1. The Real Cost of a
Practice Management Solution
for Optometrists

2. What’s the Real
Investment?
Take a moment to think about all of the
fees for software, hardware, upgrades,
and add-on solutions to get a clear
picture of your total investment. There’s
more that goes in to purchasing a
practice management and EHR solution
than just the actual software!

3. What’s the Real
Investment?
So what are the other costs involved when you
purchase a practice management and EHR
software?
We’ve broken down some of the most
common factors that will impact your bottom
line and how they might vary from vendor to
vendor. We’ll go over the cost of:
1
Software
2
Hardware
3
IT Infrastructure

4. 1
Software Costs
Software fees are structured in a variety of
ways. Some have a flat fee and you own a
license for that version of the software for
as long as you want to use it, others charge
an annual fee for the software, and some
give you access for a monthly fee. There
are even some that use a combination of
all of these.
Think Long Term
Once you know the
price, think about the
next 5 years. If your
practice grows, will the
pricing still be
attractive?

5. 1
Software Costs
Flat Fee
With this structure, you pay a flat fee for a particular version
of the software. This pricing is typical of solutions that are
installed somewhere, like on a client-server or a cloud-hosted
server.
There will probably be limitations on the
number of computers, doctors, users, and
locations that can utilize the license, so you
should make sure that you consider all of
these factors. If a new version of this
software comes out and you want it, you’ll
have to purchase the new version.

6. 1
Software Costs
Monthly Subscription
This pricing structure is common for cloud-based solutions. You
pay a monthly fee in order to access the solution via an internet
browser. The fees can be structured in a variety of ways, and what
is included will also vary.
You might pay a separate monthly fee for each provider, or you
might pay a single fee for each location.
There could also be varying subscription
levels where you pay a premium
in order to gain access to
enhanced functionality.

7. 2
Hardware Costs
Client-server models, or legacy systems, will require that you
have a server in order to run the software. If you don’t have one,
you’re going to need to invest in one. Sometimes new versions of
software from the same vendor will come with new hardware
requirements. So even if the hardware you have is in good
working order, you might need to buy new machines in order to
use the new solution.

8. 2
Hardware Costs
Also, let’s say you need to add an additional
workstation in your practice and there is a
new version of your software available, and
the vendor isn’t selling or supporting the
version you have on the existing stations
any longer. You’re going to have to upgrade
all of your workstations in order to keep
everything on the same version.
The Cloud
Difference
With cloud-based
models, all you need
is an internet browser
in order to use the
solution. That means
that as long as your
hardware can access
the Internet, you can
use the software. The
result is that you
have the flexibility to
choose your hardware
based on your own
needs.

9. 3
IT Infrastructure
If you’re using a solution that requires a network or clientservers, you’re going to need to factor in the cost of IT
support. If you’re skilled in this area and have the time to
dedicate to server maintenance you might be able to work
around this. But if you aren’t, you’re going to be investing
If you’re using a cloud-hosted solution, there will probably be a fee as you
in both the initial set up of servers and networks, as well that
pay for a certain amount of storage, and also for the service that your
the ongoing maintenance.
vendor provides to maintain those servers for you.
If you’re using a cloud-hosted solution,
there will probably be a fee that you pay
for a certain amount of storage, and
also for the service that your vendor
provides to maintain those servers for
you.

10. IT Infrastructure
Other things to consider in terms of IT infrastructure
are security measures and data backups. How will
these be handled? Is the onus on you or does
the software vendor handle this? If it’s on you,
what will it cost you each month? If it’s on the
vendor, is there going to be a fee that you
need to pay?
“
My current vendors nickel
and dime me for every
technology maintenance
Kim
service and that's before I
Castleberry,
spend money on hardware
OD, Plano Eye
that has to be replaced
Associates
every time I upgrade to
the newest version.
“
3

11. Think Long Term…
The cost of owning a practice management and EHR solution
is not just a one-time fee. You should consider ongoing
hardware and software cost and not to mention getting
your practice’s IT infrastructure ready for the system you
implement.
Check out our total cost of ownership worksheet and
start thinking about the costs of your system in 5
years. You may find that some solutions could
actually be more cost-efficient in the long run.