By Amy Berlin, MD

If you are thinking about adopting an EHR in your practice, there is one thing you cannot do enough of: Plan. Here are some (free) resources to get you started.

• The American Academy of Family Physicians Center for HIT (health care information technology) has a host of online tutorials and articles created with the office-based physician in mind. Topics include workflow redesign, EHR vendor selection, and implementation.

• Other AAFP articles of interest include: Practicing Without Paper Charts: One Clinic’s Experience Strategies for Better Patient Flow and Cycle Time How to Select an Electronic Health Record System.

• The California Health Care Foundation publishes thoughtful articles and reports on a wide variety of health care IT issues and strategies. Highlights are: Electronic Medical Records: A Buyer’s Guide for Small Physician Practices Physician Practices: Are Application Service Providers Right for You?, Clinical Documentation: EHR Deployment Techniques, Open-Source EHR Systems for Ambulatory Care: A Market Assessment.

• AMA Practice Management resource center including worksheet 15 questions to ask before signing an EMR or EHR agreement.

• Medical Insurance Exchange of California (MIEC)'s publication on important questions to ask EHR vendors

For more on the HITECH Act

• Dr. David Blumenthal’s article in the February 4, 2010 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine
• The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) fact sheet on meaningful use
• CMS fact sheet on Medicare Incentive Program
• CMS fact sheet on Medicaid Incentive Program CMS HITECH FAQs (sign up for updates when answers change)
• Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology blog – HealthIT Buzz 
• CalHIPSO – California’s Regional Extension Center
• KLAS publishes independent research on EHR and other HIT vendors. Practicing physicians can obtain selected reports at discounted rates.