Transitioning from paper work to electronic medium can be a time-consuming and daunting task if practices don’t plan in advance. EHR selection should be taken seriously because hasty choices can lead to unnecessary expenditure and serious damage to the profitability of your business.
If you want your selected EHR to turn your practice into a profitable, streamlined, efficient business, here are a few mistakes that should be avoided when selecting an electronic health record solution.
- When selecting an EHR, always ask for an itemized bill from the software vendors. The written price quote should include the monthly or annual support fees and add-on options. Practices should get an idea of EHR rates in the market by getting quotes from different vendors. Even the return policy should be discussed in detail so that if the software doesn’t work for you, there are no issues in returning it to the vendor
- Not scheduling a live demo of selected EHRs is the second most common mistake providers make. Once you have price quotes from different vendors, it is strongly recommended to narrow down your choice to at least three products and schedule a live demo for each software. This will help to understand if your preferred choice can fulfil your practice needs
- It is not recommended to invest in an EHR without trying your hands on it. After a demo, physicians should use the EHR on their own to see if they are comfortable working with it. This is because they are the ones who spend maximum hours working on this software. Buying one without trying to work on the system can lead to wastage of time and money
- Providers also make the mistake of investing in an EHR merely two-four weeks before they plan to start using it. You can go live with an EHR within just four weeks of purchasing and that period is used to train doctors and staff in using the software. It is suggested to buy the software six to eight weeks before going live so that there is sufficient time for learning and practicing the software
- Providers must be prepared for implementing an EHR before they start looking for price quotes. They should be aware of the changes in workflow design, data conversion and other transitions that might take place once an EHR is implemented
EHR can impact your workflow to a great extent; therefore, it is strongly recommended to avoid the above-mentioned mistakes when selecting the right solution for your practice. If you lack the time and money to train your staff, select and implement an EHR solution, you can opt for assistance from a billing partner.
Billing companies like MedicalBillersandCoders.com have been helping practices across all the 50 states in the US to handle challenges related to EHR implementation. MBC has a team of expert billers and coders along with EHR consultancy who bring about timely reimbursements, increased patient satisfaction and enhanced productivity. MBC has alliance with leading vendors of EHR in the US who help practices implement the system successfully.
