RFI and RFP Reflection, Essay Example

The request for information and request for proposal processes are an integral part of maintaining the electronic health record system. Generally, a RFI is used to obtain information from salespeople in the healthcare field about their services and products (Humboldt State University, 2011). This is a useful first step in finding out what is on the market and what would be useful for the individual healthcare practice. The request for proposal is used to find out more information from a specific company about how their product will meet the healthcare practice’s requirements, in addition to associated costs that will be incurred and the level of services provided (AHIMA, 2010).

Before beginning a RFI or RFP, a healthcare practice or institution must first assess their electronic health record needs. This usually includes the capabilities the system should have and the level of outside help that is necessary from a firm. The RFI should include a complete profile of each vendor; at minimum, the vendors should be asked for their organizational profile, their implementation and training modules, the estimated total cost of ownership, and their availability for demonstrates. Vendors who are not willing to provide this information should be avoided; in addition, it may be necessary to ask for additional documentations that support the process depending on the individual needs of the healthcare practitioner (CHITREC, n.d.).

Tools that can be used to compare the various vendors are available on the electronic health record system and may include the Vendor Evaluation Matrix Tool and the Vendor Pricing Template; healthit.gov has useful tools for making this decision including the Health Information Technology Toolkit for Clinics and EHR Selection Guidelines (healthit.gov).

I learned many things from developing my RFI/RFP. First of all, it is difficult to compare the many services that vendors offer, but I learned that I should focus on the amount of services provided for the lowest price available. I will usually not consider vendors who have very limited availability for demonstration, because I need to be sure that their product works the way they claim it will.

References

AHIMA. (2010). RFP Process for EHR Systems. Journal of AHIMA. Retrieved from http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_047961.hcsp?dDocName=bok1_047961

CHITREC. (n.d.). EHR Vendor Selection Best Practices: Guidelines for Picking the Right EHR System for Your Practice. Retrieved from http://www.healthit.gov/

Healthit.gov. (n.d.). What should I include in a vendor RFI/RFP? Retrieved from

Humboldt State University. (2011). What’s the difference between an RFI, an RFP, and an RFQ Retrieved from http://www.humboldt.edu/its/node/1633