Here's a good reason to make an online dash to the Academy's Center for Health Information Technology: access to a new tool that will help small to medium-sized medical practices compare costs of electronic health record systems.
The eHealth Initiative Master Quotation Guide© -- accessible through CHiT -- was recently made available by the eHealth Initiative, a non-profit, independent organization working toward ensuring safe, efficient and quality health care through health information technology.
CHiT, along with member companies of AAFP's Partners for Patients group, was a driving force early in the creation of the guide before turning the project over to the eHealth Initiative's then newly formed Working Group for HIT in Small and Medium Practices.
CHiT Director David C. Kibbe, M.D., is co-chair of the working group. He helped lead an assembly of stakeholders that included physicians, nurses, practice and lab administrators, EHR vendors, and others in completing the project.
"The master quotation guide is very, very useful," said Kibbe. "It's not easy for busy family physicians to find the time to wade into the sea of information about EHR contracting and pricing. The guide puts that information at physicians' fingertips."
The guide is divided into 10 sections including vendor software, interfaces, implementation services, annual support and maintenance, and financing alternatives. Each section contains "red flags" to signal issues of concern, frequently asked questions and a glossary of terms.
For instance, in the support and maintenance section, red flags include:
- no support agreement,
- no guarantee of service,
- extra costs for database schema,
- no support for previous versions or releases, and
- a cutoff of support services if payment is in dispute.
Physicians may use the guide as they see fit, said Kibbe. The information can be viewed online, downloaded, printed or e-mailed to colleagues -- all at no charge to users.
Information in the guide will be updated as necessary to keep pace with constant changes in health IT.
