A large medical practice that specializes in cancer care is weighing t

QUESTION

A large medical practice that specializes in cancer care is weighing the advantages and disadvantages of implementing the most recent version of a commercial EHR or building its own homegrown system for its office.

The staff selects a commercial EHR from a major vendor. Which factor best supports this decision?

a. A commercial product can be easily customized to accommodate the unique needs of the hospital.
b. A homegrown system cannot be certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology.
c. The commercial version is considered one of the “Best of Breed” products.
d. A homegrown system is typically interfaced with the organization’s ADT system and downstream systems.

ANSWER:

ANS: C
Commercial electronic health systems are more expensive than homegrown systems but also considered one of the “Best of Breed” products. A homegrown system can be certified through a Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) program called EACH. Homegrown systems are usually fully integrated using a common database and not interfaced with other dissimilar applications.