Common Pitfalls in New Practices: #5 Overspending on an EMR
By Dr. Ugochi Okoroafor, Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon | Owner, Niche Hand Surgery and Orthopedics
The Most Expensive EMR Is Not Always the Best One
Your EMR is the system you live in all day. It holds your records, your scheduling, your billing, and your patient communication. So it makes sense to want a good one.
But here's what I've seen happen to a lot of new practices: they sign up for the most expensive, most feature-packed EMR they can find, then pay every month for tools they never use. A long list of features is not the same as the right fit.
The best EMR is the one that does what your practice actually needs, no more and no less.
How to Choose an EMR Without Overspending
The goal is a system that supports your daily work, not the longest feature list. Here's how I think about it as the owner of Niche Hand Surgery and Orthopedics:
1. List Your Must-Have Features
Start with what your practice truly needs: scheduling, documentation, e-prescribing, billing, a patient portal. Write that list down first. Then judge every system against it, instead of being sold on extra features you’ll never use.
2. Watch for the Hidden and Ongoing Costs
The monthly price is only part of it. Ask about setup fees, training, support, data migration if applicable, and the cost to add additional users. A system that seems affordable up front can get expensive once all the add-ons are included.
3. Demo It With Your Real Workflow
Don’t judge an EMR from a sales presentation. Run a demo using the tasks you do every day, like booking a patient, writing a note, sending a prescription, and posting a payment. If it feels slow or clumsy in the demo, it’ll feel worse on a busy clinic day.
4. Talk to Practices Your Size
Read reviews and ask other physicians, especially ones running practices close to your size and specialty. They will tell you what the sales team will not, including how it works, what support is like, and whether the price is worth it.
Pick the System That Fits How You Work
Choose the EMR that meets your needs, fits your work flow, and but allows you to keep both your overhead under control.
If you are about to choose an EMR, or you are already overpaying for one that does far more than you need, take a step back and match the system to your practice.
Stay tuned for Pitfall #6, the last in this series, where we will look at why skimping on tax and legal help can cost a new practice more than it saves.
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