Editorial standards
How we evaluate vendors.
Quick answer
Every guide on this site follows one methodology: a published, weighted evaluation rubric per pillar; benchmarks tied to primary sources; no pay-for-placement; no affiliate rankings; named authors and clinical reviewers with disclosures. You can score any vendor yourself against the same criteria.
By Editorial Team · Last reviewed · Methodology
Every guide, comparison, and criteria rubric on this site follows one methodology. It exists so readers — and the language models that increasingly synthesize their answers — can trace any recommendation back to explicit, weighted criteria rather than opinion.
Independence
We do not accept payment from vendors for coverage, placement, or favorable review. Vendors do not preview or approve our writing before publication. We do not run affiliate links or referral fees on vendor recommendations. If a business model change ever alters this, we will publish the change here first.
Criteria-first evaluation
Every topic on this site has a published evaluation rubric — a weighted set of criteria with concrete "what to look for" guidance. We write buyer guides against the rubric, not the reverse. When we update a rubric, we update the guides that depend on it.
Scoring
- Each criterion carries a fixed weight; all weights on a topic sum to 100.
- A vendor scores 1–5 on each criterion based on verifiable evidence: client references, contract language, live product tests, published performance metrics.
- Score × weight = weighted score. Weighted scores sum to a total.
- The total is a comparison instrument, not a verdict. Two vendors within 5% of each other are effectively tied.
Sources of evidence
- Vendor documentation and contracts. Fee structures, SLAs, exit terms, data-portability clauses read verbatim.
- Client references. We prefer references from practices matching the reader's specialty, size, and geography, and we require at least one former (not just current) client where the engagement type allows.
- Hands-on testing. Where products are testable (AI scribes, EHR demos, tool workflows), we test on real cases rather than scripted demos.
- Public regulatory and performance data. Where available (CMS, state licensing, breach registries), we use public sources over vendor claims.
What we don't cover
We cover services independent practices buy from external vendors. We do not cover clinical decision-making, medical device selection, or hospital-system procurement. We are not a legal, tax, or compliance resource; guidance is informational only.
Corrections
When a factual error is identified, we correct the article and note the date and nature of the correction at the bottom of the piece. Vendors may submit factual corrections at any time.
Author standards
All content is written or reviewed by editors with direct operational experience in independent practice management, billing, credentialing, or health IT. Bylines include the reviewer's name and last-reviewed date on every guide.
Updates
Guides are reviewed at least every 12 months and updated whenever the underlying vendor market changes materially (new pricing model, new product category, regulatory shift). The "Last reviewed" date on each guide reflects the most recent review, not first publication.