In today's healthcare landscape, your EHR platform isn't just a digital record – it's the heartbeat of your practice. The right platform can transform your care experience (both for patients and providers!), streamline operations, and ultimately grow your business. The wrong one? Well, it can hold you back in ways you might not realize.
If you’re wondering which one you have, these questions will help you get some clarity.
Before diving into technical specifications or feature comparisons, take a moment to dream big. Where do you see your practice heading? Are you planning to expand your footprint with additional locations to serve unmet demand in your communities? Or, maybe you’d like to maintain your excellent reputation, while navigating some staffing transitions?
Your entire technology stack - from your EHR to billing systems - should work seamlessly together to enable these aspirations. In an ideal world, even adapting to support your business as it evolves.
The two examples above represent real challenges we see every day - practices that want to expand their impact, and those working to maintain their standard of excellence through change. As you can imagine, having a clear goal will help you assess what you need to reach it:
You’ve got goals, great! Now, let’s take a look at reality and what might be getting in the way of achieving them.
We've spoken with countless healthcare peers and these are some of the common challenges that emerge:
Now that you’ve identified a clear goal or two, as well as some current challenges that stand in the way, how effectively does your current tech stack help to overcome them?
Here’s a real example that shows why this matters:
One of our clients struggled with processing insurance cards. Our EHR included a seemingly convenient feature - patients could upload photos of their insurance card to automatically populate their record. Great in theory, but in reality patients often uploaded blurry photos that could not be interpreted by the system. This led to both frustration and billing issues. After analyzing this with the client, we decided to remove the feature, which was more time-consuming for the patient but ultimately reduced errors and improved patient satisfaction.
This story highlights a few important points:
The EHR landscape has evolved dramatically in recent years, offering features that might have seemed impossible just a few years ago – from AI-powered clinical decision support to integrated telehealth solutions.
Use your answers from above to guide your evaluation. The most feature-rich platform isn't necessarily the best fit for your practice. What matters is finding a solution and team that align with your specific goals and challenges.
Let's be honest: changing EHR platforms is a significant undertaking. It requires time, resources, and a commitment to change management. But consider this: if your current system is holding you back in multiple areas – from operational efficiency to provider satisfaction – can you afford to not switch?
The key is to evaluate the potential return on a new platform not just in financial terms, but also operationally and culturally. Consider:
From our experience, every practice is unique. We’ve advised some prospective clients that we weren’t the right fit, and we’ve supported others through difficult-but-fruitful discussions. Our advice? Don’t go it alone.
After drafting your answers to the prompts above, review it with key stakeholders - including people who love your current EHR and those who hate it!
Whether you decide to stay with your current system or explore new options, the most important thing is making an informed decision based on your unique practice. The right EHR will support and improve your delivery of exceptional care. The right EHR partner will understand your vision and provide the technology foundation to help you achieve it.
We're here to help! As you ponder this important decision, we’ve got insights, demos, and probing questions to help you consider what might work best for your practice.
