Now that you have selected a vendor to supply electronic health record (EHR) capabilities to the clinic, you must submit a request for proposal (RFP). The RFP is a valuable tool that is used to provide detailed requirements to potential vendors and gives guidelines to those vendors to follow during the bidding contract. The RFP might request that the vendor provide the following (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2005):
- Vendor qualifications: General background of vendor, experience, number of installations, financial stability, and so forth
- Proposed solutions: How the vendor believes its product meets organizational goals
- General contractual requirements: Warranties, payment schedule, penalties for failure to meet schedule specified in the contract, and so forth
- Pricing and support: Quote on cost of system, utilization of standardized forms, and so forth
The RFP that you construct should list numerous items that Yorkshire Clinic requires, such as the following:
- Information about the clinic
- What functionality is desired
- Product description
Utilize the format provided in the following Web site to assist you in your proposal: RFP Template from AHIMA. The article, How to Select an Electronic Health Record System, provides information on how to write your RFP.
References
Adler, K. G. (2005). How to select an electronic health record system. Family Practice Management, 12(2), 55–62. Retrieved from the AAFP Web site: http://www.aafp.org/fpm/2005/0200/p55.html
AHIMA. (2010). RFI/RFP template. Retrieved from http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_047959.hcsp?dDocName=bok1_047959
Wagner, K. A., Lee, F., W., & Glaser, J. P. (2005) Managing health care information systems: A practical approach for healthcare executives. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
