Recommendations for Selecting a Practice Management Software System

May 13, 2014

In the Physicians Practice article “Replacing your Practice Management System”, Keith Martin provides a guide for not only selecting a practice management system, but also expectations for implementing the system. Below is a list of his suggestions for selecting the right system for your practice:

  1. System must be compliant with ICD-10
  2. Vendor Evaluation to find the best fit for your practice
  3. Clearly define your current problems and request explanation from vendor how the system will handle them
  4. Decide whether system should be installed on-premises or hosted (software as a service)
  5. Don’t be persuaded by the look and feel of a system. Select the system with functionality that handles your requirements
  6. Additional functionality, “Nice to Haves”, can be used to differentiate systems
  7. Select a respected and knowledgeable employee as Project Manager
  8. Don’t forget about Training. A successful implementation may depend on the success of the training
  9. During the entire project, from selection to implementation, select an employee that will be directly affected by the system to promote the system to other employees. User buy-in is critical to a successful implementation.
  10. Seek Third Party Audit of the vendor, software and project agreement

When selecting a system, evaluate the implementation schedule and favor the vendor that is most realistic about the timeline for implementation. And even with a conservative implementation estimate, most projects will take longer to implement. A successful implementation will depend on the user buy-in. Set expectations early in the project and take your time to work out any bugs and provide adequate training. System Go-live should not necessarily be defined by a date, instead the Go-live will happen when the new system’s functionality meets or exceeds user expectations.

View the full article at Physicians Practice: 
http://www.physicianspractice.com/practice-management-systems/replacing-your-practice-management-system