Top Mistakes Clinics Make When Choosing an EHR

Choosing a new EHR system is a strategic decision that can transform care quality and efficiency, or introduce headaches and risks if done poorly. During the screening process, a lot of clinics and practices fall into similar pitfalls.

Neglecting stakeholder input, ignoring interoperability, cutting training, prioritizing price over value, ignoring customization and flexibility, underestimating vendor support needs, and failing to plan for future expansion and compliance are some of the major mistakes. We look at each trap below and provide advice on how to avoid it.

Lack of Stakeholder Input

Designing EHR selection around a small set of decision-makers instead of involving the entire team is a common error. The EHR is used differently by clinicians, nurses, front desk employees, billing specialists, and administrators. If these stakeholders are not involved early on, requirements may be missed and buy-in may be lacking. Involving end users early on increases support for the change and aids in identifying actual obstacles (such as revenue cycle requirements and process charts).

Engaging stakeholders early on “improves adoption” and helps prevent common obstacles like workflow mismatches or interoperability gaps. In fact, “stakeholders bring critical insights into workflows, finances, patient experience, and technical feasibility.” Key groups to involve:

• Clinicians to ensure the system supports patient care and documentation.
• Office and front‐desk staff to validate scheduling, check-in/out, and data-entry processes.
• Personnel in charge of billing and revenue cycles should verify that the requirements for processing and coding claims are satisfied.
• Managers and executives should agree on governance, budget, and ROI expectations.
• Even patient or marketing representatives to test patient portal features and communication tools.

Engaging these stakeholders in demos and requirements gathering will surface hidden needs and create champions for the project.

Overlooking Interoperability

Ignoring interoperability, the EHR’s capacity to share data with other systems, is another expensive error.

The goal of an EHR is defeated and safety and efficiency problems arise when doctors are forced to manually locate external records or re-enter information in the absence of real data sharing.

Without genuine data exchange, your staff spends more time chasing records and the practice may even risk failing quality programs that depend on accurate, timely data”. Watch for these red flags of poor interoperability:

• Limited interaction with current tools: Staff may use manual workarounds if the EHR is unable to connect to your lab, billing system, or other applications.
• No adherence to contemporary standards A red flag is the absence of FHIR, HL7, or other industry-standard interfaces. It is far more difficult to exchange data with hospitals or other partners when systems lack FHIR/HL7 functionality.
• Undocumented or closed APIs: It will be costly or difficult to establish new connections later if the vendor’s application interfaces are proprietary or have inadequate documentation.

Make sure to test interfaces and ask suppliers how their EHR facilitates bidirectional data sharing before making a purchase. Give open-standard systems top priority to ensure data portability as your network of partners expands.

Underestimating Training Requirements

Even the best EHR can fail if users aren’t properly trained. Assuming that employees will learn the system quickly or with no guidance is a common mistake. Every position in the clinic is actually impacted by a new EHR, and inadequate training causes annoyance, workarounds, and even workflow failures.

Users may struggle with the system, oppose changes, and be more prone to mistakes, inefficiencies, and irritation if they are not properly trained. Create a thorough training program to steer clear of this trap:

• Role-based, practical training: Adapt sessions to the duties assigned to each user group. For instance, front desk employees require extensive training in patient check-in and scheduling screens, nurses in entering vital signs, and doctors in charting and order entry. 
• Cutting costs on training: generic instruction leads to “disjointed data collection and workarounds”. Rather, spend money on role-specific training to ensure that every team member understands how to use the EHR in their everyday work.
• Pre- and post-go-live training: Plan follow-ups after go-live and start practical training well in advance of launch day. To help colleagues on launch day, encourage super-users or champions from every department to get more practice.
• Ongoing education: Since EHRs change over time, training shouldn’t stop when they go online. When new features or updates are available, give regular lectures and refresher courses. If training is not kept up to date, new features may go unutilized and workflow improvements may halt.

Clinics create the conditions for easier adoption and more self-assured, productive employees by prioritizing training rather than considering it as an afterthought.

Overemphasizing Cost Over Value

Cost is always a consideration, but an excessive obsession with the cheapest sticker price might backfire. Clinics that select the least expensive EHR may lose out on crucial features and later uncover hidden costs. An EHR that initially appears to be inexpensive may wind up costing significantly more over time.

Low-cost initial quotations frequently conceal penalties for switching systems, maintenance fees, upgrade expenses, and per-user pricing increases. Fees for additional modules, data migration, or scaling to other providers can outweigh any initial cost savings. Important things to think about:

• Total cost of ownership: Consider continuing expenses in addition to the license price. How much do upgrades, data storage, and support cost? Will fees spike as you add users, locations, or modules? Athenahealth warns that “evaluating only the upfront price overlooks the system’s true total cost of ownership.”.
• Contractual lock-in: Watch out for long-term lock-in provisions. Some suppliers provide a modest starting price, but if you need to expand or try to leave, they impose exorbitant fees. Inquire about any costs associated with new providers or moving data, whether they are disguised or not.
• Value over affordability: Strong usability, solid support, and a comprehensive feature set may increase productivity and income to the point where a higher price is justified. Instead than concentrating only on sticker cost, consider expected ROI and entire lifetime worth.

Talk to other practices about real-world costs, and push vendors on the long-term financial picture. Focusing only on initial savings can leave your practice paying more,” whereas a well-chosen system improves efficiency and support long-term growth.

Ignoring Customization and Flexibility

One-size-fits-all EHR configurations are rarely ideal since no two clinics are alike. It is a mistake to choose a strict system that compels your practice to alter its workflows. Healthcare changes rapidly, so the chosen EHR must be flexible. Your EHR must adapt to the ever-changing landscape of healthcare.

A system soon becomes an impediment rather than a tool if it is unable to adjust to changing service models, reimbursement schemes, or legal requirements. To steer clear of this trap:

• Workflows and templates that can be customized: Make sure the EHR lets you alter fields, note templates, order sets, and workflows to fit your practice style. Instead of making code-level modifications, look for settings that are simple to update. This allows you to modify the system to suit your requirements without having to pay for expensive development.
• Frequent upgrades and updates: Find out how frequently the vendor releases updates and how they respond to changes in regulations. Red flags include slow updates or the need to reconstruct workflows for new requirements. In addition to ensuring that new regulations are supported right out of the box or with little effort, the appropriate vendor should offer timely fixes.
• Capacity to incorporate new tools: Innovation in healthcare moves quickly. As you expand, your EHR should be able to link to patient portals, analytics tools, telemedicine modules, and even AI engines. You will be stuck if the system’s architecture or API is too closed. Your practice is locked into antiquated procedures and technologies by an inflexible EHR.

By requiring a customizable platform, you protect your investment. When your clinic’s demands change, a flexible system can adjust without requiring a total replacement.

Failing to Evaluate Vendor Support

Purchasing is only the beginning of your engagement with your EHR vendor; it doesn’t end there. Selecting a system without guaranteeing robust vendor support and service is a crucial error. This covers technical support, continuous training, and implementation assistance.

You need a partner instead of a passive vendor since implementing a new EHR system is disruptive. In the absence of vendor support, issues persist longer and end users become less trusting. Important things to think about:

• Vendor responsiveness: Before signing, assess the vendor’s reputation for support. Are their helpdesk and training teams local or easily reachable? What are their documented response times? Long-term disruptions and decreased productivity are frequently caused by a steep learning curve or a lack of vendor support.
• Assistance with implementation and go-live: Verify that the provider offers sufficient virtual or on-site assistance during the rollout. During go-live, do they provide a dedicated project manager or trainer? Clinics should rely on your EHR vendor at every stage and utilize the resources and training time they provide.
• Continued collaboration: The vendor should continue to offer updates, troubleshooting, and further training as required after implementation. Inquire about their customer success initiatives, such as user groups, assistance resources, and frequent check-ins. For ongoing training, process modifications, and help with problems, stay in contact with your EHR provider.

Even a great EHR system can underperform without good support. In contrast, a slightly less flashy system with a highly responsive support team is often worth it. Vet vendors by talking to references about support experiences, and consider including service levels in the contract.

Neglecting Long-Term Scalability and Compliance

Lastly, clinics occasionally select an EHR that satisfies present requirements but is not scalable or compliant with regulations. This narrow-minded strategy leads to issues later on. Your capacity to expand is constrained by a lack of scalability.

If you double your patient load or add clinicians, an EHR that functions well for a small practice may become desperately slow or unaffordable. For instance, as business expands, server requirements or per-user prices may soar, turning a small annoyance into a major emergency.

Healthcare is heavily controlled at the same time. New compliance requirements come regularly. A rigid EHR that can’t adapt quickly will leave your clinic vulnerable to fines and data breaches. Rigid systems also increase compliance risks, since regulatory delays or workarounds could potentially expose your practice to penalties. To plan wisely for the future:

• Assess scalability: Find out how the system manages expansion. What would happen if you added ten additional providers or a new location?Are there price breaks for scaling, or does the price jump? Does performance hold up with more data and users? Carefully estimating the total cost of an EHR over time, including expansions into account.
• Technical capability: Make sure your workstations, servers, and network can be upgraded to satisfy EHR requirements. As load increases, a slow system or frequent outages will worsen.
• Regulatory readiness: Confirm that the vendor regularly releases updates for new regulations. Check how quickly they rolled out past major changes. The EHR should allow easy updates to templates and processes without breaking existing workflows.
• Future functionality: Consider your strategic goals. Planning to offer telehealth, patient texting, or population health analytics? The EHR should be able to integrate those features. A system designed only for your current scope may lock you out of future opportunities.

By keeping long-term plans and compliance in mind, you avoid choosing an EHR that “traps” your practice. A good EHR should grow with you, not hold you back.

Vozo Cloud EHR for Healthcare Practice

From managing and organising patient health records digitally to reducing medical errors, it significantly empowers providers to improve healthcare quality.

If you are searching for the best EHR system for your healthcare practice, Vozo EHR can be your go-to choice. Our comprehensive EHR solution lets you focus more on patient care while carrying all the burdens and simplifying it.

• Vozo Cloud EHR’s cost-effective cloud subscription benefits all levels of practice.
• Our feature-rich EHR helps you rectify mistakes efficiently and speed up the process.
• Vozo Specialty EHR resonates with specialty practice needs and requirements.
• Our expert technical team got you covered 24/7 if any needs arise.
• Our EHR System continues to scale as your healthcare practice grows to improve the user experience.

The Vozo Customised EHR solution benefits your healthcare practice by:

• Streamlining the administrative process
• Improving workflow efficiency
• Reducing proneness to errors
• Managing all the patients’ records in one place
• Offers greater efficiency and cost savings across the board.

Our specialty-specific tools, such as scheduling, patient portals, lab integration, cloud hosting, and more, meet the specific needs and requirements of your healthcare practice.

“Embrace Vozo EHR to reduce your burdens and enhance patient care”.