This week, you will conduct system selection, which requires completion of the following steps:

Reviewing a Request for Proposal (RFP)—this invites selected vendors to submit a proposal to you that outlines details of their proposed information system or systems.
Evaluation of the proposed system through on-site demonstration, site visits, reference checks, and making a decision.
Contract negotiation.
Assume that your healthcare organization has conducted an RFI, or a fact finding part of the system implementation and helps to select the potential vendors. It has requested information from vendors about their products and services. With the information gathered, the organization has screened the potential vendors and issues the RFP (request for proposal).

Download this RFP for EHR Implementation: UA_RFP-EHR. This is an actual RFP. Review the document and answer the following:

Does the RFP expressly state organization and user needs? If so, what are these? If not, why is the RFP failing to do so?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this RFP?
How would you change this document?
To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.

Request for Proposal

Name

Department/Institution

Course

Instructor

Request for Proposal

A request for proposal is a document that is used to describe the needs of the project and ask for the proposed solution from proficient vendors (Rouse, 2015). Thus, the RFP is used in the selection of a vendor and offers guidelines to the vendors on how best they can fulfill the demands of the organization. Ideally, a good RFP can ensure the implementation of the right system and the most appropriate with regards to the needs of the organization (Rouse, 2015). It is vital that, while selecting a system to establish, the organization selects the right fit for the transition to facilitate the success of the company. Effective implementation contributes to meeting the goals of the organization. This report will examine the RFP finished for UA and evaluate whether the RFP expressly states the user and organizational needs as well as discuss the weaknesses and strengths of the RFP and offer recommendations for the report.

The RFP report has clearly stated the organization and user needs. Considerably, three units within UA require to use the EHR system as well as interface with the current software applications. The current software is the Oracle, which is a base in most programs in computer systems. The RFP has stated the needs of every unit within UA that needs the EHR structure. These include the Nursing center for community health, Department of Health Services as well as speech-language pathology. Each of these divisions have specified the needs of the systems, which is a better way to comprehend the needs of the organization and users.

Health services: Through the system, the faculty, students, and special events, people will have access to quality health care through the evaluation and treatment of uncomplicated injuries and illnesses. For instance, the EHR can estimate the number of patients, checking drug interaction, storing of updated information, and maintaining records on diagnosis, which will guide the users in the public health department (Wilson and Courtney, 2019).

Nursing Center of Community Health: The division offers healthcare for the vulnerable and underserved parts of the community. The execution of the EHR system will considerably assist the department in the management of the vulnerable and underserved in the community. The system will also help in offering clinical education for the graduates and undergraduate medical undergraduates from health careers to contribute in promoting community health.

Speech, Language, Pathology, and Audiology: The ERH structure will help the students that have enrolled in the clinical program in understanding the treatment services to people with hearing, speech, and language problems. The ERP system will also improve the treatment of local patients that have speech, hearing, and language problems.

Strengths

One of the major strong point is having the guiding principles for the organizational overview for potential vendors. Some of the guiding principles on the overview of the organization include the history, the operations, and the profits made, among others. The guidelines have also offered information about the vision and mission of the company within the EHR market place, the clients that utilize the version of the EHR system, and safeguards of products offered. Through having a synopsis of the healthcare, the purveyor can evaluate the requirements for quality in the project. There are clear details on the aspects of the project which include; expected outcomes, and fallouts. Relatively, through bidding vendors offering information to the University, the organization can decide which vendor is most appropriate.

Having the specifications and the deliverables is another major strength. Through offering the vendors information about the plans on how the EHR system will be used, the vendors will evaluate their potential while choosing the project. Considerably the organization has defined that the system ought not be complicated but simple for the users. Additionally, it should be compiled under the government guidelines and procedures concerning the safety and confidentiality of the data offered.

The request for proposal has also outlined visibly that the establishment has to be acknowledged by the establishment that has shared out other health programs and is reputable. Through offering the specific design as well as requirement for the EHR system, the vendor will be able to make the estimates of items that are required. Additionally, where there are extreme specifications, there is an opportunity of inviting creative purveyors to provide specific resolutions to these provisions.

Another strength is that the RFP has indicated the arrangement in which the purveyors are required to reply. The details offered in the tables guide the purveyors in understanding what is a need in the request for proposal by presenting the functions as well as features required for the EHR, orientations, and valuing of the items are clearly highlighted to offer the setup through which they will accomplish the task. The format also offers a clear plan for installation, training to support and maintenance, testing as well as a list of business requirements for the EHR and the process of system implementation (Krishnan, 2018). The organization can easily compare and eliminate the bids presented by the vendors through the design offered.

Another strong point of the RFP is the report of the work description. Considerably the dealer that will win the bid is required to possess a manager who will be the backbone until the project is complete. The manager will be in charge of the implementation and contacting the vendor to sort any issues resultant from the system. The executive administration of the project is expected to resolve any problems that arise from working relations. Such information will be essential for the vendor while applying for the contract since they understand what is expected from them.

Despite the strengths in the RFP, there are RFP has some weaknesses. There is inadequate time offered to design the EHR system is limited. The vendors have been given 23 days to make their submissions for the bids. However, with regards to the conditions of the systems, it needs more time to be established and tried to prevent failures as well as increase the reliability of the system. Therefore, these requirements show that implementation and assembling of the system to the desired specification will require more time since such short times may contribute to setting up a substandard system.

The RFP is very comprehensive, with the details offered to be essential to the vendors. However, the RFP needs some changes linked to the timeline issues to the vendors and the complexity of the RFP. With regard to the specifications of the system, it is important to give the vendors enough time to establish and implement the ERM system. An additional time to the implementation of the system needs to be given in order to ensure the standards and quality of the system are met. The complexity of the RFP makes it difficult for the Vendors to understand every detail, thus spending more time. To reduce time in the process, it is important to focus on the most important details. This makes it easier for the vendor to go through the RFP and understand the requirements of the organization. The organizations should also give the vendors a time frame to submit any questions on the system specifications.

In summation, the RFP has created an outline of the requirements of the project on EHR system implementation. The vendors have been able to access essential information related to the organization and the system specification. This is an effective guideline for the vendors in bidding the project and for the organization to eliminate the biddings and choose the most appropriate vendor for the project.

References

Krishnan, M. S. (2018). RFP based Requirement Prioritization–A One-Step Solution. Materials Today: Proceedings, 5(1), 642-649.

Rouse, M. (2015). Definition: Request for proposal (RFP). Searchitchannel.techtarget.com. Retrieved from http://searchitchannel.techtarget.com/definition/request-for-proposal

Wilson-VanMeter, A., & Courtney, L. (2019). Electronic The Electronic Personal Medical Health Health Record, Record, Record. Fast Facts in Health Informatics for Nurses, 79.