Hospitals need to have electronic health records (EHR) systems that meet the needs of physicians, staff, and patients. We know that physicians and staff already have enough things to worry about, an EHR doesn’t need to fit in one of them. So just to educate you, we have put together a very simple and common list mistakes to avoid while implementing a new EHR.
Here are seven EHR Implementation mistakes and errors
Don’t invest in a complicated EHR system
Healthcare technology will impress you for sure, but you must hold on to your practice’s goal. Instead of starting with “must-have” features, begin with figuring out what you plan to bring out with a new EHR system. Then it will make sense to find the right EHR system to help you accomplish your goals.
It’s not always about yourself, you must also consider how easy or hard it will be for your staff member to adopt your new EHR system. Their preferences should give you a good idea of how user-friendly your EHR should be. The more you and your staff know about how to utilize the system, the better you can perform. Ease of navigating between screens to the frequency of updates from the vendor should be the priority while deciding to purchase new EHR software for your practice.
Don’t place a wrong person in charge
Be very careful of who you have in charge of selecting EHR software, implementation, and training. He must be aware of your requirements, and goals. This is important because perhaps you might not be a technical person to judge, but you still need to ensure that whoever is responsible for managing your purchase is completely involved in the process.
Don’t over-engineer your EHR system
While trying to customize your EHR according to your needs, you may get tempted to make your new EHR mirror your paperwork, but this isn’t the best solution. Sometimes it takes time to get adopted with the new technology and be efficient with it. EHR is here to help you get rid of paper-based processes and they are developed to provide you the most efficient workflow.
Don’t forget to notify your patients about your upgrades
Make sure to notify your patients about the upcoming upgrades and changes you are going to implement. It will help them be ready for potential delays. Your staff may have received extraordinary training, but there is still a learning curve to tackle, and that may take time. Therefore on the initial level, be prepared for the slow processes, as your staff is catching up with speed. The more you educate your patients about the upgrades, the less frustrated they’re likely to be as you implement a new EHR system.
Related Article: 7 must-have EHR features to effectively manage your Psychiatry Practice
Don’t fail to provide sufficient training to your staff
If you and your staff aren’t properly trained, then you can’t expect your transition to go smooth and fast, rather they would be slow and painful. Therefore, make sure everyone receives as much training as they need. You may also select certain staff to get trained as super users so they can assist others whenever needed. Consistent training will help improve efficiencies in your workflow – so, make it a priority.
Don’t let patient feel impersonal
We don’t often think about how the technology will impact on one to one dealing (doctor to a patient), and therefore many times it becomes awkward and impersonal, especially when you’re trying to input data while having a conversation with your patient. Proper training can help you remain out of those awkward situations.
Don’t forget to update the workflow process
You might be taking extra steps while continuing patient care, for example – writing prescriptions, taking notes, or medical history on paper. You only do this to enter them into EHR, but the whole process becomes time taking and increases the potential of medical errors. Therefore, it’s a good practice to regularly review and audit your clinical workflow to make sure you are using your system efficiently without any added steps that waste time.
Don’t forget to choose the device to run EHR
You must also decide on what type of devices you want your EHR to be installed, maybe a handheld tablet that gives you the flexibility or a computer would help your practice. Your preferred devices would help you ensure patient engagement even while you’re collecting their information.
Don’t let these poor mistakes and errors become a side effect of your new EHR system. These mistakes looks small but when it comes to regular use of EHR software, they can be a big clash within you, staff and patients.
If you are looking to switch or purchase an EHR that works for you and helps you focus on the quality of patient care then, iPatientCare’s EHR is one of the most popular electronic health record software. It is capable of molding itself to suit your needs, rather than changing the way you work. In iPatientCare’s EHR software, you can customize everything – from organizing the tabs in the patient’s chart to restructuring the visit notes, templates, dashboards, and the workflow. It is as easy as 1-2-3. The user-centric design and high-performance architecture allow you and your staff to work efficiently, leaving a lot of time for your patients. Grab your free demo now.
