Curious about Electronic Health Record (EHR) software? Use our practical checklist to understand what you need for a basic EHR implementation
What You Need to Know Before EHR Implementation
Healthcare practices often call us asking how to prepare for popular Electronic Health Records vendors like eClinicalWorks, Waiting Room Solutions, Allscripts, and others. To help make things easier, I’ve assembled a quick inventory guide doctor practices should consider before tackling a basic EHR implementation. Securing medical records and understanding your infrastructure needs are essential for a smooth rollout.
Table of Contents
Key Questions to Prepare Your Practice
- Will your practice deploy an ASP (cloud-based) or locally hosted EHR model? This decision shapes your server, support, and your security needs.
- Does your practice operate across multiple locations? If so, how many? Managing sync and connectivity across sites is a critical part of successful implementation.
- How many users will be concurrently accessing the EHR system? This affects performance and capacity planning.
Understanding Your Internet and Network Requirements
- Is high-speed internet available at all practice locations? Reliable internet is non-negotiable since most EMRs depend heavily on network connectivity. If you’re experiencing connectivity issues, check our troubleshooting guide.
- What are your upload and download speeds? Here’s the breakdown:
- Up to 10 users: minimum 512KB/s upload, 786KB/s download
- 11 to 20 users: minimum 786KB/s upload/download
- 21 to 30 users: minimum 1.5Mbps upload/download
Planning for Remote Access
- Do you or your staff need remote access to the EHR system?
- What types of devices will be used for remote login (laptops, tablets, smartphones)?
Planning ahead helps secure proper VPN or essential remote desktop solutions.
Essential Terms for Basic EHR Implementation Success
Make sure you’re familiar with key buzzwords like Local vs. ASP hosting, Firewall, and VPN. These will help you research and discuss your EHR needs with vendors and IT teams.
Basic EHR Implementation Checklist Summary
If you’re considering maintaining your own server for your basic EHR implementation, check out our post on basic small business server setup,it’s a great resource for understanding hardware and network basics.
Remember, successful basic EHR implementation is more than just software, it’s about building the right environment for secure, reliable access and smooth workflows that protect patient data while helping your practice run efficiently.
