Technology requirements
The first item to discuss with your vendor is your technology needs. You want to make sure that everything you think is true about your practice’s technological plusses and minuses is, in fact, true. Confirm hardware and software with your vendor rep to assure everyone’s on the same page. Here are some initial questions to cover with your rep:
What hardware do we need to replace or upgrade? And does the vendor offer any special hardware pricing as part of its contract?
Do we need a different contract with an Internet service provider or network?
In addition to adding the EHR, will we need to change, add, or upgrade other software programs?
What interfaces are recommended by the vendor and what experience does it have with your other systems (practice management, Lab Corp, Quest)?
Who pays for the interfaces and who does the work on the interface development?
What kind of software licenses do you offer?
What happens if the EHR system experiences a failure?
How does your disaster recovery system work?
How often can we expect software upgrades and will we have to pay for them?
Do you currently or have plans to integrate with a personal health record (PHR) into the existing EHR? If so, what is your timeframe and how will that affect our practice?
Are there any functionalities or features of the software that are considered extras?
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