How much does an EMR cost? What will a physician practice spend and where will cost savings be achieved—really? The HITECH Act, an incentive program designed to promote nationwide adoption of technology to improve patient care, has given every EMR vendor a reason to knock on your door. Big sales commissions are the motivator and they all assure bigger and better EMR excellence. The problem comes in making the choice. A general lack of IT expertise by buyers further muddies the scene within a non-transparent marketplace. Even basic information can be unavailable for study in advance of a salesperson’s push to buy. The bottom line is clear: these systems come at a price increase. What’s in it for you?
This EMR calculator gives you a place to start! Answer six basic questions to use this Excel tool and immediately calculate Return on Investment (ROI) and EMR costs and savings projections for your practice.
Note: This tool uses typical averages which may vary from the EMR solution you chose. However, it is a good place to start.
Download the EMR ROI Calculator
Some Additional Tips
The following questions should be addressed to begin the process of selecting the best EMR for your office:
- How will the program interface with my practice management software?
- What is the structure of the license, and length of agreement?
- What guarantees are offered for HITECH incentive payments?
- What are the professional references of the EMR company?
- What templates can be customized or dictated?
- What is the total price; what’s included (and what’s not)?
- What ad-hoc reports can I run?
- What training and ongoing support is provided?
- Will I maintain complete data ownership?
- Have I negotiated the best price?