A CLINICIAN'S GUIDE TO ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING

Additional Resources:
• Certification Commission on Health Information Technology
Incentive Index - http://ehrdecisions.com/incentive-programs/
Step 4 - Selecting a System
There are many e-prescribing systems to choose from and evaluating them may seem
daunting. However, by this point you have identified your practice needs and understand
associated costs. By comparing your practice needs with key e-prescribing system
capabilities and integration features, your practice is more likely to choose an e-prescribing
system that will be a success. Use the Buyer’s Guide checklist in Appendix I when
comparing different vendor offerings.
Key Considerations:
Planning
• Involve the entire project team in system selection. Define specific evaluation
criteria so that multiple products can be easily compared. Facilitate open discussion
among team members about the pros and cons of each product and their rationale
for scoring. If you are concerned that some members of the evaluation team will
not feel comfortable openly sharing their perspectives, the scorecards can be
confidential and known only to the project leader.
• Develop your own test scripts or scenarios reflecting your practice’s common
workflows, and ask each vendor to demonstrate how their product would work in
those scenarios. This will show how the systems would be used in your practice
environment and focus the vendor on what features and functions are most
important to you. It will also allow you to compare features and usability across
systems.
• Contact other practices in your area that currently use the products you are
evaluating. Ask what unexpected challenges they have faced, how responsive the
vendor has been, and why they chose that product.
A Clinician’s Guide to Electronic Prescribing
October 2008
Page 18