Investing in a new EHR requires detailed financial planning. You need to factor the price of implementing the project into your cost estimate. Estimating an EHR interface price will enable you to make a more accurate budget. And this will enhance the success of your EHR deployment project. This article will be looking at the components of EHR implementation cost and the steps you need to take to determine each of them.
1. Estimate the Cost of Hardware
EHR hardware costs are not equal for all providers, and the price depends on whether you are deploying an EHR for the first time or switching to a new EHR.
Hardware costs also depend on the type of deployment you adopt. Generally, on-site or self-hosted deployment will incur higher hardware costs than cloud-based, SaaS model EHR deployment.
For on-site deployment, your hardware costs should include the price of computers. Sum up the cost of database servers and desktop computers for support staff, clinicians, and other end users.
For mobile access, you may also add the price of tablets and laptops. You may also need special microphones (for speech-to-text input) and automatic document feed scanners to convert printed documents into digital form to enhance data entry.
In addition to the cost of devices, you also need to consider the cost of network and internet connection upgrades. If you opt for a SaaS deployment model, you must ensure that you have the fastest public internet connection or pay for a dedicated connection to the cloud service provider.
2. Calculate the Price of Software
The software costs include the price of all applications, customizations, upgrades, subscriptions, and licenses. The chunk of the software cost is for the EHR license. Other costs include the interface and interoperability engines connecting the EHR to the lab, radiology, pharmacy, and practice management systems.
Typically, software costs are divided into upfront and yearly expenses. From the U.S. government health IT website data, for on-premise deployment, upfront cost and annual costs are $33,000 and $4,000, respectively. Cloud-based deployment’s initial and yearly expenses are $26,000 and $8,000, respectively.
3. Factor in the Cost of Support
Periodically, your practice will need assistance from the EHR vendor or consultants. If your practice has a strong IT team of project managers, analysts, developers, and computer engineers, you may not need to invest much in support.
However, to ensure effective project planning, training, and customization, you will need the skilled assistance of a support team. Support costs are based on detailed contracts, and they are usually billed per hour.
4. Add the Price of Training
Training for EHR implementation is usually delivered in phases. The first phase is before the implementation, the next one occurs during implementation, and the last happens after implementation.
It is vital to obtain details about training from the EHR vendor or consultant before the project starts. Find out if they will bill you per hour or for each training module. To reduce the cost of training, ask for a cost-effective method of delivering the training. If the training can be provided electronically, it could reduce the total cost.
5. Determine the Ongoing Costs
After the initial deployment of your EHR, your organization will still pay for maintenance, customization, optimization, security, migration, archiving, and development of new interfaces. You need to make a few projections and extract quotes and cost estimates from different contracts to calculate the ongoing costs.
If your organization chooses a Saas deployment, you need to pay an annual subscription fee. For on-premise installation, ongoing costs will include maintaining the server and network.
Partner With an EHR Implementation Expert
Working with an EHR implementation expert will enable you to create a detailed plan and budget. Your development partner will also support your EHR and develop integration interfaces that will give you a better return on your investment. This allows you to focus on patient care, ensuring the deployment is completed on schedule and within budget.
Let’s Work to Estimate and Optimize Your EHR Interface Price
Contact Lifepoint Informatics now at 877.522.8378 to develop a thorough EHR implementation budget. Visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation or book a free demo of our EHR integration solutions.