to drill down way too far, way too fast, this can make the workflow look confusing. In the beginning of the presentation have your check list in front of you. Be prepared to identify your needs and desires of a product offering. Tell the presenter what you want to see. If they do not have the specific feature you are looking for, politely tell the presenter that they will probably not meet your needs. This will save you from being inundated with sales calls.
Once you find the EMR you like best, spend more time on it. There is no limit to how many times you can look before you buy. If the vendor rep begins to seem annoyed with your desire for detail, this is their problem not yours. Be the informed buyer. Ask to see the workflow of a patient. Don’t just look at the features. Features in and of themselves are good, but if they don’t flow in a logical order, then they may be meaningless for you. Workflow is very important and to have your workflow disrupted can be a difficult issue to overcome. Ask the presenter to show you a patient encounter. Provide some “what if” scenarios to the presenter and watch to see how fast this person can adjust. You will easily see the logical path of code, and determine the true speed. If this is the product you choose, you will be trained on the workflow and become a master of the EMR as well. You should always keep a second vendor on the backburner as this will come in handy later when it comes time to negotiating the price of your choice system.
What to think about regarding prefabricated specialty templates
Most of the EMR vendors will have specialty specific templates, or macro’s from existing clients. Ask to see your specialty’s templates. These templates can be a valuable insight into the companies programming sophistication. These prefabricated templates may not work in your practice, but will shed light on the EMR vendor’s ability to perform the customization needed for your practice. If the EMR vendor you are looking into does not have your specialty template, don’t rule them out just yet. This may be a great opportunity for you. How? Simple, you can help to create the templates in your vision, and many of the vendors will give you a considerable discount off of the purchase price or annual support agreement. They can rely on you and your specialty’s expertise. You will become a consultant to the EMR vendor. This may or may not entice you. But know the options. If the company is willing to program these templates for you, ask for a timeline and have it put in writing. Do not purchase until the vendor has demonstrated they can customize to your liking. Before signing any contract, get the promises in writing with a 100% money back guarantee or failure to complete within the predetermined and agreement upon time.
If you are looking for an EMR vendor with “ready-to-go” templates remember this; these templates are not of your creation and you will need to adjust your workflow. Many of these templates can be manipulated, but they are not yours. A physician starting a new practice will have very different needs than someone who has been practicing medicine for a long time in the same practice. Consider these differences carefully.
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