The 3 Critical Elements You Must Consider When Choosing Your EHR

VP of Business Development,
RevolutionEHR

Choosing an EHR software is one of the most important decisions you’ll make for your eye care practice. To ensure your EHR will serve you well for years to come, pay close attention to these critical elements:

1. Technology
2. Usability
3. Support & Expertise

Technology
Technology evolves, and your EHR software should too. There is nothing worse than committing to an EHR that becomes out of date in a few years. Unfortunately, there are some practices out there right now that are stuck using outdated technology on old Windows computers because the EHR software hasn’t been updated. Don’t let that be you! I can’t stress enough how important it is to evaluate the track record of the companies you’re considering for your EHR. Pick one you know you’ll be happy to stay with for the long haul.

Industry – New rules and regulations in the eye care industry are par for the course and nothing suggests that a status quo is on the horizon. In fact, with all the new research, findings, statistics, data, vitamins and supplements, changes are the norm, not the exception. Has the EHR company you’re considering kept abreast of all the industry changes and integrated them into the software?

Equipment – New and better equipment in eye care means software changes too. Eye care has a lot of specific and unique equipment that doesn’t exist in other industries. When selecting your EHR, remember that a company that focuses on eye care is going to do a better job keeping up with optical equipment changes than a generic EHR.

Usability
This is such an important consideration, but it’s one that’s difficult to put on paper. Start with a list of the items you really want, then ask around, listen to all the pros and cons, and make sure the EHR has all the basics you need. This is really where the rubber hits the road. Especially important is to make sure that the bugs are out of the program, and that it’s working well in the real world.

Another important aspect of usability is how it fits into your work load. Can it be customized to meet your needs? If you have a niche market, how hard is it going to be to set up the EHR to connect to your unique situation?

Support & Expertise
Look carefully at critical features vs. new features and find a company that does both. Is the company keeping their eye on the future in technology and also getting you the updates quickly?

Take a look at the background of the company – are they experts in the eye care field? Each member of the RevolutionEHR customer support team is U.S. based and has experience working in an optometric practice. We also have Optometrists on staff spearheading our innovation efforts, advancing the RevolutionEHR software, and delivering ECP business solutions to our users. Our team of support and OD experts understand the day to day issues you face in your practice and are ready to walk alongside you as you provide patient care.

I’ve been with RevolutionEHR since the beginning and I’ve seen the the highs and lows of EHR development across the industry. RevolutionEHR has made a commitment to keeping its software up-to-date and innovate around what our users say they want. It’s been wonderful to see all the benefits that RevolutionEHR brings to eye care practices, especially giving our users the freedom to focus on their patients, their practices, and their lives.