Many vendors have physician-advisory groups whose members should be accessible to potential customers. Call these and other clients and ask them to describe difficulties they've experienced and how the vendor helped solve them. If possible, visit a user to see the EMR in action. Consider taking along staff members to get their perceptions. And you should go beyond contacting the list of names provided by the vendor.
Evaluate hardware needs.
Getting good answers to these questions is crucial. Understand the finer points Features such as structured data entry and business-operations software provide the means for you to track clinical performance for health maintenance or disease management. You can participate in FP Net, a clearinghouse for computerization resources staffed by the American Academy of Family Physicians' technical panel on computerization, and Fam- Med, an internet discussion group on information technology in family practice. FP Net allows AAFP members to gain advice about electronic medical records and other computer technology. Your question and the answer will be posted later so your colleagues can also benefit from the advice.