EHRs will slow me down.

Yes, at first going to the EHR will slow you down. Keep the end vision in mind. Look at the process as a journey, things will be hard, break along the way and you will have to put in some extra hours. Keep realistic expectations and don’t expect everything to be perfect day one, week one or even month one. Everyone in the practice has to work hard for the charge – remember this transition takes team work! Don’t forget this is an exciting time, so make it fun!

This will cost me more money.

It might, it might not, but most likely it might. That is not the point. HITEC and EHR are about progress and moving forward. We at AMS do believe it is a practice’s choice to stay on paper or go electronic, but we believe if a practice stays on paper they will be left behind.

What should I do first? What are the steps?

Begin by identifying your needs with your practice partners and within your organization; make plans to implement a certified system or fine tune an existing implementation. Unfortunately there are also a lot vendors and postings on the internet that are giving wrong information about the program / processes to implement a certified EHR to receive your stimulus funds. It is highly recommended that you work with your local Regional Extension Center to learn more about the program. http://healthit.hhs.gov/extensionprogram