subject: Top Questions to Ask when Selecting Your Medical Software [print this page] Top Questions to Ask when Selecting Your Medical Software
With so many medical apps out there, it is so easy for you to get overwhelmed and pick something randomly. That is dangerous. You will be wasting a lot of money and time on it. To make sure that this does not happen, ask yourself the following questions first.
What do I need?
Not all medical software are created equal. Some of them are good in billing while others are in patient tracking. Though it is possible to find medical apps with different functions, they should specialize in at least one. Now that specialization should match your needs.
Sometimes you will come across medical apps that are near perfect. The next best thing you can do is to contact their developer. A lot of them are willing to customize features to make them more usable and suitable.
What are the features?
There are plenty of features that can be found in medical software, but not all of them are worthy to you. First, find one that can easily integrate itself to EMRs (electronic medical records). Majority of the health care facilities these days have them. The medical apps should be compatible that they do not produce duplicates of records or errors.
You also would like medical software that is very easy to use. It has a simple, convenient graphical user interface. You can receive notifications to your mobile phone, and you can have more control over your medical apps.
What are its security features?
Because of the confidential information these medical apps contain, it is very important they are completely secured. They cannot be accessed by authorized personnel, and they are protected from hackers and phishers.
If possible the medical software should provide multiple layers of protection. It should use an SSL technology and is HIPAA compliant.
Should I go in-house or SaaS?
What is the difference between the two? In-house medical software is the one you install in your server or computer. In exchange of its use, you have to pay for its license, which you usually have to do so only at one time. SaaS, meanwhile, stands for software as a service. It is on-demand medical software. This means you do not pay for it if you are not going to utilize it.
Though in-house medical applications provide you with better control over your files, they can also be extremely costly and sometimes difficult to use. SaaS has definitely got better through the years, and a lot of providers give clients better freedom on how to use the software.
Is there a backup?
This is very important as you can lose all your important information all of a sudden. A backup ensures that you can always recover what you have lost.
How much does it cost?
Yes, costs matter. Now many doctors make the mistake of buying the cheapest medical apps in the market. That is wrong, as there are plenty of factors you need to consider. One of these is updates. For example, the dirt-cheap medical software may carry hefty fees on its updates.
