Running the process
What to look for in healthcare contract management software
Most contract software lists look the same, so skip the feature grid. Bring a real contract and a real question to the demo: when do I have to give notice on this, and who gets told?
If that takes more than a minute to answer, it'll take longer on a busy Tuesday.
Run the demo on your own contracts
Bring three real contracts: one that auto-renews and has an amendment, one with BAA terms inside it, and one that's a scanned PDF. Ask the vendor to load each one while you watch.
Then ask. What's the last day to give notice on this one? Who gets told, and when? What happens to the dates after it renews? Where's the BAA? Show me what changed and who changed it.
If any answer needs a workaround or a follow-up email, you've learned something no feature list would tell you.
Questions about security and your data
Where is your data stored, and is it kept apart from other customers' data? How do people sign in, and can they use the accounts you already have? Will the vendor sign a BAA? How do you get every contract and file out if you leave?
Get the answers in writing, and read the software vendor's own contract with the same care as any other. It probably auto-renews too.
What goes wrong after you buy
The biggest risk isn't a missing feature. It's a system that never gets fully loaded. Ask who does the setup, how long it takes for a list your size, and what happens to the contracts you can't find a signed copy of.
The other common miss is reminders that go to one person. Ask how owners and copies are set up.
What to watch
Will the vendor sign a BAA?
If contracts contain PHI or the system holds BAAs, ask this first. No BAA should mean no deal.
Can you see notice dates, not only end dates?
The notice date is the one you act on.
How are renewal dates kept current?
Ask what happens after an auto-renewal. Someone shouldn't have to retype it.
Who loads your existing contracts?
Setup help is worth more than most features. Ask for a plan with names and dates.
Is there an audit trail?
You'll want to show who changed what and when.
How do you get your data out?
Ask before you sign. It's your data, and you'll want a clean way to leave.
When does this contract renew?
Apply your own test to the software vendor's agreement too.
How Sapphires helps
- Okeke LLC signs a Business Associate Agreement with each customer at contract signing, or before if needed.
- Each customer has its own database and storage, and people sign in with your organization's Microsoft accounts.
- Notice dates, renewals and end dates are on one calendar, and renewal dates roll forward on their own.
- Each contract keeps a field-by-field change history for 90 days, and an audit log records sign-ins, changes, exports and role changes.
- Every contract is copied to your own OneDrive, and a full export of every contract and its PDFs is done for you on request.