How to choose clinic software

The checklist

1. 1

   Start with your day, not the feature list

   Write down one ordinary day: how patients book, how walk-ins wait, how notes get written, how you bill and dispense. Ask each vendor to show you that day.

2. 2

   Test it on your own work

   Dictate a real case, with names changed. Print a real prescription. Book a real slot. A demo on the vendor's sample data tells you little.

3. 3

   Ask what is live and what is early

   Ask which features clinics use today and which are still being set up. Ask to speak to a clinic that uses the part you care about.

4. 4

   Check the numbers they show you

   For any accuracy, speed or savings figure, ask for the method, the sample size and the date. If there is none, treat it as marketing.

5. 5

   Ask about your data

   Where is it hosted? Can you export all of it, in a format you can open? What happens to it if you leave?

6. 6

   Ask about certifications precisely

   Ask for the certificate itself, not a badge. Accreditation such as NABH is given to hospitals, not to software. Ask what "designed for DPDP" means in practice.

7. 7

   Read the price, then the limits

   Is GST included? What is capped: appointments, staff, patients, messages? What happens when the trial ends?

8. 8

   Write it into the contract

   Support hours, data export on exit and any service levels you rely on.