The hospital software buyer's checklist
Send the same questions to every hospital software vendor, watch them run the same patient journeys, and score them on one sheet. This checklist gives you the questions. It is vendor-neutral; use it with us or anyone else.
How to run the evaluation
- 01
Assemble a committee
Include a doctor, a nurse, billing, IT and a senior sponsor.
- 02
List your top problems
Rank five problems the new system must fix.
- 03
Send the checklist
Ask every vendor the same questions in writing.
- 04
Run scripted demos
Give each vendor the same patient journeys.
- 05
Score and reference-check
Use a common scoring sheet and call at least two references each.
A simple scoring sheet
Score each vendor from 1 to 5 per area, then weight by what matters to you.
| Area | Suggested weight | What a 5 looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical workflows | 25% | Your scripted journeys run end to end without workarounds |
| Revenue cycle | 20% | Your payer mix handled, with claim tracking and denial workflows |
| Integration and standards | 15% | HL7, FHIR and national platforms supported, with references |
| Implementation | 15% | Named team, realistic plan, recent go-lives of similar size |
| Security and compliance | 15% | Certificates, audit trails and recovery targets documented |
| Cost and terms | 10% | Total cost clear for five years, exit terms fair |
Front office and patient access
Registration
- Can patients pre-register on their phones?
- How are duplicate records prevented across branches?
- Can ID documents be scanned to fill details?
Scheduling and queues
- Can slots be set per doctor, unit and branch?
- Is there a queue display and token system?
- Are reminders sent by SMS, email or WhatsApp?
Clinical
Doctors
- Show a doctor seeing an OPD patient from queue to prescription.
- How are critical results escalated and acknowledged?
- Can doctors work on a phone?
Nursing
- Is barcode medication administration supported?
- How is shift handover documented?
- Which dashboards does nursing leadership get?
Diagnostics and pharmacy
Lab and imaging
- Which analysers and modalities have you integrated?
- How is turnaround time tracked?
- Is PACS included or integrated?
Pharmacy
- Is dispensing linked to prescriptions and stock?
- How are batch and expiry handled?
- Can you report prescriptions not filled in-house?
Revenue cycle and finance
Billing
- Are services billed as delivered?
- How are packages and overruns handled?
- Can you show estimate versus actual?
Insurance and accounts
- Which payers and schemes do you support, and how (API, portal, manual)?
- Is there a denial management workflow?
- Is accounting native or integrated?
Technology, security and data
Integration and standards
- Do you support HL7 and FHIR?
- Which national platforms do you integrate with (for example ABDM)?
- Is there an open API?
Security
- Which certifications do you hold? Ask for certificates and scope.
- How is access controlled and audited?
- What are your recovery time and recovery point objectives?
Implementation, support and commercials
Delivery
- What goes live first, and when?
- Who does data migration?
- How many of your staff will be on site?
Support and price
- What are support hours and response times?
- What is included in the subscription or AMC?
- What happens to our data if we leave?
Ask for evidence, not adjectives
“Best”, “seamless” and “AI-powered” tell you nothing. Ask for screens, reference customers and documents. Good vendors are happy to provide them.
Patient experience and mobile
Patients
- Can patients book, pay and see reports on their phone?
- Are messages available in the languages your patients use?
- Can relatives be given access with consent?
Staff mobility
- Which roles have mobile apps?
- Can doctors acknowledge results on mobile?
- Do managers get dashboards on their phones?
AI and analytics
AI
- Which AI features exist, and what is each one allowed to do?
- Who reviews AI output before it reaches a patient?
- Can AI be turned off per module?
Analytics
- Can you see department P&L without exporting data?
- Are turnaround times measured end to end?
- Can reports be scheduled by email?
Frequently asked questions
How many vendors should we shortlist?
Should we write a formal RFP?
How long should an evaluation take?
Related pages
What is an HMIS?
A hospital management information system (HMIS) runs a hospital's clinical, administrative and financial work. Learn the modules, benefits and costs.
Open Security, privacy or implementation pageImplementation
Six phases from foundation to extensions, a first go-live in about two weeks, and measures agreed up front. See what a TechPro rollout asks of you.
Open Security, privacy or implementation pagePlans & pricing
How TechPro is packaged: Essentials, Professional and Enterprise plans, suites, specialty packs, add-ons, country packs and deployment options.
OpenDownload the checklist with a scoring sheet
We will email the full 120-question checklist and a vendor scoring spreadsheet.