October 2, 2026

A healthcare practice is technically ready to switch EHR systems when it understands what data must move, what integrations must change, whether its computers and network can support the new platform, how users and devices will connect, what security requirements apply, how downtime will be handled, and who owns each part of the transition.

Before setting a go-live date, an independent practice should be able to answer 10 technology questions covering data migration, integrations, hardware, connectivity, user access, cybersecurity, connected devices, business continuity, vendor responsibilities, and testing.

An EHR replacement is not just a software project. It affects much of the technology the practice depends on every day.

Why Should Technology Be Reviewed Before Switching EHR Systems?

The EHR vendor will typically focus on implementing its application.

But the EHR sits inside a much larger technology environment.

A practice may rely on computers, scanners, printers, internet connectivity, wireless networks, Microsoft 365, laboratories, imaging providers, clearinghouses, patient communication tools, medical devices, phone systems, and other applications that interact directly or indirectly with the EHR.

Changing one major system can therefore affect many others.

The technology review should happen before the implementation is too far along to make changes easily. The objective is to identify dependencies early enough to budget for them, assign responsibility, test them, and resolve problems before they affect patients or employees.

These 10 questions provide a practical readiness checklist.

What 10 Technology Questions Should a Healthcare Practice Answer Before Switching EHR Systems?

1. What Data Needs to Move to the New EHR?

Start with the information inside the existing system.

Depending on the practice, that may include:

• Patient demographics
• Clinical notes
• Medications
• Allergies
• Problem lists
• Immunizations
• Lab results
• Imaging information
• Scanned documents
• Scheduling information
• Billing information
• Accounts receivable
• Patient communications
• Other historical records

Do not assume everything in the old EHR will automatically appear in the new one in the same form.

Some information may migrate as structured data. Other information may be converted into documents or another format. Some information may remain accessible only through the previous system.

For certified health IT that stores electronic health information, the federal certification program includes an Electronic Health Information export criterion. However, an export capability does not mean two different EHR products will automatically map every field, workflow, or historical record into each other exactly as the practice expects.

Before migration begins, ask both vendors:

What can be exported? What can be imported? In what format? What will not transfer? And how will we verify that the migrated information is complete and usable?

The practice should also determine how long the old EHR must remain accessible after go-live.

2. Which Integrations and Interfaces Must Be Rebuilt?

Create an inventory of everything that exchanges information with the current EHR.

That might include:

• Laboratories
• Imaging providers
• Pharmacies
• Clearinghouses
• Health information exchanges
• Patient portals
• Online scheduling
• Payment systems
• Medical devices
• Dictation or transcription tools
• Patient communication platforms
• Billing systems
• Other clinical applications

Then determine what happens to each connection when the EHR changes.

Some integrations may already be supported by the new vendor. Others may require a new interface, configuration changes, additional licensing, or coordination with a third party.

For every integration, identify:

Who owns the connection? Who rebuilds it? Who tests it? What does it cost? And when will it be ready?

A missing interface discovered during go-live can turn what looked like a successful EHR launch into an operational problem.

3. Can the Practice's Computers and Other Hardware Support the New EHR?

Do not wait until training begins to discover that half the computers are below the vendor's recommended specifications.

Compare the new EHR's requirements against the practice's actual equipment.

Review:

• Desktop and laptop specifications
• Operating systems
• Supported web browsers
• Monitors
• Scanners
• Printers
• Label printers
• Signature devices
• Check-in hardware
• Mobile devices
• Other peripherals

Then identify what must be upgraded or replaced.

This review should consider usability as well as minimum technical requirements.

A computer may technically run the application but perform poorly enough to slow down check-in, documentation, or other daily workflows.

Hardware replacements should be identified early so they can be included in the implementation budget rather than becoming an unexpected expense shortly before go-live.

4. Is the Network and Internet Connection Ready?

For a cloud-based EHR, reliable internet connectivity becomes even more important because the practice depends on that connection to reach the application.

Review:

• Primary internet service
• Available bandwidth
• Network performance
• Firewall configuration
• Wireless coverage
• Network switches
• Cabling
• Remote locations
• Redundant connectivity where appropriate

A 20-employee practice may have adequate internet service today but still experience problems when a new EHR changes how employees access data, use cloud applications, upload documents, or connect to other services.

The practice should understand both normal performance and what happens when connectivity fails.

If losing one internet connection means employees cannot access the EHR, that risk should be understood before go-live.

5. How Will User Accounts, Roles, and Access Be Configured?

A new EHR creates an opportunity to avoid carrying years of outdated permissions into a new system.

Before creating accounts, define which roles exist and what each role actually needs.

For example:

• Physicians
• Advanced practice providers
• Medical assistants
• Nurses
• Front-desk staff
• Billing employees
• Practice administrators
• Outside billing companies
• Temporary staff
• Vendors

Not everyone should automatically receive the same access.

Determine:

• Who approves access?
• Who creates accounts?
• Which permissions belong to each role?
• How is identity verified?
• What authentication methods are required?
• How are privileged accounts handled?
• What happens when someone's role changes?
• How are accounts disabled when employees leave?

The same process should account for access to surrounding systems, not just the EHR.

Our 7-step healthcare IT access management process provides a framework for managing technology access from onboarding through termination.

6. What Cybersecurity Changes Does the New EHR Require?

Switching EHRs can change the practice's security environment.

Review how the new system affects:

• Authentication
• Multifactor authentication
• User permissions
• Remote access
• Data encryption
• Audit logging
• Endpoint requirements
• Network configuration
• Third-party integrations
• Vendor access
• Mobile devices
• Data storage
• Backup responsibilities

The HIPAA Security Rule requires regulated entities to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of ePHI through appropriate administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.

That makes an EHR change more than an application configuration issue.

If the new platform changes where ePHI is stored, how employees access it, which vendors interact with it, or which devices connect to it, those changes should be considered as part of the practice's security risk management.

Do not assume that because the EHR vendor handles security for its platform, it also handles security for the practice's computers, Microsoft 365 environment, network, employee accounts, or every third-party integration.

Responsibilities need to be defined.

7. What Happens to Connected Medical Devices?

Some healthcare practices have clinical equipment that exchanges information with the EHR or depends on software installed on practice computers.

Examples can include:

• Imaging systems
• Diagnostic equipment
• Patient monitors
• Laboratory equipment
• Specialty-specific clinical devices
• Other connected medical technology

Before changing EHR systems, identify every device that currently connects to or depends on the existing environment.

Then ask:

• Does the new EHR support the device?
• Is a new interface required?
• Does the device vendor need to be involved?
• Does workstation software need to change?
• Are operating-system requirements compatible?
• Will network changes be necessary?
• Who tests the device before go-live?

Connected medical technology may have vendor-specific support and update requirements that differ from ordinary business computers.

Our 6-step framework for securing connected medical devices provides additional guidance for inventorying devices, assessing risk, controlling access, managing updates, and monitoring the environment.

8. How Will the Practice Operate If the EHR Is Unavailable?

Do not make go-live the first time employees discuss EHR downtime.

The practice needs a defined process for situations such as:

• Planned migration downtime
• Internet outages
• Vendor outages
• Failed integrations
• Authentication problems
• Cybersecurity incidents
• Data migration problems
• Unexpected implementation failures

HHS requires regulated entities to maintain contingency planning for systems containing ePHI, including data backup, disaster recovery, and continuation of critical business processes while operating in emergency mode.

For the EHR transition, determine how employees will:

• Access necessary patient information
• Document care
• Handle prescriptions
• Schedule patients
• Process check-ins
• Communicate internally
• Handle orders and results
• Capture information that must later be entered into the EHR

The process should also define how information created during downtime will be reconciled after the system becomes available again.

Our 7-part healthcare business continuity checklist provides a broader framework for identifying critical operations, technology dependencies, downtime procedures, communication, recovery, vendor coordination, and testing.

9. Who Is Responsible for Each Part of the Transition?

An EHR implementation can involve several organizations at once.

For example:

EHR vendor: Application configuration, migration, EHR training, and application support.

Current EHR vendor: Data export, legacy-system access, and potentially migration assistance.

IT Service Provider: Computers, networks, internet connectivity, security, user technology, peripherals, and coordination of the surrounding environment.

Other vendors: Laboratories, imaging providers, medical-device companies, clearinghouses, phone providers, billing companies, and other application vendors.

The exact responsibilities will vary.

What matters is that they are documented.

Create a simple responsibility matrix showing:

Task	Responsible Party	Due Date	Tested?
Data export	Current EHR vendor	[DATE]	Yes/No
Data import	New EHR vendor	[DATE]	Yes/No
Computer readiness	IT provider	[DATE]	Yes/No
Network readiness	IT provider	[DATE]	Yes/No
Lab interfaces	[VENDOR]	[DATE]	Yes/No
User accounts	[OWNER]	[DATE]	Yes/No
Staff training	[OWNER]	[DATE]	Yes/No
Downtime procedures	Practice	[DATE]	Yes/No

The table does not need to be complicated.

Its purpose is to prevent a familiar implementation problem:

Everyone thought someone else was handling it.

Our 7-step healthcare IT vendor management process explains how defining responsibilities and establishing ownership can keep the Practice Administrator from becoming the middleman between technology vendors.

10. Has Everything Been Tested Before Go-Live?

The final question should not be:

"Is everything installed?"

It should be:

"Have we tested the workflows employees actually need?"

Technical readiness testing should include representative real-world scenarios such as:

• Employee login
• Multifactor authentication
• Patient lookup
• Scheduling
• Check-in
• Clinical documentation
• Printing
• Scanning
• Prescribing
• Lab ordering and results
• Imaging workflows
• Billing workflows
• Connected devices
• Remote access where applicable
• Downtime procedures
• Vendor escalation

Data migration should also be validated rather than assumed successful because an import completed.

Select representative patient records and verify that expected information appears correctly and can be used as intended.

Testing should happen early enough that failed tests can be corrected and repeated before go-live.

How Can a Practice Score Its EHR Technology Readiness?

A simple readiness review can classify each of the 10 areas as:

Ready: Requirements are known, responsibility is assigned, and testing is complete or scheduled.

Needs Work: Requirements are understood, but an unresolved task remains.

Unknown: The practice does not yet know the requirement, owner, cost, dependency, or solution.

A simple worksheet might look like this:

Readiness Area	Status	Owner	Next Action
Data migration	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown
Integrations	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown
Computers and hardware	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown
Network and internet	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown
User access	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown
Cybersecurity	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown
Connected devices	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown
Business continuity	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown
Vendor responsibilities	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown
Testing	Ready / Needs Work / Unknown

This is not a standardized industry score. It is simply a practical way for a small practice to expose unanswered questions.

A practice with several items marked Unknown should resolve those questions before assuming the technology side of the project is ready.

When Should Your IT Provider Get Involved in an EHR Switch?

Ideally, before the new EHR contract is finalized.

That gives the IT provider an opportunity to review technical requirements while the practice is still evaluating costs, responsibilities, and implementation assumptions.

Waiting until shortly before go-live can create problems if the practice discovers that it needs:

• New computers
• Network upgrades
• Additional internet connectivity
• Different security controls
• New interfaces
• Peripheral replacements
• Device-vendor involvement
• Additional licensing
• More implementation time

This is also why EHR budgeting should include more than the software subscription.

How Much Does It Cost to Implement a New EHR for a Healthcare Practice? breaks the project into software, implementation, data migration, integrations, technology, training, go-live, and ongoing costs.

The EHR vendor should remain responsible for its application. The IT provider's role is to help make sure the surrounding technology environment is ready and that technical dependencies are not overlooked.

Example: What Can an EHR Readiness Review Uncover?

Consider a hypothetical 15-employee specialty practice preparing to replace its EHR.

The vendor demonstration goes well, the contract is under review, and the practice initially believes most of the project will be handled by the new EHR company.

A technology readiness review identifies several unanswered questions:

• Three clinical workstations may need replacement.
• A diagnostic device uses software that must be verified with the new EHR.
• The lab interface has not yet been assigned to a vendor.
• The practice does not know what historical data will migrate as structured information.
• No one has documented what employees should do if internet connectivity fails during go-live.
• Responsibility for creating and securing user accounts has not been assigned.

None of those findings automatically means the practice should abandon the new EHR.

They mean the implementation plan is not finished yet.

Finding those issues several weeks or months before go-live gives the practice more options than discovering them while patients are waiting at the front desk.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Far in Advance Should a Healthcare Practice Start Technology Planning for an EHR Switch?

There is no universal timeframe because implementation complexity varies substantially.

A relatively straightforward cloud migration for a small practice may require far less preparation than a multi-location specialty practice with numerous interfaces, medical devices, and years of historical data.

The important point is to begin the technology review before major implementation decisions are locked in, particularly before hardware, connectivity, migration, interface, and vendor assumptions become difficult or expensive to change.

Should We Replace Our Computers When We Change EHR Systems?

Not automatically.

Compare the existing devices against the new EHR's supported and recommended requirements. Replace computers when they cannot appropriately support the new system, are near the end of their useful lifecycle, create security concerns, or are likely to interfere with employee productivity.

An EHR migration can be a useful time to review the device lifecycle, but it should not become an excuse to replace equipment unnecessarily.

Should We Keep the Old EHR Available After Go-Live?

Potentially, depending on the migration, contractual terms, record-retention needs, billing requirements, and how historical information will remain accessible.

Determine this before terminating the old EHR agreement.

The practice should understand what data migrated, what did not, how remaining historical information will be accessed, how long access is needed, and what the old vendor will charge.

Does Switching EHR Systems Require a New HIPAA Security Risk Assessment?

An EHR change can materially alter where ePHI is stored, how it is accessed, which systems connect to it, and which vendors interact with it.

The HIPAA Security Rule requires periodic technical and nontechnical evaluation and evaluation in response to environmental or operational changes affecting the security of ePHI.

The practice should therefore evaluate the security implications of the EHR change as part of its risk-management process rather than assuming its previous assessment still reflects the new environment.

Who Should Own the EHR Implementation Inside the Practice?

The practice should designate an internal project owner with enough authority and operational knowledge to coordinate decisions across clinicians, employees, vendors, and technology providers.

For many independent practices, the Practice Administrator may be well positioned to coordinate the project, with physician leadership making appropriate clinical and business decisions and technical partners responsible for their respective areas.

Ownership does not mean that one person performs every task.

It means someone knows who is responsible for each task and whether it has actually been completed.

Final Thoughts

Being ready to switch EHR systems means more than selecting a vendor and scheduling training.

The practice needs confidence that its data, integrations, computers, connectivity, user access, cybersecurity, connected devices, continuity plans, vendor responsibilities, and testing are ready for the transition.

The best time to discover a technology problem is before go-live, while there is still time to fix it without disrupting patient care.

If several of these 10 questions still have an answer of "we don't know," those unknowns should become part of the implementation plan before the practice moves forward.

About ResTech Solutions

ResTech Solutions helps independent healthcare practices throughout the Houston area manage the technology surrounding critical healthcare applications, including computers, networks, Microsoft 365, cybersecurity, backups, user access, vendor coordination, and technology planning.

During an EHR transition, our role is not to choose the clinical system for the practice. It is to help evaluate the surrounding technology environment, identify technical dependencies, coordinate appropriate technology responsibilities, and prepare the practice for the transition.

If your practice is considering an EHR change and wants to identify technology issues before they become go-live problems, book a 10-minute discovery call and we'll help you determine what deserves a closer look.