A successful EHR implementation is foundational to the success of your EHR system. For most practices who have dealt with problems with their EHR, those problems stem back to difficulty with their implementation. In order to be successful in using EHR, the very first step is to assess your practice readiness. It's important not to skip this step, as you'll find that it will provide you with the guidance you need to make the most out of your EHR.
In doing your own EHR practice readiness assessment, there are three major areas you'll want to concentrate on. You'll find that this is a time when you'll ask yourself many honest questions about your practice, and answering them will give you a good indication about whether or not your practice is ready for EHR.
Consider Your Clinical Situation
For your EHR implementation to be successful, it's important to involve your entire staff in the assessment process. Ask yourself some serious questions about the day to day operations of your practice as you begin your assessment. Are there currently any difficulties within your administrative processes? How would you describe the clinical workflow? Does your staff understand it well? Are there any clinical needs that you feel you should address as soon as possible? When you understand your clinical situation, you'll allow yourself time to get your staff ready for EHR implementation, as well as correct any problems that need your attention now.
Consider Your Financial Situation
Implementing EHR carries a significant financial burden along with it. Because it's such a significant purchase, it's important to be sure you have an excellent financial plan in place. In order to do that, however, you need an accurate outline of the costs involved. Are you prepared to handle going into debt to implement EHR? Do you have an excellent understanding of your practice's current financial picture, prior to EHR? It's important for you to have a financial plan in place that you're comfortable with in order to ensure a successful EHR launch. In fact, it's wise for you to plan your launch date based primarily upon your financial picture.
Consider Your Technical Situation
You'll also want to consider how comfortable you and your staff are with technology before you implement your EHR system. You'll need to understand the setup of your practice, as far as what the office layout looks like. What is your current IT infrastructure? Is your practice prepared right now to handle EHR implementation, or are are there significant changes that would need to be made first? How do you feel about establishing links between your practice and area pharmacies, laboratories or imagine facilities? Is your vendor able to establish those types of connections for you?
How did you do in your EHR practice readiness assessment? Hopefully you've learned a great deal about where your practice stands, and you've also learned what needs to happen in order for you to prepare for EHR implementation. A successful EHR implementation will result on you achieving a significant ROI on your EHR investment.
We'd love to work with you and help you prepare for implementation of EHR within your practice. We're confident that our team will provide you with everything you need for a successful EHR implementation, every step of the way. For more information, contact us today!
