I spent some time brainstorming quickly some ideas I will include in an e-Book I’m writing on EMR selection. I thought I’d post some of the ideas here so people could provide some feedback on other topics that should be included in a guide to selecting the right EMR. Remember these are just brainstormed ideas, but I’d really appreciate getting your feedback on topics you would like to or have liked to know when selecting an EMR. Something really needs to be done to improve the EMR selection process for doctors.

EMR Selection is like marriage, illustrate the importance of the choice
Narrow down your search is key
Narrowing Features:
   Hosted versus In House (Web versus Client)
   Integrated PMS
   Specialty Templates
   Point and Click (Template) vs. Dictation vs. Hybrid
   Pricing Models
Use appropriate services to narrow selection
Sales Miscommunications
Ask Good Questions
   Don’t Ask Yes/No
   Ask to demo something unique to you (not just their pat demo)
   Ask for a configuration demo
   Private/Public Company
   Portability of Data (if company disappears)
   IT requirements (current infastructure versus future needs for that EHR)
Ask for full client list, not just a few referrals (also indicates stability if have new purchases)
   Ask about training
   Ask about support calls
   Configuration Experience
   Best/Worst features
   Differentiate between clinic specific issues and EMR specific issues
Check out online resources
EMR Consultants – thoughts on good and bad
Set reasonable expectations

Excel File listing features for evaluation

This was just a quick list and obviously there’s a lot of details in each topic. Hopefully it gets your mind working. I appreciate any input/feedback you can provide to improve EMR selection for clinics.