Guide to Healthcare Information Technology

1. When considering healthcare information technology upgrades, take into account the human element. For instance, how long will it take for your staff to become proficient in using the new technology? How can you minimize the potential for disruption to your medical practice during the transition to the new technology?
2. Be clear about your goals for new medical information technology systems. If providing better patient care is a priority, determine what is keeping you from doing so right now. You might conclude that your goal for a medical information technology upgrade is to reduce paperwork so that your clinical staff can spend more time with patients.
3. Provide healthcare information technology vendors with a request for proposal in which all of the capabilities you need are clearly listed. This will make it easier to compare not just price tags, but features too.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• When shopping for new hardware or software for your medical information technology system, you're likely to get a lower price if you don't reveal your budget to vendors.
• If you've been slow to keep pace with healthcare information technology because you suspect that it won't cut costs in the long run, get out your calculator. Figure out the amount you spend per year on paper-based forms for medical records and other documents, as well as the time it takes for you and your staff to fill-out, pull and file the documents.
• Most experts concede that while information technology for healthcare will ultimately reap significant savings for most medical care providers, the upfront costs are steep. One way to manage those costs is to gradually implement your technology upgrades.

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