When selecting an EHR vendor, it is important for practices to consider the amount of technical support the company is willing to provide. Experts say that just because a system is certified for meeting meaningful use rules does not necessarily mean it will qualify a practice for incentive payments.

Selecting a certified EHR vendor is a good place to start, but there can still be issues that occur during implementation that may interfere with a practice's ability to attest to the meaningful use rules. James Kalyvas, an attorney at the firm Foley and Lardner, told Fierce EMR that this is why support from the vendor is so important.

"Certification tells you part of the story, that the EHR system qualifies for Meaningful Use," he told the news source. "But [that] doesn't necessarily give protections to the user."

When selecting an EHR vendor he said practices should specifically inquire as to the degree of technical support offered by the company they are considering going with.

A recent commentary published in Family Practice Management agreed, stating that EHR vendor support is one of the most important aspects of successful implementation efforts.