Over the previous blogs we have read about how to choose the right HMS solution, what are their features, etc. Here we can discuss another aspect that needs to be considered during decision making. The upgrade and update policy of your HMS vendor.
The software field is one that is growing and evolving rapidly. When you are purchasing software for your healthcare facility it must work for you efficiently, meeting all your requirements on a long-term basis.
It is not practically possible to keep changing the software solution once implemented and initialized. It is the vendor’s duty to provide a solution that has the best upgrade and update policies. Here are a few things to look at:
During gap study and solution designing the application, how configurable is the application to the workflow needs?
It is important that both the vendor and the buyer have a clear idea about their software requirements. Vendors can conduct demos and buyers can conduct gap studies to understand how much the application can help in automating the workflow and also to understand the areas that are not required.
On finding such issues, the hospital management has to know if the vendor provides a solution that is configurable to its workflow needs.
Suppose the hospital adds a new department or a new specialization to its workflow, or the management finds a department not profitable and wants to remove the department from the workflow, how easily can it be configured to the software? Does the vendor provide support for such requirements?
Can the application without code change support the minor configuration changes?
Have an understanding of the software application’s ability to support minor configuration changes, like adding additional branches, additional access points, etc. Can these changes be done internally or would it require external support?
Does the application have an upgrade policy, is it paid or free?
Even mobile applications have frequent upgrades to enhance their performance, with new technological advancements your HMS will also have more efficient versions. Does the vendor provide such upgrades is an important piece of information you need to get from your vendor.
Security upgrades are also a matter of concern that should be cleared with your vendor.
What if there are regulatory changes that apply say taxation, insurance changes
Government rules and regulations keep changing over time, for example, the government may impose a new tax system or change the percentage of tax charged, impose additional fees, etc.
It is not possible to keep changing your software to find one that supports these changes. It is only reasonable to opt for a software vendor who can accommodate such changes in the application without much difficulty.
Data Portability to new versions - Seamless upgrade
In case your vendor offers upgrades to new versions the next step is to understand if the data stored is portable to the new versions and retrievable. The upgrade should not be under any case at the cost of losing valuable data.
Insta by Practo offers products with some of the best upgrade and update policies. Our customer service team is dedicated to providing the best support for software upgrades and updates.
Learn more about the policies we follow.
Book a free demo.
