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• EMR Implementation

EMR Implementation: Building Blocks to Success

(Aug. 26, 2009)

You have achieved physician and staff buy-in, your budget is approved and now, all that is left to accomplish to make your EMR initiative a reality is selecting the vendor and beginning the actual implementation. Simple enough, right? Not likely, but take comfort in the fact that many IT managers have gone before you and there is much to learn from both their successes and mistakes.

While each facility will face its own unique set of issues, there are some universal considerations to keep in mind as you embark upon the initial steps of EMR implementation:

• Vendor selection. Ensure that the application you choose can be easily integrated with existing solutions and is certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT). Most important is that your vendor provide 24/7 local support before, during and after installation. It is crucial that your vendor is able to provide onsite technicians quickly if necessary.
• Customization. Distinguish between customizing your system and simply automating your current workflow. Remember, your facility's current workflow process is paper-based, therefore, to maximize the use of your new electronic-based system, users will have to change their standard procedures. Instead of face-to-face communication between physician and staff member to order a lab test, for example, physicians should be encouraged to use the internal messaging feature of the EMR by simply adding such requests to staff members' task lists. Customization, on the other hand, is slightly different and can be critical to a smooth transition. Most EMR systems provide pre-built templates and order forms. Users can customize these tools to accommodate their most frequent types of encounters, e.g., patients presenting with such conditions as diabetes, high blood pressure or congestive heart failure. This type of customization provides the efficient workflow processes you are seeking and encourages a high utilization of the EMR.
• Training. Many organizations who have experienced smooth transitions to an EMR solution have first identified one or two "champions" of their cause; ideally a physician to help lead and encourage the switch among all staff and who will help support and spearhead training and education initiatives. A gradual approach to implementation will make the overall experience less daunting to staff members. For example, instead of presenting and using the system in its entirety, you may consider to starting with just a few features such as internal messaging, electronic prescribing and lab results before users actually start charting electronically. This process builds user confidence and allows them to see immediate results and benefits of using the system.
• System preparation. Getting your data ready to go live will be a potentially tedious task. For physician groups and clinics, consider entering patient data -- such as medications, allergies, immunizations and lab results -- into your new system three to four months prior to your go-live date.

Once implemented, you will find that your organization will soon begin reaping the benefits of an EMR solution, among them, better data access, more accurate charting, improved care management, enhanced prescribing and reduced costs.