In a guest column, Steven J. Fox and Vadim Schick warn that healthcare providers need to hone their contract negotiation skills when purchasing EHRs from vendors.
Fox, a partner and the chairman of the IT group at Post & Schell, P.C., and Schick, an associate in the IT group at Post & Schell, P.C., say they hope the regional extension centers provide contract negotiations services as part of their services.
Given that Fox and Schick focus on health IT contract negotiations and client counseling in matters of data privacy and security, it's perfectly natural to assume the column is a marketing opportunity for them. But they also offer sound advice.
Physicians who own their small practices ought to already have business skills related to purchasing products and services. Buying an EHR system, however, is a whole 'nother animal. With so much federal money promised to healthcare providers, you can bet there are a lot of vendors out there trying to get a piece of the market.
There are vendors who are selling vaporware, vendors who aren't concerned about the lifecycle of their products, vendors who have good products but are jacking up their prices. This type of behavior is typical of any market into which money is being poured.
The bottom line is that healthcare providers are holding the purse strings and they need to constantly remind the vendors. You are in control.
Regardless of how savvy healthcare providers are in terms of business skills, they should check in with their local REC and find out what contract negotiation services are being offered. And they should take advantage of those services because it’s important to ensure that vendors are held accountable for their products. Don’t take any chances.
Photo by NobMouse via Creative Commons license.
