Switching your Electronic Health Record (EHR) system can be a difficult undertaking, especially for smaller practices that lack a dedicated IT department. However, an EHR is absolutely necessary for any practice looking to thrive in this day and age, leading to more efficient workflows and the ability for providers to have all the necessary patient information for the day ahead at their fingertips, as soon as they enter the building.

There are a variety of reasons a practice might look to change their EHR:

1. Inflexible Workflows

Providers often fail to consider the importance of their workflow when choosing an EHR. This often leads to situations where workflows are constrained by inflexible workflows. As opposed to older paper-based systems, EHRs are not so easily adapted. Frustrations with poorly chosen systems often leads to providers changing their systems.

2. Dissatisfaction with Vendor

As with any service, a best medical billing software is only as good as the vendor that supports it. This means that proper use of the system is heavily dependent on customer support, implementation, training, and other assistance from the vendor. With the EHR industry being as competitive as it is, it makes no sense for providers to remain with their vendor in the face of poor support.

3. Stagnation

A system should grow over time. How good a system was when it was acquired matters very little if the vendor shows no ability to iterate and innovate on their system in order to improve and create a better, smoother experience for users. Just as important as innovation, if not more, are changes relating to ease of use and practicality. If the EHR system has stagnated over time, it might be time to switch.

4. Lack of Mobile Access

Mobility can often be difficult with EHR systems. Physicians use smartphones and tablets, just like the rest of us. These devices offer a degree of convenience that is not present when using a computer. Thus, it only makes sense that physicians want access to their EHR on mobile devices. If a vendor refuses to make any moves towards developing a smartphone or tablet application, switching to one that offers those services might be required.

5. Constant Technical Issues

Technical issues in day-to-day use, from poor Health Information Exchange integration, an inability to switch from ICD-9 TO ICD-10, or just general glitches and bugs, can completely ruin the user experience for any software system. The same applies to EHR systems, with the added annoyance of such issues potentially ruining the quality of care provided to a patient.

Making the Switch

With all of the reasons outlined above, and many more that have not been discussed, it is easy to understand that providers are often looking to switch systems in search of an upgrade. While the desire to find a better system can often be overpowering, it is important to take the time to properly consider the choice that is made.

For those looking to switch to a new system, and even for those looking to install their first system, the process is not easy. Luckily, we have 4 simple steps that any practice can follow to make the entire process easier:

Create a Dedicated Team for Implementation

Having an expert team is not entirely necessary. You can simply create a team, out of members from different departments, that will be in charge of the implementation process. Even without any technical expertise, these people will be able to prepare ahead of time, and may be able to work with your vendor of choice for extra training before implementation begins. They can then serve as trainers and experts in explaining the ins and outs of the system to the rest of the staff.

Update Your Software

Before making the switch, you should make sure the rest of your systems are prepared. Start by updating your security software, by conducting a HIPAA security assessment, which is available as a downloadable tool, and automatically check if your system is HIPAA compliant. Also consider whether you want to switch any other systems, like practice management. Many EHR vendors also have other solutions that can help practices, and buying multiple solutions from the same vendor can also yield discounts.

Redesign Workflows

Changing your EHR is a big step for any medical practice, and naturally this will change many of the way’s things are done. You will need to restructure your workflows to incorporate and take full advantage of the benefits of your new system.

Having the workflows prepared beforehand will allow your staff to be prepared in advance, giving them time to adjust the way they do things and get some practice working they will have to once the new system is in place. This will also allow them a grace period in which to make mistakes, which can be fixed before they have to operate the system during active hours.

These new workflows should keep the following in mind:

• Providing value to patients

• Improving practice efficiency

• Every step should be necessary

Train Your Staff

Now, you can install the best and most efficient EHR software in the world, and it would be entirely useless if your staff cannot use it. There will always be an initial period where they will have difficulty adapting to the system, simply because of its newness. However, training will make this period as short as it can be, and make them more comfortable in the initial days and weeks after the system is installed.

Conclusion

Your mileage may vary with this step, as certain practices will have more tech savvy staff than others. It’s likely that every member of staff will need to use the system at one point or another, so having everyone trained will help avoid instances where staff members already comfortable with the system are forced to train those that aren’t, on the job. Training sessions will also engage your staff more, and get them involved in the process of implementing the new system at an early stage. This will make them more invested in making sure the new system is a success.