Vendor Questions

Before signing a contract: Questions to consider asking when searching for a vendor

Have you achieved ONC-ATCB certification?
Find out if each system you inquire about is certified. The five authorized testing and certification bodies appointed by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology include: the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology, the Drummond Group, InfoGard Labs LLC, Surescripts LLC and ICSA Labs.

Can you provide recommendations and testimonials?
In addition to vendor-provided recommendations, talk to other doctors about their experiences with various vendors and ask them for referrals as well.

Will I have the opportunity to test your system before purchasing it?
Spend as much time as possible with vendors’ products, and be sure to take advantage of trials and test-run offers. Trials will help you determine if the technology is a good fit for your practice. Be sure to involve your staff in these demonstrations and trials; they’re the ones who will also be using the technology, and their feedback is important.

What does your system or product offer in terms of usability and functionality?
The look and feel of health IT software may ultimately be the deciding factor in your purchase. Keep these questions in mind as you test various systems:

• Usability: How well does a system transition between activities? Does the system allow a user to move between different functions easily? Can a user document clinical information quickly and easily? Can a user choose between dictation or type for data entry? Are elements of a record pre-populated—e.g., allergies, date and time, previous visit, recent labs, etc.?
• Functionality: Are the built-in visit templates appropriate to your practice’s needs? Can relevant reports be generated through the system? Will the system allow a user to isolate all the patients taking a particular medication, for example, or all the patients not seen in the last year? Is messaging between staff members and providers simple and convenient?

Be sure to use the list you established of your practice’s work processes and needs to evaluate both the usability and functionality of various systems.

What type of server or health IT access is right for my practice?
While you are assessing vendors, you will ultimately need to decide how you plan to access the electronic health record (EHR) software. There are a few options: the client-server model, the application service provider (ASP) model and the software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. View an in-depth comparison of the various server models. Following is a summary of each:

• Client-server model (straight licensure)—purchase and install the software on server hardware in your practice and access it through input devices (computers). With this approach you license your own dedicated copy of the software, often referred to as “single-tenant.” However, you still can choose between having your licensed software installed on a computer in your office or hosted (for a fee) by the vendor at a secure facility that you connect to via the internet, referred to as ASP.
• Application service provider (ASP) model—license the software and allow an ASP to host the software on a remote server that you access via broadband Internet connectivity.
• Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model—a newer method of software implementation designed for use over the Internet that enables you to subscribe for software use rather than own a license. This approach is referred to as “multi-tenant” as there can be multiple, simultaneous users of the same software even though each user is unique and owns his or her own data. This “on-demand” approach to software deployment and use requires only a computer and browser with access to the Internet.

Comparison: SaaS versus Client-server