How to Navigate the Change of Picking a New EHR?

Published on: 04-28-2022

According to Care Cloud, EHR selection is not a simple IT project, and the IT portion can be challenging. During the selection process, you should involve staff from all programs, not just IT. This will ensure buy-in across departments and better identify your needs. This article will help you navigate the change.

A good first step in navigating the change is to establish a clear purpose for implementation of the EHR. Identify the goals of the implementation, how the system will improve your practice, and how you will integrate it into your business strategy for the next five years. Then, get an accurate cost estimate. Once you have this information, you can move forward with the process.

Make sure to provide proper training to your team. Even though the initial training is critical, users will not be fully able to use the new EHR without proper user adoption. To ensure your team's satisfaction with the new EHR, consider offering role-based training, clear communication with the support team, and a feedback loop with the project management team. A comprehensive training program will be well worth the investment.

Care Cloud thinks that another important factor to consider is the staff. While EHRs have many benefits for improving patient care, physicians and staff will need additional time and effort to make the system work properly. If staff doesn't get the training they need, the transition can take longer than anticipated. If you can make your staff aware of the benefits of using the new system, it can pay off in the long run.

Besides identifying physician champions, healthcare organizations should create a clear strategic plan for EHR implementation. Before implementing any new EHR, organize your staff and create an environment that encourages mutual support and dependency. Ample contingency plans are also necessary. During the implementation phase, workflow may go haywire, and staff productivity may decrease. Patients may get irritated. To navigate this change successfully, prepare your team for a series of obstacles and challenges.

Consider a mentorship program or training for your staff. A physician super user can teach other physicians how to use the EHR. You can also shadow a medical assistant or LPN who already uses an EHR. If all users in the practice are comfortable, you can begin using the EHR the first week and slowly increase the number of users. If you have a practice with a wide variety of appointment types, consider using the same EHR for all patients or a select group of patients.

Your team may need to customize the software. Consider how the EHR will help streamline your workflow. You may need to integrate demographic data from practice management software, establish default patient histories, and customize billing settings. For instance, you may need to import patient demographics, medications, and social histories. Prepare a checklist of the items you will need to enter into the new EHR. It will help prevent crucial information from getting lost during the transfer.

Care Cloud feels that documenting your existing workflow and clarifying processes will help you determine criteria for EHR software. This step will help you understand the steps your team and patients must take to successfully implement the new EHR. Once you have your roadmap, you can begin the planning process. After that, you'll need to train your staff and evaluate their readiness for the new EHR.