HIMSS: Buying an EMR system? Ask the tough questions up front
ATLANTA -- The EMR vendor had the sharpest booth at a HIMSS show several years ago, with the nicest signage and the best demonstration. The vendor was also facing a lawsuit from customers who said it didn't deliver as promised.
This example illustrates how hard it can be to kick the tires on an EMR system before buying, said Adam Gale, president of market research firm KLAS, during a presentation at HIMSS10's Physicians' IT Symposium.
Although every facility has a different set of needs, there are some questions that any prospective buyer should ask:
Going with the top vendor isn't always a sure bet, according to Gale, because healthcare providers' needs differ. Most systems will work fairly well--with customization and adequate support. In addition, the most impressive feature set isn't worth much without the tech support to back it up.
The functionality of the product is often secondary to how well the vendor cares for you when things aren't working, he said. "How does the vendor respond to your needs in that situation?"
It's tough to change vendors midstream, said Gale, "but many vendors are thinking about doing so because of meaningful use. If you bought 10 years ago, you probably weren't buying for CPOE."
Current KLAS research shows that "30 percent of your peers are replacing EMRs. That's staggering," said Mark Wagner, director of ambulatory research at KLAS. In addition, "62 percent of EMR systems being replaced are CCHIT certified. So certification is not necessarily a safeguard for your EMR investment."
Is the top vendor the best choice? All EMR vendors' performance appears to be trending lower over time, according to KLAS research. However, some of that can be attributed to higher sales, and the latest buyers are less likely to be technology-innovators. In addition, expectations are higher, Wagner said.
According to Gale, hosted systems are gaining market traction, adding that there are excellent systems that have been proven on a hosted platform. However, the jury is still out on software-as-a-service (SaaS) in the ambulatory EMR space, Gale said. "Vendors are scrambling to find a solution for this. They're even looking to repackage what they already have or they're looking to acquire it somehow."
Gale also warned the audience to beware of super-fast implementation claims. Realistically, eight weeks is the current minimum time for implementation, he said.
What if the vendor is bought or fails? "As you walk into this process, you have to plan for your exit strategy," said Gale. "You don't want to replace a system, but you need to ask the hard questions up front. 'What will you do for me? How will you port my data?' "
This example illustrates how hard it can be to kick the tires on an EMR system before buying, said Adam Gale, president of market research firm KLAS, during a presentation at HIMSS10's Physicians' IT Symposium.
Although every facility has a different set of needs, there are some questions that any prospective buyer should ask:
- What vendors are your peers looking at?
- Does certification help insure your EMR investment?
- Is it safer to go with the top vendor in the market?
- Is a hosted solution viable?
- How long will it take to implement?
- What can the customer do If a vendor is bought or goes out of business?
Going with the top vendor isn't always a sure bet, according to Gale, because healthcare providers' needs differ. Most systems will work fairly well--with customization and adequate support. In addition, the most impressive feature set isn't worth much without the tech support to back it up.
The functionality of the product is often secondary to how well the vendor cares for you when things aren't working, he said. "How does the vendor respond to your needs in that situation?"
It's tough to change vendors midstream, said Gale, "but many vendors are thinking about doing so because of meaningful use. If you bought 10 years ago, you probably weren't buying for CPOE."
Current KLAS research shows that "30 percent of your peers are replacing EMRs. That's staggering," said Mark Wagner, director of ambulatory research at KLAS. In addition, "62 percent of EMR systems being replaced are CCHIT certified. So certification is not necessarily a safeguard for your EMR investment."
Is the top vendor the best choice? All EMR vendors' performance appears to be trending lower over time, according to KLAS research. However, some of that can be attributed to higher sales, and the latest buyers are less likely to be technology-innovators. In addition, expectations are higher, Wagner said.
According to Gale, hosted systems are gaining market traction, adding that there are excellent systems that have been proven on a hosted platform. However, the jury is still out on software-as-a-service (SaaS) in the ambulatory EMR space, Gale said. "Vendors are scrambling to find a solution for this. They're even looking to repackage what they already have or they're looking to acquire it somehow."
Gale also warned the audience to beware of super-fast implementation claims. Realistically, eight weeks is the current minimum time for implementation, he said.
What if the vendor is bought or fails? "As you walk into this process, you have to plan for your exit strategy," said Gale. "You don't want to replace a system, but you need to ask the hard questions up front. 'What will you do for me? How will you port my data?' "