An official
health-related document that is shared with the multiple agencies, for the
purposes of multiple facilities, is termed as the electronic health record. The
EHR systems tend to have more influence due to the increasing trend for the
digitization of the patient’s information & the records. Also, consumers
have an increasing trend for viewing their health-related records on mobile
phones. Electronic health records have the varying type of data. The most
significant components of EHR systems include as given:
·
Contact related information
·
Data related to healthcare visits
·
Information related to the insurance
·
History of the family
·
Status related to immunization
·
Details regarding disease & the symptoms
·
List of the medications
·
Hospitalization record
·
Procedure-related details for the purpose of the
surgery
The benefits
associated with the successful implementation of the EHR include as given:
·
The automatic updating as well as sharing of the
data & the information in different organizations & the offices.
·
The storage & the retrieval of the data becomes
quick as well as more efficient
·
Patient care & services can be standardized
easily.
·
The effort becomes less redundant
·
The health-care professionals are provided with an
efficient decision support system.
·
The medical systems have to bear less costs.
·
The ability to aggregate the patient-related
records for the purposes of management of the population health.
·
For different locations, multimedia information
can better be shared
·
The records are efficiently linked with the data
sources along with the current research work (Techtarget, 2019).
Considerations for EHR implementation
Processes are
done under planning to implement electronic health records and to replace the
old system. These practices have a
number of important considerations to be considered before implementing a new
system. One of the largest systems in health Information Technology software
that requires investment and practices to ensure that the final product is the
right product. Practices are required to do in-depth research and five major
aspects are required to be considered before choosing a software suitable to
achieve the goals.
Software design of Successful EHR implementation
The obvious
and most crucial consideration is to identify the most reliable software
system. The software system must provide a user interface of the EHR system and
it is highly responsible for the failure and success of integration.
Recommendations of medicine economics are in favor to select software that is
initiative to easy navigation system. The staff members must be familiar with
the program provided by the software. It is important to have information based
on color shape and placement of the system. Consider adequate time to reach the
required software conditions. Even if the electronic wires are used in the
system but it is important to abide by the regulations through proper coded
adaptation methods.
Vendor reputation of Successful EHR implementation
Before
finalizing the EHR options consider the repetition and services provided by the
vendor. The best ways are to analyses
the previous services and feedback of the previous customers. Physicians can
also discuss with professionals about the software to gauge if the system is
available, reliable, and stable. Different practices are required to ensure
that software will continuously work under Federal regulations and program
requirements.
Cost of Successful EHR implementation
Before having
an initial investment, it is important to design a budget and considered the
long-term cost associated with EHR. The certain systems are required in EHR
intelligence include hardware interface, support resources, networking, and
training. Before having final decision
consider additional services for the comprehensive picture of Technology along
with the cost of services. If the physicians and technicians are planning to
connect in health Information networks or exchange, consider all the cost of
this process in the budget. Return on investment is also required to be
considered to estimate the loss of productivity. Implementation costs and
benefits of the incentive programs.
Customization of Successful EHR implementation
The value of
the EHR program resides in the customization that is the ability to change and
customize the workflow according to the requirements. Users can discuss the
different customization options and program alteration suits according to their
preferences. American health information Management Association (AHIMA)
recommended a real scenario-based system that can adopt clinical situations and
optimize productivity.
Long term goals of Successful EHR implementation
EHR practices
must evaluate if the system is according to the goals or some modifications in
the system are required. The electronic files meet the strategic plan for
profitability and growth. The suggested practices are based upon the plan,
health information exchange, and it reflects the goals of EHR programs. The
crucial practices for EHR implementation consider the transition required in
the strategic, time and research. The timeframe is greater for system
interfaces, design changes, and templates.
Selection of EHR vendor of Successful EHR implementation
The selection
process of the EHR vendor is not a small task. The EHR system is significantly
expensive and sometimes the vendors have a long onboarding process along with a
data migration process that can interrupt the workflow. It is important to have
a reliable vendor because of the practice that patients and professionals rely
on the user-friendly system with accurate data. There are different important
considerations to be considered before selecting an EHR vendor. Initially
considered the circumstances is it really important to purchase a new EHR
system. The determination of this factor
must base upon the size of the organization. The budget is not the only
important factor but considers whether the system workflow is already designed
to accommodate the volume patient. Before selecting the final facility review
all the possible resources that are available during the vendor selection
process it will enable us to find an appropriate fit. During the selection
process consider if the vendor is providing on-premises or cloud-based EHR. In
the case of on-premises EHR, it requires physical space for the accommodation
of hardware, upfront investment, dedicated and talented IT staff and space to
place the hardware. While on the contrary, the cloud-based system does not
require any specified and dedicated space but it requires professional IT
expert that can deal with the services. There are 7 important steps for
selection of appropriate EHR vendor and these steps are mentioned below,
1.
First decide is it the right time to select a
new EHR system because migrating towards electronic health records is a
time-intensive process. If the company is fully prepared to face the challenge
and spend the investment in the new EHR system. Make sure that the vendor is
evaluating a well-defined process with the fully equipped supporting team.
2.
Determine what are the factors that stimulate to
change the previous EHR vendor. Some of the factors to change EHR vendor is to
enhance the facilities such as improved UI and integrated telehealth.
3.
Search for different types of systems and
analyses the best one according to the needs. Different types of EHR systems
include a cloud-based system, a web-based system, a self-hosted and a SaaS-based
system. Before taking the Final Decision
to consider the benefits and drawbacks of each system.
4.
Consider the total cost and budget associated
with the selection of different vendors in the system. The best strategy to
select EHR vendors is to find time-saving services, improving patient quality,
and major dividends down the line.
5.
Consider all the features of an available EHR
system and find which one is the most important for you and how it will fulfill
the business goals and patient needs.
6.
Develop a list of possible vendors and consider
the time of selecting the product and time of purchasing the product. Develop a
checklist for the criteria and Research online sale steps.
7.
Make sure all the provided features are
according to the requirement and do a final evaluation of the selected options.
Before making the final decision read the reviews of previous customers and
feedback of customers that will enable you to estimate how the vendors have
confidence with their services.
Potential barriers of Successful EHR implementation
The electronic
health record contains all the information of individuals that are entered
electronically by the providers of Healthcare. There is a number of facilities
across the globe that have implemented an electronic health record system for
the improvement of the information recording process. The percentage of failure
for the desired system is higher and more than 50% of electronic health records
systems are either failed or they were failed to be utilized properly by the
technicians or professionals. The major issue is Resistance and opposition
towards changing the paper-based system into the electronic system to keep the
record of patients. Some other issues contribute to the failure of electronic
health record systems such as unavailability of Technology, lack of
Pre-implementation activities, lack of proper funding and Technical support,
lack of organizational readiness, and lack of computer skills of technicians
and professionals. The well designed and established electronic health record
system is capable to improve the quality of Health Services such as reliability
and availability of health information of patients. In different articles, the researchers
identify different barriers and measured the potential impact of failure on the
information system resources. A number of articles also analyzed new methods
and technology to tackle the issue.
Based on the literature different issues and barriers related to
hardware, network resources, procedure resources, and people resources are
discussed in the present work.
People resource of Successful EHR implementation
The results of
previous literature demonstrate the lack of education and training, user
resistance, lack of awareness about electronic health record system are the
potential barriers of electronic health record system implementation. According
to the perception of different physician's electronic health record system
provide easy services that can be assessed by professionals. The electronic
health record system is useful as a professional system, but it requires
concern of social norms, computer self-efficacy, and personal identity. Some
physician misunderstands the electronic health recording system that can hinder
effective implementation. The new system challenges for transition are required
to be considered because it can influence the rejection of electronic health
record systems. The stakeholders need to consider the gain appreciation and
benefits of an electronic health record system for the patients and clinical
staff.
Network, hardware, and software resource
The lack of
facilities and equipment associated with information technology is causing a
hurdle in the implementation of electronic health record systems. Information technology and technical
infrastructure for the electronic health record system work effectively when
using the software. The software that is not developed according to the
requirement of stakeholders, cannot effectively operate according to the demand
of stakeholders. If the demands of the customer are not fulfilled it can hamper
the implementation of the electronic health record system.
Data resources of Successful EHR implementation
The EHR
contains all the information of individuals that are entered electronically by
the providers of Healthcare. The data which is used for recording to the
electronic health care systems contains the patient’s records along with the
disease symptoms as well as the related treatments for the said diseases. This
data is provided by the patients to the management of the hospitals, health
care centers as well as the dispensaries. The patients are responsible to
provide their contact related information, data for the health care visits,
family history & the details, insurance-related information, immunization
status, disease as well as the symptoms records, Hospitalization record,
surgery details along with the procedure required for the said purpose, and
list of the medications. Also, already existing manual records or previous
versions of any electronic health system better serve as the data resources for
the EHR-system.
Procedure resources of Successful EHR implementation
Electronic
health record (EHR) implementation is better assisted by the given procedure
resources:
·
Initially, the implementation team needs to be
developed for the purposes of Electronic health record (EHR).
·
The software needs to be developed.
·
The requirements for the hardware need to be
crystal clear.
·
The room layout for the purpose of patient
treatment should be considered.
·
The data transfer is to take place through
electronic means.
·
The effective creation of the workflows is
desirable.
·
The well-defined procedure needs to exist for
taking the corrective actions in case the system is down.
·
Arrange the proper training for the said
purposes (Carecloud, 2019).
Proposed solutions to overcome potential
barriers
Proposed solutions
to overcome potential barriers include as given:
·
The standardization of the EHR systems needs to
be considered.
·
For the care clinics in rural areas, the
EHR-systems are required to be feasible in the financial perspectives.
·
The delivery models to support the healthcare
advancements are required for the individual healthcare population.
·
Business courses should be a part of the
curriculum in medical school to help healthcare providers understand the
business of healthcare (Mason, 2017).
Conclusion of Successful EHR implementation
In many
countries, the government is intending to make sure that all the citizens are
equipped with standardized electronic health care records (EHR_ system). It is
also ensured that the same data is included in all the records of electronic
health care records (EHR_ system). The significant barriers to the way of
electronic health care records are the cost associated with the recording as
well as the maintenance of the said records. The EHR system is significantly
expensive. Information technology and technical infrastructure for the
electronic health record system work effectively when using the software.
References of Successful EHR implementation
Carecloud. (2019). ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD (EHR) IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE. Retrieved from
https://www.carecloud.com/continuum/electronic-health-record-ehr-implementation-guide/
Mason, P. M. (2017). Overcoming Barriers to Implementing Electronic Health
Records in Rural Primary Care Clinics. The Qualitative Report,
2943-2955.
Techtarget. (2019). Electronic
health record (EHR). Retrieved from
https://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/definition/electronic-health-record-EHR