EHR Selection

Product Selection

Our Six-Step Process

Step I-Problem/Goal Definition
When buying an EHR product it is very important to understand not only the problems that it must solve, but also the goals, dreams and desires that it has to fulfill. Therefore, the first step in our process is to help the client develop a thorough understanding of current problems while identifying achievable goals.

Step II - Needs Assessment - Milestone I (Needs Assessment Report)
Information gathered from the Problem/Goal Definition step is used to conduct an organizational needs assessment. The completed needs assessment helps to identify and categorize all important issues related to EHR selection along the specific axes of funding, personnel, and equipment.

Step III - Process Analysis
Process analysis is a means of identifying all key clinical, business, and administrative activities that occur within an organization. Once identified, each activity is broken down into its individual components in an effort to understand how the various units of the organization interact to create the process. Some processes require only one organizational unit (a provider writing a prescription), while others involve interactions between multiple units (office visit, patient discharge).

Step IV - Requirements Analysis - Milestone II (Requirement Specification Document)
Using the results of the process analysis and the needs assessment, a requirements analysis is completed. The requirements analysis is a review of key processes along with their associated problems/goals and how they may be addressed using an EHR system. The key outcome of the requirements analysis is the requirements specification document. This document contains all the information necessary to choose the best EHR product for the organization.

Step V - Product Evaluation - Milestone III (Request for Proposal)
Product evaluation can be approached in two ways: problem-based and feature-based. Problem based evaluation assures that the EHR product has all the features and functions necessary to meet the requirements of the organization. Feature-based evaluation is a means of comparing, objectively, two or more products. Product evaluation should have as one of its major outcomes the creation of a Request for Proposal (RFP) document. This document is sent to vendors whose products have successfully made it through the evaluation step.

Request for Proposal
The RFP is not simply a request for additional information about the product, rather it is also a request for detailed information about the vendor (e.g. years in business, total sales, total number of employees, annual R&D budget), service and support capability. RFPs should be submitted to no more than three vendors; two is ideal.

Step VI-Contract Negotiation
Once a suitable product has been selected, contract negotiation can proceed with finalization of the specifics regarding support, maintenance, data migration, equipment, and other implementation details.

EHR Implementation Services