Improved Quality of Life - Solutions

We are at the beginning of a technological revolution in healthcare. Most industries have surpassed healthcare in technology, interoperability, and standards. Your challenge is to find partners and solutions to meet your needs without disrupting you workflow, were the benefit is greater than the cost, and where the terms are in your favor. Anyone can see that we are in the beginning of a more effective healthcare system and because of this, the transition to an EMR should be made in steps with little to no restrictions. An EMR investment should be made when staff is ready and should be developed with as much flexibility as possible. Flexibility is key because at this stage the healthcare industry will go through numerous changes and so will you.

The goals of multi-specialty, multi-location practice can be very different from a Solo or Partner practice. It is important to consider the areas where you feel your specific practice can improve productivity. This is where feedback is very important. It really is amazing what you can learn from the different staff members and users. There can be productivity issues that can be solved very easily, others that require advanced technologies like an EMR.

Some general goals are:

• Eliminating Paper Charts
• Charting at the Time of Visit
• Real-time Clinical Decision Support
• Improved Workflow

It's important to establish roles and responsabilities in your office before implementing an EMR. Consider who might be the Power Users. Consider what the different user roles are from front Desk Clearks to Transcriptionists. Organize a small group covering both providers and staff members who are excited and eager to work together in the EMR selection process. Diversity is very important but the size of the group also depends on your practice size.

Solicit involvement from everyone to work together, but assign the overall process to a specific group. The group should consist of a physician and a mediator. The mediator should be in charge of working with users to minimize conflict and coordinate iddividual user issues.

Manage expectations by clearly communicating the difficulty of implementing an EMR. Consider timelines that are realiztic and don't rush into any decision. EMR's take time and patience and the more support you have from the office the easier the transition