It’s generally accepted that there are many advantages to healthcare organizations adopting EHR systems. Ubiquitous availability of patient records, convenience and timeliness of mobile access to information, and streamlined communication among healthcare professionals and patients are among the greatest gains. But as with many advances in the workplace, EHR presents a number of challenges to healthcare organizations and providers.
Complicating matters for many is the requirement for meaningful use attestation as part of the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs.
Early EHR adopters seeking meaningful use incentives have struggled with unanticipated costs, workflow challenges, and a level of divided focus between patient care and the technology systems put in place to support them. These challenges have led some practitioners and organizations to pause EHR implementations and meaningful use attestations.
Lessons learned from early adopters
That said, there are many success stories where practices and hospitals have successfully implemented EHR systems. While attesting can be complex, many lessons have been learned showing others the way to successfully implement EHR systems and demonstrate meaningful use.
Here are five essential tips to reduce the complexities of integrating meaningful use into your EHR process:
Redesign existing workflows:
When you adopt an EHR system, workflows throughout a practice or hospital will change. These changes include internal and external messaging, scheduling, medication renewal, patient release, etc.Having a thorough understanding of how things are done today and how they’ll likely be done in the future help identify potential areas of conflict between clinical and administrative staff, highlight training needs, and provide a framework for meaningful conversations with prospective vendors and technology partners.
Mapping EHR workflows early on creates awareness among stakeholders as to how your organization’s efficiency may improve, as well as how working relationships and workflows need to evolve to achieve such improvements.
