Physicians Practice - June 2008 - (Page 60) TECHNOLOGY percent of the true cost of ownership. “There’s no such thing as free,” says Erica Drazen, a health IT consultant with CSC/First Consulting Group in Boston. But won’t practices recoup the initial outlay through increased efficiency? Maybe, maybe not. Saghal isn’t completely sure he and his colleagues will, although he’s hoping to get more pay-for-performance payments from health plans. Perhaps you’re among the many physicians nationwide who are hoping to obtain discounted or free EMRs from the government, insurance companies, hospitals, or commercial vendors. If so, take a deep breath. Every one of these products comes with strings attached, entails major costs, and may or may not suit your practice. So if you see something out there that looks good, look again — hard — before you leap. Here’s how to see your way clearly to the real deal. WHERE THE DEALS ARE The most likely source of discounted EMRs in the future may be your local hospital. As a result of several government rule changes in the past two years, hospitals are now allowed to give private-practice doctors up to 85 percent of the cost of EMR software and training, while practices must cover the costs of hardware, installation, and technical support. Depending on their interpretation of IRS regulations, hospitals may send 1099 forms, which would require physicians to pay tax on the value of the donations. Still, the arrangement can be valuable to you in other ways, notes Laura Jantos, a principal with ECG Consulting in Seattle. Hospitals can negotiate hardware discounts, serve as intermediaries with EMR vendors, and, most importantly, help physicians navigate past the inevitable technical bumps and glitches inherent in complex system implementations. But bear these two facts in mind: • You’re likely to get only one or two choices. • The healthcare system donor may want to use your patient data for quality improvement. A growing number of hospitals are in the early stages of donating EMRs to READ MORE ABOUT IT! Just how important is EMR certification? Read “Should Your EMR be Certified?” in our July/August 2007 issue online. • Type “low-cost EMRs” into our • Download our featured tool, online Search Articles box to learn more about such systems. “Decisions, Decisions: Your IT Shopping Checklist” from our online Tools section. WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM 60 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | JUNE 2008 http://medplexus.com http://medplexus.com http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM
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