Jennifer Brown, RN, endoscopy nurse manager of Gastroenterology Associates of Central Virginia in Lynchburg, Va., shares five tips on successfully implementing an EHR system in a practice or ambulatory surgery center.
1. Review different systems with your staff. Since your staff will be most involved in using your system, you should give them a role in choosing the best fit, Ms. Brown says. "When you help your staff get into the selection process, when you get into training, then things tend to fall into place," she says. The staff ended up choosing ProVation Medical, in part because the system was customizable to the practice's needs. Your staff has a wealth of knowledge about the daily tasks that help your practice run smoothly, so let them play with various systems before you come to a decision about your long-term investment.
2. Prioritize long-term savings over short-term expense. While Ms. Brown's system was competitively priced with its competitors, she recommends administrators choose a system based on overall value rather than straight price. "I've worked in a place where the staff said they would not want to use one system, but because of price, the practice went with that one," she says. Ms. Brown says while the up-front cost can be daunting, you should try to focus on long-term savings and benefits instead. Since implementing ProVation with interfaces to Allscripts EHR, Gastroenterology Associates of Central Virginia has increased case volume, decreased equipment expenses and improved the revenue cycle process, saving a significant amount of money overall.
3. If your budget is tight, buy in stages. If your budget is tight, you may think your ASC or practice can't afford to implement an EHR. But the systems aren't just for hospitals anymore, and you aren't limited to buying one large, expensive package. "Most systems have different modules, so you can purchase one module and build on to it later," she says. "You can buy a maintenance package with upgrades and then customize what you need, rather than purchasing all the modules [up front] and then not need them." Talk to your potential EHR providers about your budget. You will most likely find they're willing to work with you to implement in stages — or can recommend which of their products are best for your basic needs.
4. Train in small groups. Ms. Brown says successful EHR training will be as individualized as possible. Obviously a busy ASC or practice can't afford to take too much time away from the patient, but try to make room to train staff and physicians in small groups. Divide staff into their different departments for training — that way, you won't waste time training nurses on the billing software they won't use. The same holds true for physicians, who may struggle to find time for training. "Train only one or two [physicians] at a time, otherwise you can become bombarded with questions, or people might say, 'I don't want to do that. Can we do this instead?'" Don't let yourself feel overwhelmed by questions and complaints from your physicians; by breaking them up into small groups, you'll have more control, and you'll be able to address their concerns one by one.
5. Use your EHR provider for support. Ms. Brown says her training process with ProVation was very easy with new employees because the company provided on-site support during go-live and telephone support after go-live ended. If your provider has a service hotline, don't be afraid to pick up the phone and ask for help. The learning curve won't seem so daunting for your staff if you encourage them to bring up any challenges with the new system.
1. Review different systems with your staff. Since your staff will be most involved in using your system, you should give them a role in choosing the best fit, Ms. Brown says. "When you help your staff get into the selection process, when you get into training, then things tend to fall into place," she says. The staff ended up choosing ProVation Medical, in part because the system was customizable to the practice's needs. Your staff has a wealth of knowledge about the daily tasks that help your practice run smoothly, so let them play with various systems before you come to a decision about your long-term investment.
2. Prioritize long-term savings over short-term expense. While Ms. Brown's system was competitively priced with its competitors, she recommends administrators choose a system based on overall value rather than straight price. "I've worked in a place where the staff said they would not want to use one system, but because of price, the practice went with that one," she says. Ms. Brown says while the up-front cost can be daunting, you should try to focus on long-term savings and benefits instead. Since implementing ProVation with interfaces to Allscripts EHR, Gastroenterology Associates of Central Virginia has increased case volume, decreased equipment expenses and improved the revenue cycle process, saving a significant amount of money overall.
3. If your budget is tight, buy in stages. If your budget is tight, you may think your ASC or practice can't afford to implement an EHR. But the systems aren't just for hospitals anymore, and you aren't limited to buying one large, expensive package. "Most systems have different modules, so you can purchase one module and build on to it later," she says. "You can buy a maintenance package with upgrades and then customize what you need, rather than purchasing all the modules [up front] and then not need them." Talk to your potential EHR providers about your budget. You will most likely find they're willing to work with you to implement in stages — or can recommend which of their products are best for your basic needs.
4. Train in small groups. Ms. Brown says successful EHR training will be as individualized as possible. Obviously a busy ASC or practice can't afford to take too much time away from the patient, but try to make room to train staff and physicians in small groups. Divide staff into their different departments for training — that way, you won't waste time training nurses on the billing software they won't use. The same holds true for physicians, who may struggle to find time for training. "Train only one or two [physicians] at a time, otherwise you can become bombarded with questions, or people might say, 'I don't want to do that. Can we do this instead?'" Don't let yourself feel overwhelmed by questions and complaints from your physicians; by breaking them up into small groups, you'll have more control, and you'll be able to address their concerns one by one.
5. Use your EHR provider for support. Ms. Brown says her training process with ProVation was very easy with new employees because the company provided on-site support during go-live and telephone support after go-live ended. If your provider has a service hotline, don't be afraid to pick up the phone and ask for help. The learning curve won't seem so daunting for your staff if you encourage them to bring up any challenges with the new system.