Buying an EHR - What you need to know

I have been asked many a time as to how to make the decision of buying an EHR system. I love cars, so I am going to talk about cars for a while! You may ask what car buying has to do with EHR buying. Read on!

Tool vs. Product vs. Solution
So you are in the market for a "fuel-efficient" car that can take your kids to soccer practice and be good enough to take you to work and shopping and you are proud to show your co-workers. You don't come back from that shopping trip with a spanner, do you? Nor do you buy just any car that is on the lot and walk away. Well, let's look at the evaluation criteria you employed in buying the car. A spanner is a "tool" that may have been used in the building of a car. The car itself is the "product". The "solution" was a fully loaded car (or minivan) with third row seating, fuel-efficient, loaded with fuel, registered with the state and a jazzy thing that you are proud to show your co-workers the next day!

So, let's break it down:
Criteria #1: Identify the need (you "needed" a new car which is why you were in the market)
Criteria #2: Choose the product ( Had to have a steering wheel, tires, doors, third row seating, fuel efficient etc.) that satisfied the need.
Criteria #3: Is the product green "certified"?
Criteria $4: Can I show it to my co-workers and not be ashamed?

Let's apply the same concept to EHR buying. There are several "tools" in the market. They might be "certified" tools. There might be several "products" in the market. They too, might be "certified". But the question you have to ask yourself is, is that "solution" going to fit my "need".

Criteria #1: So, identify your "need" first. Why are you buying the EHR? Compliance with ARRA? Want to make your practice more efficient? Reduce your costs?
Criteria #2: Choose the product. Can your practice run on it? What additional "functionality" do you need? Is it suited for the way you conduct your day to day business?
Criteria #3: Is it certified? (This question arises if your primary reason for adopting an EHR system is compliance and getting some of the stimulus funds)
Criteria #4: Well, this doesn't apply to EHR buying, but you can tout yourself to be on the "bleeding edge" (pun intended) of technology and show everyone how cool you are :)