Is Your EHR Vendor Holding You Hostage?

Is Your EHR Vendor Holding You Hostage?

You’ve done your due diligence, watched videos, sat through a few demos, chatted with existing users and perhaps even done a site visit. Finally, you’re ready to make the move to another EHR/PMS software solution for your practice.

Then the unthinkable happens your current software provider tells you they will not give you your patient data–or you’ll have to pay to get it.

Wait…What?
Whose patient data is it? Legally, it’s the patient’s data. As a doctor, you are a steward of your patient’s data. Likewise, an EHR vendor is your steward– and ultimately your patient’s steward. Yes, unfortunately, some EHR vendors hold their customers hostage by withholding patient data. Why? So they won’t lose them as a customer.

The strategy of withholding patient data to retain customers who are looking to go elsewhere cannot be tolerated. There are multiple reasons why you might want or need to move to a different EHR/PMS solution for your practice.

  • Your current EHR/PMS provider goes out of business or is sold.
  • The EHR/PMS you chose the first time around is outdated or is no longer the best solution for your practice.
  • You bought a practice, or are consolidating multiple practices into one and want one EHR/PMS solution for all of your locations.
  • Your current software is not keeping up with your needs or you are having buyer’s remorse on your selection.

If your current vendor is withholding your patient data, demand it.

Regardless of your need to choose a different software vendor, the best way to avoid being held hostage is to pick a partner that has a proven track record of delivering the service you need for many years to come. Before choosing your next software solution, demand to know your exit options. Will the vendor provide read only access, a usable export, or pdfs of exams? What are the fees involved?Your patients trust you to manage their health records–you need to trust who you partner with to provide you a software solution.

At RevolutionEHR we have a 98 percent retention rate. On the rare occasion someone needs to leave, we give them their data. In the end, it’s your patients’ data. It is your right to move from one program to another without being held hostage or living in fear of having your patients’ data withheld from you and your patients. Making a switch to a new EHR/PMS solution is hard enough, don’t let your current software vendor make it more difficult than it needs to be.

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