The High Cost Of An EHR Implementation

...You don’t want to make a false move because it could end up costing you—in the wallet and in the metaphorical mind. Everything matters and you can’t assume anything.  This is why I have a new appreciation for CIOs and IT leaders in healthcare. My home purchase –as important as it is to me– really only affects two people. While I’m looking at flooring and walkability scores that satisfy my wife and myself, they’re looking at functionality that is supposed to appease a countless number of clinicians.

When they decide which electronic health record (EHR) system to buy, it affects the entire organization and puts them under a microscope. With federal mandates surrounding health IT reaching a critical point, these decision makers have been thrust into a pivotal position in their organizations.

And it’s not exactly a nickel and dime decision. A large South Carolina health system recently made the decision to purchase Epic to integrate its records. The cost? A cool $97 million. When that kind of dough is being spent, you’d better get it right. If you don’t, you are out of a job...