Why do some clinical practices experience successful EHR implementations while others fail? The key to moving beyond the dream of a successful EHR implementation is knowing where you want to get to, before you start out. Yes, planning takes time, but not being organized makes for a slower pace, often plagued with frustrating delays, lowered productivity and raised stress levels throughout your practice.
Since staff members may be unfamiliar with some or all of the functionality of your EHR system, some education on basic and more advanced functionality may need to be done prior to setting your goals for implementation. For instance, knowing that SOAPware 2012 features a powerful Professional Scheduling management system that allows scheduling across multiple facilities; advanced appointment finding; scheduled report exports; and custom resource scheduling may be exactly the motivation your front office staff needs to get motivated to plan for implementation.
Goals may include:
- Improving charting of work done, from a compliance perspective
- Achieving Meaningful Use documentation standards
- Providing better and more efficient access to data across providers and programs
- Direct electronic connection to labs, eliminating the need for sorting, reviewing and filing faxed paper lab reports
- Improved tracking of patient charges and payments
- Streamlining procedures and making double-work a thing of the past
- Improved reporting capabilities for management
Where do we start?
In setting your goals, it’s helpful to ask:
- What is expected of our new EHR system?
- What do we hope to gain from implementing this EHR?
- What constitutes a successful implementation? What needs to happen for make the process a success?
These questions should be addressed throughout your practice or clinic organization, not just from a provider or office management perspective. Consider all of the clinic’s end users. How will the EHR improve efficiencies throughout the practice, improving both productivity and accuracy? As a whole, your front desk staff may care that the EHR will make your clinic more productive, improve compliance and reduce medication errors. However, on an individual basis, a more immediate concern for staff members is how the EHR will impact his/her job.
As your list of goals begins to grow, be sure to ask more goal-related questions:
- Are our goals realistic, positive and doable?
- Are our goals truly related to the EHR implementation? Remember, implementing an EHR can solve many issues as well as generating significant improvements to your workflows. What it can’t do is solve all of your clinic’s problems.
Finally, once your goals are clearly established, it is vital to a successful implementation that the goals are articulated by your clinic’s senior leadership to the entire organization. Clear and consistent communication is vital to the project. Goals should not be documented at the start and then filed away for the remainder of your implementation. Staff members should be reminded often of overall goals – post them in common staff areas and meeting rooms as friendly, non-threatening reminders of the shared vision for your clinic’s future.
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