Most EHR decisions take too long. Practices run five demos, collect feedback from every provider, debate features that will never be used, and then make a decision by committee after three months. The delay costs money - every month on the wrong EHR is a month of documentation friction, delayed charges, and staff time absorbed by workarounds.
But a fast decision made without the right information is also a mistake. Here is how to move quickly without regret.
Extended EHR evaluations drift toward comparing features rather than outcomes. By the fourth demo, the conversation is about specific fields and screen layouts rather than whether the system will actually improve documentation time and billing accuracy.
The vendors who benefit most from long evaluations are the ones whose product does not survive a focused comparison. Stretching the process across three months gives them more time to talk around their weaknesses.
A rounding practice can verify everything that matters in about 60 minutes per vendor. The checklist:
Documentation workflow (15 minutes). Ask the vendor to demonstrate a complete rounding encounter from patient list to note completion to charge submission. Watch for: number of screens required, speed on mobile, how Pull Forward works, how ICD-10 selection works. Count the clicks.
Pricing (5 minutes). Ask for the all-in monthly cost per provider including all facility connections, training, and support. Get it in writing. If the answer requires follow-up with an account manager, that is information.
Implementation (5 minutes). Ask: what is the realistic go-live timeline for a practice our size? Who manages data migration? What are our responsibilities during setup? A vague answer here predicts a difficult implementation.
Documentation compliance (5 minutes). Ask whether the system supports structured documentation that helps with accurate coding. Ask whether it is ONC-certified. Ask how the documentation workflow reduces manual work on your end. These questions have clear answers for a well-designed system.
Support (5 minutes). Ask for the phone number for after-hours support. Call it. Note whether a person answers and how long it takes.
References (5 minutes). Ask for one or two current customers at a similar practice size in a similar setting. A vendor who cannot offer references from rounding practices is telling you something.
Your gut check (20 minutes). Give your most skeptical provider a 15-minute look at the demo and ask: could you finish your daily notes faster in this system? Their answer, combined with the checklist results, is the decision.
A practice using this process can complete evaluations of two or three vendors in two weeks and make a confident decision before the end of the month. The implementation, if chosen well, takes another two to four weeks. A practice that starts this process today can be on a better system before the end of the quarter.
That is the alternative to three months of evaluation followed by an extended implementation. And it is a much better use of your team's time.
If you want to run EasyRounds through this checklist, book a 30-minute demo and tell us to follow the format. We will walk through all six sections in the time you have.