Aug
31
Written by:
Kaili
8/31/2011 10:03 AM
Deciding to buy an EMR solution can be a tough process. Who do you choose? What questions to ask? Will it work for my practice? Will it be cost effective? What's the downtime?, etc....
Here are some questions that you should be 
asking your EMR vendors in the buying process to make sure you know what your getting into. These questions have been complied from different lists out of asked by our clients, LinkedIn, Physicians Practice, and EMR Tips. We have taken 15 of them and answered them based on our Practice Expert EMR.
1. What does the implementation team look like? How do they train and make sure the whole practice is up to speed?
When it comes to training we have experienced trainers that asses each practice and take into account workflow, number of providers, number of staff, patient load and other factors to determine the right method for implementing the Practice Expert EMR with your individual practice.
When it comes to training we take into account the above factors and make a training schedule that will fit into your practice and that will help reduce downtime.
2. Does the EMR have a "dashboard" that can track messages, requests and other items for both physicians and office staff?
Yes, our dashboard gives you a snapshot of the providers workflow including phone messages, internal messages, appointment's, room assignments and charts. The dashboard can also be set for specific users such as a nurse practitioner.
3. How often are the updates? What do the entail?
We have quarterly updates that take minimal time to incorporate into the EMR. Our updates can be accessed from our website or by calling one of our support representatives.
4. What have other clients done when it comes to implementing the EMR? Has it been the "big bang" or phase-in method?
We support both methods, but have found that most of our providers have been more comfortable and successful with the phase-in method. As it has allowed them to become familiar with the EMR and have it become second nature to them.
5. Are coding updates supported and if so how often?
Coding updates are supported on a needed basis and also included with support enrollment.
6. Does the EMR support a complete inventory of all drug, allergy and food interactions? How does the systems show these alerts?
Yes, the Practice Expert EMR comes with a complete inventory for drug, allergy and food interactions and their respective alerts are tightly integrated into our package and have monthly updates to ensure the latest alerts and formulary options.
7. What's the pricing structure? Do you charge by provider? By location? Difference of specialty?
Our pricing is per provider with no adjustment for providers with multiple locations and no difference based on specialty.
8. Is your system certified by a recognized certifying body?
Yes, the Practice Expert EMR is certified by Drummond Group a recognized certifiying body by ONC.
9. What kind of services do you offer for eligible providers when it comes to meeting Meaningful Use?
We have a service, if providers choose to they can have a Meaningful Use consultant help them with the process of registration, attestation, and any questions that they may have.
10. What kind of reports are provided for meeting meaningful use?
Practice Expert EMR provides the two main reports needed for meaningful use, the Clinical Quality Measures and the Meaningful Use Measure Report that are located on the physician dashboard.
11. Is the EMR customizable? If so how? How much time is involved in making it customizable?
We allow for fully customizable templates along with providing a comprehensive base line to work off of so you can immediately utilize the EMR software. We have found that the time to customization varies from practice to practice.
12. What type of support is provided after the EMR is implemented?
Providers can choose the level of support that they need for their practice. Every practice is different in their terms of support needed. No matter the level of support needed we are able to accommodate you to make sure your transition and use of the EMR solution is the best fit for you.
13. How long has your company been in the healthcare industry?
Cal-Med has been serving the healthcare industry with software solutions for over thirty years.
14. What type of platforms are supported? What are the plans for future platforms?
The Practice Expert EMR supports the windows platform. Also with the ability to run on either a PC or a Mac (with windows capability). Future platforms we are working on supporting are the iPad, tablet and mobile.
15. What type of reporting features does the EMR have for billing or clinical data?
The Practice Expert EMR has highly effective reporting features for billing and clinical data that allows instant access to your data and viewed in easily digestible formats.
What other questions would you add to the list? Let us know and we can provide you with answers.
See a demo of Practice Expert EMR today!