Questions to Ask Before You Sign With a New EHR Vendor

The questions to ask an EHR vendor before you sign come down to six areas: who owns your data, what the contract commits you to, how the migration will work, how your staff gets trained, what support looks like after go-live, and whether the system fits how your practice actually runs. A demo shows you the software. The contract and the implementation plan decide what happens to your data, your budget, and your first month on the new system. Here’s what to ask in each area, and what a good answer sounds like.

Your Data: Who Owns It and How You Get It Out

This is the question practices most often forget to ask, because it only matters on the way out. Ask it on the way in.

• Who owns the data in the system? The answer should be your practice, in writing.
• If we leave, what format can we export our data in? Ask for specifics, not “we’ll work with you.”
• Is there a fee to export our data, or to get help doing it?
• What happens to our data after the contract ends, and for how long is it kept?

A good answer is specific and written into the contract. A red flag is a vendor who can’t tell you the export format, or who treats your data as part of the subscription.

The Contract: Length, Renewal, and Price Changes

Read the contract the way you’d read a lease.

• How long is the term, and does it renew automatically?
• How much notice do we need to give if we don’t want to renew?
• Can the price go up during the term, and by how much?
• What does it cost to add a provider or a location later?
• What are the termination terms if the system doesn’t work out?

The Migration: What Moves and Who Checks It

Switching EHRs goes wrong when the migration gets rushed. These questions tell you whether the vendor has a real plan.

• What data can be migrated, and in what format? Patient records, billing history, scheduling data, documents.
• Who validates that the migration was accurate? And what happens to data that can’t be moved automatically?
• Is there a trial run, or is it a hard cutover? Running both systems for a defined period is the biggest difference between a controlled switch and a chaotic one.
• What’s a realistic timeline for a practice our size?

For a step-by-step look at the switch itself, see the EHR Transition Checklist.

Training: Before Go-Live, Not During It

Your staff should know the system before they’re expected to use it with a patient in front of them.

• How many training hours are included, and in what format: on-site, remote, recorded?
• Does training happen before go-live? Training squeezed into go-live week is a sign of a rushed timeline.
• What happens if staff needs more training later, or you hire someone new?

Support: After Go-Live

The first few weeks on any new system involve small fixes. What matters is how fast you can get them.

• Who’s available on go-live day, and how do we reach them?
• What are your support hours and typical response times?
• Will we have a contact who knows our account, or a general ticket queue?
• What does support cost after the first year?

A good sign: the vendor offers to connect you with a current customer of a similar size and specialty.

Fit: Does It Match How Your Practice Works?

• Can we buy only what we need, like the EHR, practice management, or both, or is it a bundle?
• Do the EHR and billing share one patient record, or are they separate systems connected by an interface?
• Can it be configured to our specialty and workflows, or do we adapt to it?
• Does it connect to the labs, clearinghouse, and e-prescribing network we use?
• Is the EHR ONC-certified? Ask for its listing on the ONC’s Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL). (Ours is on our certifications page.)
• Will you sign a business associate agreement (BAA)?

Bring the Same Questions to Every Vendor

The easiest way to compare vendors is to ask every one of them the same questions and write down the answers. Vague answers in the sales process rarely get clearer after you sign.