Monday, March 28, 2016

Things To Consider When Hiring An EHR Consultant

By John Gray


As the world is fast approaching the electronic age, almost all practices are embracing the electronic health record system. With this system in place, health practitioners can exchange information electronically. Organizations can also provider better quality of care to their patients. You have probably been thinking about getting an EHR consultant to help you set up this system. Most of these people will promise to help you get the best system for your needs.

The fact that this is a new innovation has made it very challenging for most practices to have it in place. It has come at a time when most of the health care providers know very little about its technicalities. This is besides the fact that it has immense benefits to a health care organization. This system can help create tangible improvements to your organization. This necessitates the need for an expert.

Nonetheless, the pitfalls associated with hiring electronic health record systems consultants are real. Some experts are in it for the money, knowing it is new innovation selling like hot bread. They will do an incomplete job, leaving you stranded with a non-functional system. You may actually have to contract and pay another expert to get you back on track. Such additional bills can be very inconveniencing in so many ways.

You will need to know whether you are dealing with a consultant or a re-seller. You must therefore tell the difference between the two individuals so you do not end up in the wrong hands. Consultants who are worth their salt will not have any kind of associations with software vendors. When they recommend a system for your practice, it is purely out of the analysis they have carried out on the needs of your organization.

This kind of financial association could be detrimental to the future of your electronic health record systems. You must have heard stories of practices that have been railroaded into choosing inappropriate electronic health record systems. Re-sellers only have one goal in mind. They need to ensure that they get practices into buying systems from vendors so they can get a commission. They may not have your best interests in mind.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that re-sellers cannot be trusted to provide suitable the best electronic health record system solutions for your health care organization. Their advice will always be biased towards the vendors they are representing. On the contrary, an ethical re-seller will not pose as a consultant. They will let you know that they are marketing an EHR system that could benefit your organization in so many ways.

It is important for you to research adequately before making headway into this industry. You will know how much you are likely to spend for installing this system. You will always see the signs of deals that could end up sour. Knowing what you want will help you stay on the right track.

Introducing changes in an organization can be challenging. Prepare your staff in advance for the new system. Train them on using computers and especially the new system that you want to install.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment