Not all health information technology is created equal, which is why it is critically important for practices to research EHR vendors to make sure they choose one that meets their unique needs. Otherwise, the practice may end up with a costly system that is virtually unusable.

Numerous practices have met this fate thanks to a failure to research vendors. Experts say that the only way for physicians to ensure that a technology initiative will go well is to put in the time and effort to understand exactly what they will be getting from their EHR vendor.

"After witnessing painful EHR failures among the practices of some of my colleagues, we spent several years researching EHRs," says Andreas Sauerbrey, MD, of Orthopaedics of Steamboat Springs.

He added that speaking with other practices about their EHR implementation efforts helped them decide upon the vendor they eventually chose, which was SRS.

The experience of this practice and many others like it underscores the importance of making use of all available resources and doing plenty of homework when selecting an EHR vendor.