Healthcare organizations, from hospitals, specialists, and doctor offices, are reliant on many things to perform efficiently. One of them is the storage of health records. These all important pieces of data will have crucial info, from finances to patient history, all of which give them an idea of how to best service the sick. But in recent years, emphasis has been put on switching to electronic records. For clear reasons of course, electronic storage saves on space and is accessible from anywhere.
However, switching from one record system to another can prove challenging. To help ease the process, we’ve put together a short list of things to help with this major transition.
1 – Creating a plan
Initially, deciding what services you want/need to expand along with what’s going to change are critical in forming goals. This also accompanies creating proper teams and informing medical staff of what’s to be expected in the future. If possible, establishing a timeline of these goals is also important, and asking yourself when you want an EMS/EHS system fully established should be the central inquiry.
2 – Conducting an assessment
Before any hospital or healthcare office can establish an electronic based file system, they have to possess the infrastructure for it. Therefore, looking at things like financial investment costs to how prepared the current technology model is extremely important for a smooth transition. If your current PC hardware is outdated or using an obsolete, for instance, your organization will likely struggle to find compatible software.
3 – Using the right EHR/EMR model
Typically, electronic medical records will be handled by a type of certified software chosen from a specific vendor. It’s critical your relevant staff scrutinizes this selection process from beginning to end. Software should be certified and meet the specific needs of your health organization. Cost versus functionality is also important. If handled improperly, you may find you’ll have to scrap the entire project and lose out on time and money.
4 – Program preparation
Assuming you’ve found the ideal EMR software, conducting tests and training relevant staff is the next big step in making the transition. This process can take some time pending on a few factors, such as ease of use and how many levels of records need to be stored. But, having a completely ready staff is more important than rushing, as any hang ups can lead to future headaches.
5 – Conducting post assessments
From here, it’s important to follow up on the progress of your new software and see if it’s achieving the goals you planned for. This goes for both cost, service, and how effective it is for both staff and patients. You’ll also want to continue working towards making the EMR system continuously better, raising its efficiency and capabilities.
These tips are central to jumping into a usable electronic framework, and the process is still quite complex. But with proper planning and careful observation throughout, one can avoid numerous throwbacks and costs related to mishandling the transition.
