The Essential Guide To Choosing A Digital Health Platform

Healthcare organizations spend months evaluating digital platforms only to buy systems that don't work. Vendors promise comprehensive population health management, but platforms fail to integrate with existing systems. Sales demonstrations look impressive until organizations discover that features don't function in production environments. Buying decisions based on presentations rather than technical evaluation lead to expensive mistakes. Digital Health Platform selection requires a systematic assessment of integration capabilities, user experience, performance benchmarks, and vendor support quality. Organizations need clear evaluation criteria separating functional platforms from those that underdeliver. Knowing what to assess during vendor evaluation prevents costly purchasing errors and implementation failures.

Start With Integration Requirements

Before evaluating any Digital Health Platform, organizations must document which systems need to connect. Make a complete list including:

• Electronic health record vendor and version
• Laboratory information systems
• Pharmacy management software
• Hospital admission and discharge systems
• Radiology and imaging systems
• Insurance claims databases
• Health information exchange connections

Ask vendors specifically how their platform connects to each system on this list. Require technical documentation showing integration methods, not just claims that integration is possible. Platforms using standard protocols like HL7 and FHIR connect more reliably than those requiring custom programming.

Evaluate Data Refresh Frequency

Ask vendors how often data updates from connected systems. Monthly data refreshes create outdated information that can't support timely care decisions. Daily updates work better but still create gaps. Near real-time synchronization provides current information.

Request specific refresh schedules for each data source type. Lab results might update hourly, while claims data updates daily. Understanding these timelines helps organizations know whether the platform supports their operational needs.

Test Performance With Realistic Data Volumes

Vendor demonstrations typically use small test datasets. Performance with 500 patients tells nothing about performance with 50,000 patients. Organizations must test platforms using realistic data volumes matching their actual populations.

Ask vendors about their largest current implementations. How many patients does the platform currently manage? What are query response times at maximum scale? Request references from organizations managing similar population sizes.

Assess User Interface During Live Demonstrations

Schedule hands-on demonstrations where staff actually use the DHP rather than watching vendor presentations. Have care coordinators attempt typical tasks, including:

• Finding patients due for outreach
• Reviewing complete patient medical histories
• Generating care gap lists
• Creating performance reports

Watch how many clicks each task requires. Note whether staff can complete tasks without vendor guidance. Complex navigation suggests poor usability that will hurt adoption.

Verify Automation Claims With Specific Examples

Vendors frequently claim automation without delivering meaningful workload reduction. Ask for specific examples showing exactly what the platform automates. Request demonstrations of:

• Automated risk stratification across entire populations
• Automatic care gap identification against quality measures
• Automated report generation for regulatory requirements
• Documentation automation reducing manual charting time

If vendors cannot demonstrate that these features are working, the automation claims are marketing rather than functionality.

Review Contract Terms Carefully

Platform contracts contain critical details affecting long-term costs and flexibility. Key contract elements to examine include:

• User licensing fees and whether they increase with staff growth
• Data storage limits and overage charges
• Required contract duration and renewal terms
• Support response time guarantees
• Training inclusion and ongoing education availability

Avoid contracts locking organizations into multi-year commitments without performance guarantees or exit options if platforms fail to meet specifications.

Request Customer References and Conduct Due Diligence

Vendor-provided references typically represent satisfied customers. Organizations should also research platforms independently by contacting users not on vendor reference lists. Ask about implementation challenges, ongoing support quality, and whether platforms delivered promised capabilities.

Check whether vendors have stable financial backing and customer bases. Platforms from financially unstable vendors create the risk of losing support or facing forced migrations.

Takeaway

DHP selection demands a thorough technical evaluation beyond vendor presentations. Organizations assessing integration capabilities, performance at scale, user experience, automation depth, contract terms, and customer satisfaction make informed decisions, avoiding expensive mistakes.

Persivia provides a Digital Health Platform technology specifically designed for value-based care organizations. Their platform integrates with existing clinical and administrative systems, maintains performance across large populations, automates care management workflows, and includes comprehensive implementation support. Healthcare organizations choosing such platforms deliver promised capabilities rather than systems requiring workarounds or failing to meet operational needs under value-based payment models.