Step 2:System Acquisition: RFI, RFP, vendor selection, contract negotiation (due week 4 by Tuesday midnight).
After you have identified the tasks and set the milestones as well as determined task dependency, your next step is to decide whether to develop the system in-house or buy a standard system from the market, also called off-the-shelf. Although the EHR systems, like the other IT systems used to be built and still can be built in-house, they are now mostly acquired from the EHR vendors, like EPIC, Cerner, Allscripts, etc. Your manager advised you to proceed with the RFI (Request for Information), RFP (Request for Proposal), and vendor selection criteria (minimum of 5) as well as contract negotiation points (minimum of 5) to be listed as clauses in the contract (e.g., after sale service to maintain the system, provide updates, and undertake training).
Paper: Explain your rationale for the items above. Support your discussion with references from the suggested articles provided below as well as other peer-reviewed research. RFI/RFP in appendix.
He also referred you to the following resources.
What Is the Difference Between RFIP and RFI?
and
How do I select a vendor?
https://www.healthit.gov/faq/how-do-i-select-vendor
Essential Elements of Every Good Business Contract
Essentials of a Good Business Contract – New Mexico Attorneys (fdlawyersnm.com)