Understanding your needs is only half of the story, however. The other half involves understanding what the software company can and cannot do for you. For Josee Morin of Platinum System, it all comes back to customer service. As she elaborated, "The most important point you need to consider when you start looking for a software for your practice, and especially for an EHR software, is the customer service. What kind of after-sales service can you expect from this company? Do they have a very structured customer service? If, for any reason, your system does not open correctly one morning because of your hardware or network, you need to be able to reach a technical person right away. You cannot leave a message on a voice mail and just hope that someone will call you back, sometimes a few weeks later. You need to find a software company that will provide a high level of service. To make sure that the service will be at the level you expect, you should ask for a money back guarantee in case the level of service is not what was promised. Just keep in mind that if you do not have a good after-sales service and you do not receive the help you need when required, this may cause delay and other consequences to your patients and, as a result, will increase the cost of the software."

Stenberg of Chirotouch agrees, noting the importance of making certain that there is a good fit between the software and your practice needs: "Take the time to read about each product, call the companies, and visit their Web sites for more information. Make sure the software is easy to use and significantly reduces your workload. Your software, not you, should be the ceaseless servant to your practice. By choosing a system that is affordable, task-automating, with good support and a comprehensive approach to practice solutions, you can invest in your future, offer your patients the ease and comfort of knowing they are receiving care from a cutting-edge chiropractic office, drastically cut down on your time and overhead, and build a foundation on which to successfully grow your practice."

8 Easy Steps To Finding the Best Software Package

So you've made the big decision to purchase a new software package for your office. Here are eight steps to guide you in your search.

Step 1: Sit down and write up a description of the perfect office. For example your perfect office may include things like getting paid fast for all services rendered, never having a patient just disappear, having electronic patient records and getting SOAP notes done in a fraction of the time.

Step 2: Make a list of all areas of your clinic that are not perfect as described in Step 1. List the problems in order of importance.

Step 3: Draw a line somewhere on your list where all items above the line are the problems that are a must be solved and everything below the line would be nice if solved.

Step 4: Gather a list of software companies and call them. From your problem list, ask them if they can solve each one of your "absolutely have to be solved" problems. If they can, ask them to send more information. If they can't, thank them for their time and hang up.

Step 5: When the information arrives, read all the material. As you discover a problem the software handles, mark it off of your list. It is best to have a simple computer dictionary on hand. If you still don't understand something, call the company and ask them what they are talking about.

Step 6: After you have read the materials, watch any demonstration disks that you received. You should now be getting a good idea of which software programs handle the problems on your list and which ones do not.

Step 7: Get a live demonstration of the software. This will give you a real feel for what it is like to use it. Remember to look for software that takes as few mouse clicks or keystrokes as possible and make sure the software flows from one thing to the next in a natural, easy manner.

Step 8: Decide on the software that will work the best in your office the best. This will be the one that handles the highest number of your identified problems. After you decide on the software, then and only then, ask the price. Remember this is an investment in your own future. It can cost you thousands of dollars if you buy one that does not do what you truly need.

Material from Derek Greenwood, EON Systems.