Physicians Practice - June 2008 - (Page 66) TECH DOCTOR taken a dip in the Atlantic Ocean and were fished out of toilets. Accept the fact that damage will occur and then weigh the pros and cons of purchasing insurance. Also ask your sales reps if they will sell you “cold storage” phones as spares. 5. Diversify your options. “Data plans” — the term cell phone vendors use to refer to packages that offer e-mail and Internet usage — are not considered desirable by every physician. Some physicians live and die by their e-mail-connected devices, while others keep it simple, only turning their phones on to return pages. To keep things fair, consider working out “a la carte” pricing, allowing physicians who wish to pay a premium for a data plan to have that option. As a side note, be sure to ask about text messaging rates as well. 6. Establish “travel rules.” In all cases, but especially if your cell carrier is a regional one, you must establish a policy that requires all physicians to notify your practice before taking their corporate phones on business trips or personal vacations where they might incur roaming charges. In some cases, it may be cheaper to purchase a one-month, prepaid phone from a national carrier. When traveling abroad, users should consult their carriers plenty of time before their trip to determine if their phones will even work in their destination country and what charges will be incurred. (International travel is rarely covered by standard phone plans.) You may be better off using a reputable international cell phone rental company. 7. Leverage your buying power. Allow- ing individual physicians to go out and purchase the phones and plans of their choice and then individually reimbursing them will add to your accounting headaches and throw away any group buying power you may have. While the kid at the mall’s cell phone kiosk will tell you they don’t give discounts, don’t believe him. Contact three carriers and ask for a business sales representative. Ask each one to provide you with a two-day loaner phone to try out, and determine for yourself what coverage you have in your area. Then ask each vendor still in the running for a written bid for the number of phones you desire for one-, two-, and three-year contract terms. (Some vendors will balk at a short contract, but try to push for it.) Ask your potential carriers to calculate all costs incurred for using their phones, including taxes, fees, and detailed billing charges. Following these simple steps can save you money and avoid unnecessary unpleasantness regarding your company’s cell phone solution. • Jonathan McCallister has worked in healthcare IT management for more than eight years and in general IT management for more than a decade. He can be reached via abeckel@physicianspractice.com. 66 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | JUNE 2008 WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM http://www.emdeon.com/simplify http://www.emdeon.com/simplify http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM
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