Insight

MEDITECH Licensed vs. MaaS: What’s Best for You?

HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT MEDITECH PLATFORM

Moving to a new electronic health record (EHR) means navigating countless decisions, from early-stage planning through go-live and beyond. When eyeing a move to MEDITECH Expanse, you’ll face a key decision early in planning: Whether to pursue a traditional EHR implementation or MEDITECH’s web-based subscription model, MEDITECH as a Service (MaaS). The right approach depends on your budget, timeline, and long-term strategy.

How does Licensed Implementation differ from MaaS? 

MEDITECH’s Licensed Implementation model offers a traditional, organization-specific EHR. You can choose whether to host your applications in the cloud, on-premises, or in a hybrid solution. Licensed Implementation lets you roll out Expanse’s many features and solutions incrementally or all at once, depending on your needs.  

MaaS allows users to go live with the complete version of Expanse more quickly, but with potentially less customization and control. MaaS is hosted remotely in the Google Cloud Platform (GCP), with groups of MaaS clients clustered together by MEDITECH.  

Let’s compare the key differences between Licensed Implementation and MaaS for planning, implementation, and support.

Licensed vs. MaaS: Planning

Cost Considerations

What to consider: Are lower upfront costs paramount, or do lower long-term costs align with your goals?

Licensing Considerations 

What to consider: Would a one-time license fee streamline future budget planning, or is a recurring fee more attractive?

Licensing Considerations: Lifetime vs. 5-year renewal with MaaS – upfront one-time fee vs. recurring cost

Customization Considerations 

What to consider: Will you require customized workflows or processes or integrated third-party apps now or in the future?

Customization Considerations: Flexibility vs. Streamlined Implementation with MaaS

Hosting Considerations 

What to consider: Have you explored the different hosting options available for Expanse and determined which one is best for your needs?

Hosting Considerations: On-Premises, Public or Private Cloud Hosting with Licensed– MaaS hosted in public cloud

Licensed vs. MaaS: Implementation

Timeline Considerations 

What to consider: Are you approaching the project with a firm deadline in mind?

Timeline Considerations: MaaS can be quicker to deploy, as MEDITECH handles much of the infrastructure build.

User Experience Considerations 

What to consider: Are you or is your implementation vendor prepared to provide clinicians with training and support?

Training Considerations: In-House vs. MEDITECH-Based Training with MaaS – Custom vs. Pre-Packaged Approach.

Innovation and Scalability Considerations 

What to consider: Do you have a plan to address growth demands and the need for scalability?

Innovation and Scalability Considerations: Control and Innovation vs. MaaS Streamlined Scalability

Licensed vs. MaaS: Support 

Performance and Reliability Considerations 

What to consider: Do you have a strong need for customized updates – and the IT staff or vendor support to carry them out?

Performance & Reliability Considerations: Custom Update Control vs. Unified MaaS Updates

Resourcing and Support Considerations

What to consider: Does building in-house support capabilities align with your goals? 

Resourcing & Support Considerations: Custom vs. MEDITECH MaaS Support

Post-Go-Live Support Considerations 

What to consider: How do you plan to address managed servicesapplication support, and coding support?

Post-Go-Live Considerations: MEDITECH support is included in monthly maintenance and support contract for software-related issues. TIers 1,2, and 3 support is your responsibility for licensed

Security and Compliance Considerations

What to consider: Do you have the staff or support required for robust data protection? 

Security and Compliance: Organization Responsibility vs. Built-in Disaster Recovery with MaaS

Which option is right for you? 

Licensed Implementation and MaaS offer unique benefits. MaaS can reduce your upfront costs and streamline planning. Licensed Implementation gives you more control over implementation, systems integration, data security, management, and maintenance. 

Thankfully, you do not have to make this decision alone. Tegria offers a range of support and expertise to guide you to the best approach for your organization.