To operate a successful optometric practice, you need to invest in software, equipment an, and people that will help you provide the best possible care for your patients. With numerous options for EHR and practice management solutions on the market, it might be hard to narrow down the best selection for you and your practice.

While price alone shouldn’t be the only driver behind your selection, understanding the pricing model and what you get for the cost is a key component to identifying which software will assist in your practice’s success.

In today’s post, we will highlight a few of the ongoing costs that should be considered when shopping for a new EHR software solution.

Ongoing EHR Software Costs To Evaluate

Hardware Support

Some software solutions place restrictions on the devices that can run the software. In some instances, your optometric practice may be required to purchase new computers to operate the new EHR solution. If the software is server-based, then you will be required to purchase and maintain the servers that host your data.

Choosing a cloud-based solution will reduce the burden of ongoing hardware costs and allow you to use more of the devices you already use in your practice.

Subscription Fees

Most cloud-based solutions charge a recurring subscription fee to enable you and your practice to continue owning the software. For this reason, it’s vital that you look at the fine print in the pricing to see how often you’ll be charged the subscription fee and if you have to sign a long-term contract.

Upgrade Fees

The eyecare industry constantly changes, your EHR software has to adapt to provide you with the features and functionality to help you deliver quality of care to your patients. Some software solutions charge you extra to upgrade to newer versions. And with some of the upgrades, you may have to update the servers and install the new version yourself. However, with a cloud-based solution, the vendor may grant you access to the newest version of the software without you having to upgrade your hardware or paying additional charges.

IT Support

Managing and maintaining servers and the software is a complicated, full-time job. Many eyecare professionals don’t have the time to focus on keeping the hardware working properly and ensuring the most recent version of the software is on each machine. This results in the need for IT consultants.

Switching to a cloud-based model will save you the expense of an IT consultant because you will have access to the latest version of the software through a web-portal.

Third-party Tools

A modern practice depends on the use and interoperability of dozens of software solutions to do their job effectively. With some solutions, you will have to work with multiple vendors independently, adding to the cost of your EHR.

EHR solutions that come with embedded tools are usually offered to you at a lower cost than what you would pay for each solution individually.  

Thinking about switching your EHR? Download "The Complete Guide on Upgrading To Modern Optometry Software" for tips.