Buying a Car or EMR – Similarities

Generally speaking, we buy cars with emotion, not logic. If logic alone prevailed we would buy the cheapest and safest transportation to get us from point A to point B.

We evaluate –

  • Convenience
  • Looks
  • Safety
  • Value
  • Something that matches our Status (and more)
  • Comfort of passengers

There are two important similarities I want to highlight.

  1. When you get an EMR, don’t just look at your comfort and convenience. Don’t evaluate just from a clinical charting perspective. Involve ‘passengers’ – your staff. In fact, they will be driving more than you.
  2. The old adage – you get what you pay for holds even for EMR systems just as cars. Look at your value, convenience, and overall workflow benefits. Buying the cheapest is not always a good idea.

And as with anything else, look at recommendations from peers and third parties.

Author: Chandresh Shah

Chandresh Shah specializes in Healthcare IT and Medical Billing. He knows the market inside out; what works, what doesn’t. He advises and works with small business owners.