EMR vendor questions

1. How mature is the software? Is it a new system, or has it been seasoned by users over time? Newer programs traditionally have far more bugs and stability issues than established code.
   


2. What comparable sites are currently using the complete software? Be sure to ask if the references you are given are using the PM and the EMR, and the same version of the software they are showing you. If not, find out why.



3. Is the company a VAR (value added reseller)? If not, what assurances do you have that others will be able to support you if the company disappears, is sold, or provides poor support.



4. How financially solvent is the company? Can they provide financials? If they are private, you should request copies of their tax returns for an accurate picture of their financial health. Also, don’t buy the line “we’ll release the source code if we fail”. Any programmer will tell you reading code from another developer is time consuming and extremely costly. In most cases, you will end up replacing the system.
   
5. Are their any material facts about the company that could jeopardize their long term viability? Any pending litigation or creditor problems would be two examples of facts that could cause your potential vendor to cease or drastically curtail operations, and their ability to perform for you.



6. Does the system use ONE database? Many systems on the market are two separate programs linked behind the scenes.



7. What are the hardware requirements? Some systems may require you to upgrade your workstations. If a product requires more “horsepower” than competing systems ask why. This is typically due to performance issues with speed and stability. Most vendors will require Windows 2000 or XP Pro with at least 256 megabytes of RAM on your workstations. If the system you are considering requires more performance than that  it could be a clue that the software may be very resource intensive and therefore not well designed which could mean slow performance across the entire network. This should be a major RED FLAG.



8. Is the system you are considering deployed on ONE hardware server or multiple for your EMR needs? The more hardware that is required the more your initial and long term costs will be.



9. Does the software require Microsoft Office on each workstation? Be sure to ask if you will be required to purchase a Microsoft Office license for each workstation. A system that requires this will add significantly to your initial cost and potentially your future costs if MS Office updates are required for system upgrades or updates.



10. Does the software require Microsoft Exchange for messaging? Although Exchange is an excellent program, it is labor intensive to maintain and will drive up your support costs.



11. Does the system provide you with secure, remote access? The ability to connect securely while out of the office is critical for many practitioners. Be sure the systems you are considering can provide you with users that are currently doing this.

Medinformatix provides a seamless connection between our EMR and PM service and a lab’s clinical and anatomical laboratory testing services, allowing all of the critical patient results to be transferred into the individual’s file in real-time, thus eliminating the time-consuming data entry process and freeing all parties involved to focus more on the bottom line, the patient. Medinformatix also provides extended connectivity with leading medical measuring devices so your patient’s vital statistics can be recorded instantly from the device itself.