With the upcoming switch to ICD-10-CM and the new 5010 version of the HIPAA electronic standard transactions, not to mention the Medicare and Medicaid electronic health record incentive program, doctors are searching for a reliable, up to date practice management system

While the most physicians focus on the standard practice management features like modules for electronic charts, clinical management, billing and appointment setting.

Others want the standard features plus some additional features like online payment reconciliation, e-precriptions and patient portals that allow patients to set appointments and refill prescriptions.

Finding the perfect system that contains exactly what the practice needs at the perfect price is a time consuming project

Doctors struggle to answer questions like what does the practice need now vs. what might the practice need in the future. Sometimes all they want to know is will the vendor be around to support the product five years from now.

To help physicians make a more informed decision the American Medical Association and the Medical Group Management Assn. have developed a tool kit. The kit provides physicians everything they need to select the right practice management system for their practice.

The tool kit is available on line and is accessible to both AMA members and MGMA members.

The tool kit has a five-step guide that includes a checklist of software features and functions to help the practice determine needs vs. wants, plus a sample request for proposals that practices can use when communicating with potential software vendors, along with several other helpful tools.