Taking your practice from paper files and forms to electronic health records has many advantages, but it is a complex process that will require planning and organization. There are numerous resources available for physicians and practice management staff that can help you coordinate the implementation of your EHR software.
HealthIT.gov provides checklists that guide medical professionals through implementing EHRs as well as working toward achieving meaningful use, which can help you secure federal incentives to recoup some of the costs of launching an EHR in your practice. The first thing the government site suggested was to “assess your practice readiness.” Determine the current climate of your medical facility and establish long- and short-term goals. Once you’ve done that, you can begin planning your EHR implementation strategy.
Overlooking seemingly minor details could lead to delays in your implementation, but Business 2 Community pointed out many of these common issues to help you avoid them. For instance, it is a good idea to put someone on your staff in charge of the EHR. Since the system will contain private information of patients, it’s also a good idea to take a proactive stance on security and determine who among your staff will be able to access what information.
Many electronic health record systems give you the ability to set up different levels of access, so an administrative worker would be able to get a patient’s insurance information but would not have access to his or her medical records. Source
