5 factors to look for when investing in EHR software: Part II of II

Published: 2009-11-03 10:12:38
Author: Chris Towery | Chiropractic Economics | October 2009

For DCs looking to invest in electronic health records (EHR) software to make the switch from paper to digital or simply to streamline their practice's efficiency, there are dozens of vendors to choose from. However, not all EHR companies are created equal, so in order to get the best value for your money, you should always research a company's products and services before buying.

Unless you have done your homework on what makes a top-notch EHR system, you're liable to have a hard time choosing which company to go with. Because of this, you'll be more susceptible to a software company's fancy sales pitches on why their software is the greatest ever, even though it's actually quite dismal. 

To aid you in your search for the top EHR companies, there are a few key factors you need to look for before making your investment. Some companies may satisfy one or two of these factors, but the best vendors will satisfy all of them. This is the second in a series of two articles that will cover five important factors to look for in EHR software. 

In the first article of the series, we discussed two of the five factors to look for in high-quality electronic health records—1) buying true EHR software and 2) buying integrated EHR software—and this time we'll address the last three factors. After reading both articles in the series, you'll have a solid base of knowledge for making what can be one of the most important investments for your chiropractic practice.

5 Factors that Make for Top-Quality EHR Software

3. Fulfilling third-party payer requirements:It's not enough that EHR software digitize all of your paper records and documents—the system should also meet or exceed all of the requirements demanded by Medicare and other third-party payers. While it's important that the company you go with has the technological know-how to build a highly advanced software system, it's equally vital that your EHR company have a complete and thorough knowledge of all of the rules and regulations regarding third-party payers and has designed their software around this knowledge. Moroever, the software should also be regularly updated to ensure you'll continue to meet third-party payer standards as they evolve and change in the future.

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