EHR Implementation Challenges: Strategies for Success
Implementing an electronic health record (EHR) system is an intensive undertaking, especially for large healthcare organizations. Health systems often report EHR implementation costs far exceeding budgets. Why is this? EHR roll-outs face considerable challenges, including cost overages, timeline issues, workflow disruption, staff resistance, and technical difficulties.
In this blog post, we explore strategies to navigate the top five EHR implementation challenges:
- Cost Overruns: EHR costs accumulate rapidly, including software licenses, consultants and vendor fees, infrastructure upgrades, and unforeseen expenses. Careful planning and oversight are musts to curb overspending. Create detailed budgets for each phase and monitor closely. Consider an incremental roll-out, distributing costs over time. This allows adaptations to minimize impacts. Assign finance managers to oversee spending for the duration of the project. Develop contingency funds for unanticipated costs.
- Timeline Delays: Coordinating EHR components is complicated, making meeting milestones difficult. Develop an in-depth project plan and schedule with padding, adjusting as needed. Be willing to delay latter phases to ensure readiness. Appoint dedicated project managers to oversee efforts, assess progress, identify timeline issues early, and make adjustments to address concerns while maintaining momentum. Timeline flexibility and continuous user/technical feedback are key.
- Workflow Disruption: EHR adoption requires revising workflows, often decreasing productivity temporarily. Analyze existing processes in depth to optimize EHR configuration and simplify where possible. Provide ongoing support and supplemental training to ease transitional pains and empower users. Clearly articulate benefits of new workflows to motivate staff through challenges. Gather user feedback regularly to improve EHR-enabled processes.
- Staff Resistance and Lack of Training: Without proper education and buy-in, EHR roll-outs stall due to pushback, lack of proficiency, and underutilization. Develop customized technical and soft skills training for all user types, available before launch and long term. Make EHR learning an organizational priority. Foster leadership support and promote benefits to cultivate an optimistic culture around EHR use. Provide opportunities for staff to contribute to the project to gain ownership and boost morale.
- Interfacing with Other Systems: Integrating EHRs with peripheral software platforms is complex, requiring extensive planning and testing. Inventory all interfaces early to gauge technical requirements and integration needs. Work closely with technical teams and third-party vendors to test interfaces thoroughly, then re-test before launch. Develop contingency plans in case of failures. Dedicate resources to resolve interface issues promptly. Consider implementing interface engines to facilitate connectivity and reduce complexity.
In summary, successful EHR implementation demands intensive planning, ample resources, ongoing support, adaptability, and progress oversight. Following recommendations around project management, budgeting, training, leadership involvement, technical connectivity, and workflow optimization can help overcome obstacles. While challenging, EHRs can deliver substantial benefits with the right approach. By anticipating issues, healthcare organizations can minimize disruptions, control costs, meet timelines, and achieve EHR success. With diligent safeguards and a flexible mindset focused on quality outcomes, the rewards of EHR initiatives can be fully realized.
EHR implementation is a team effort across healthcare organizations requiring input and expertise from diverse stakeholder groups. Clinical leadership along with IT must collaborate closely through all phases of roll-out to optimize system design and develop data governance programs. Physicians and end-users should provide feedback regularly to enhance functionality and ease of use. EHR success depends upon the capabilities and flexibility of software solutions, so selecting a platform suited to the needs and scale of an organization is key.
Throughout any complex organizational change, maintaining an agile and innovative mindset built around shared vision is essential. While new technologies may demand temporary sacrifices, focusing on the purpose of initiatives and their benefits enables perseverance. With health records systems, the potential gains in quality of care, productivity, connectivity, and cost-efficiency are substantial for both healthcare providers and the communities they serve.
Though demanding considerable investments of time and resources upfront, the rewards of EHR implementation far outweigh initial expenditures when executed well. The costs of siloed health data and antiquated technologies are far greater, preventing modernization and continuous progress. Overall, EHR success hinges upon leadership's commitment to journey down the path of change and transformation. With vision, collaboration, adaptability and dedicated persistence, healthcare organizations can conquer challenges, learning and growing along the way to shape a better future - enabled rather than deterred by technology.
Healthcare IT Leaders offers EHR consulting services for Epic, Oracle Cerner, MEDITECH, and more. Contact us below today if you need consulting or staffing support.