How to Make an EHR Switch the Right Way
We may be several years into the electronic health record “experiment,” but many clinics and hospitals are still experiencing growing pains. Moving from paper to electronic health records has been an uneasy transition met with resistance from many different areas of the medical community. One group of doctors even picketed their organization, but since no one was able to read the demands written on their signs, some pharmacists had to be called in as intermediaries.
In all seriousness, making the rocky switch to EHR records promises many long-term benefits in patient outcomes and medical research. The previous joke even illustrates a major problem EHRs seek to solve: clearing up the illegibility of the chronic bad handwriting in the medical community.
As healthcare providers grapple with the reality of adjusting to an EHR world, many of them are realizing that their problems stem mostly from the systems they currently use. Thousands of ambulatory care clinics and hospitals are in the midst of re-evaluating their EHR needs in light of the frustrations experienced with their current system.
When making this EHR switch, providers often wonder how they can avoid past frustrations while opening the door to further advances. Here are some criteria and ideas they can use to narrow down their EHR system choices and settle on the solution that works best for them:
Your first step is to assemble an evaluation team responsible for making the ultimate recommendation on an EHR system. This team should have representation not just from the administration bench, but also from physicians and staff who have a stake on the ultimate system that is chosen. IT and information security must also have their say to ensure that the new system will be easy to support while having comprehensive measures against unwanted access.
Even if the final decision rests with the CEO or a single department head, the team advisory approach helps add knowledge resources and perspective to make any decision more supportable by the entire organization.
Assuming that you know exactly what you need is an easy way to run into trouble down the line. After all, you know what they say happens when you assume things: sometimes you’re wrong.
Going into the EHR switch situation without explicitly writing out your needs is like driving without a road map or trying to buy a house without any specifications on size, location or number of bedrooms. Not having objective criteria for your EHR switch system of choice can leave you comparing one system designed for tiny private practices with another intended to run VA-sized patient rosters. It just does not make sense.
Write down exactly the scope of your EHR system needs and how you expect the software to fit within your workflow. Some practices can handle only entering the system and retrieving information from time to time, whereas others need an automated way to extract EHR information into other systems like electronic clinical documentation.
Make your list. Check it twice. Find out which EHR systems are naughty or nice.
Don’t Forget Your Past Troubles
Naturally, some of your criteria for a new EHR system will be negative, as in: “I don’t want filling out extra details to be a pain like it was before.” Ask for input from all levels of the organization as to their most and least favorite traits of the old system. Illustrative example “horror stories” can be a vivid way to remember why no one liked the old system in the first place.
Having these pain points listed can help you more quickly identify a new system during your EHR switch that is a relative breath of fresh air compared to the old one.
Look for “Comprehensive Care” from Your Vendor
Many software system models are ditching the outdated “set it and forget it” mentality for full-scale service. Yes, this model means you pay recurring fees until the end of time, but along with it you get benefits like 24-hour support, instant security updates along with other desirable services like consulting or even custom-coded versions using the API they built their system with.
In other words, it’s the classic “you get what you pay for” maxim. Never take their word at face value, though. Follow through with company promises by seeking out testimonials and use case examples to see how the EHR switch fared for other organizations.
Consider the Switch Itself
Making an EHR switch can mean that some things will get lost in translation if you are not careful. Most systems do not support 1:1 data transfers, meaning carrying over old files from the legacy system to the new can create all sorts of setbacks and problems.
If possible, look for an EHR system that quickly ports over information into a new format without too much manual entry required. Taking attention away from the practice and diverting it towards an EHR switch reduces the quality of care patient’s experience, after all.
If you are nervous that a great-looking system will make the EHR switch more trouble than it is worth, ask a vendor representative or someone from your own team to try porting over 10–20 files and track the time it takes to do so. “Trial flights” like these keep you from face palming yourself after an abysmal oversight leaves your entire team resentful of you.
Conclusion: Tread with Care
The decision to make an EHR switch should never be taken lightly. Even the initial switch from paper records was a bit like being asked to change your commute from a car to a unicycle — many people had to completely relearn existing skills, and a frequent result was that they fell flat on their face.
Even still, the benefits of EHR outweigh the initial costs when looking at a longitudinal, patient-care perspective. Embrace the change, and find a system that can make you, your staff and your patients all equally happy with the outcome.
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