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PAINWeek’s Favorite EMR. See Why Pain Clinics Choose Us →

PAINWeek’s Favorite EMR.
See Why Pain Clinics Choose Us →

Just Implemented a New EHR? Follow These 4 Tips to Maximize Your Practice’s Success

EHR implementation tips

Whether you’re implementing an EHR for the first time or transitioning from a previous platform, following the right EHR implementation tips can help ensure a smoother, more successful rollout.

The vast majority of doctors in the U.S. have adopted some form of Electronic Health Record (EHR) or Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. However, if the system currently in place isn’t meeting the specific needs of your practice, it may be time to consider a more suitable solution. Transitioning to a new EHR isn’t just a software swap—it demands careful planning, a dedicated team, and a significant investment of time and resources. Even after the system goes live, unexpected challenges can arise that disrupt workflows and slow down productivity. Here are four key strategies to guide your practice through a seamless EHR transition and maintain peak efficiency:

1. Establish clear objectives

Create a plan with your vendor for exactly what you want the EMR to do and how you want it to improve your medical practice. Remember that objectives can change; nothing is set in stone, but it’s great to have an outline of what you need. Once you have that clearly defined, figure out how success can be measured with the new EMR. Involve your entire staff in this process. The EMR will affect everyone, so staff input for what they want the EMR to do matters. Also, consider any feedback you’ve gathered from patients. This gives you a clear idea of what patients are expecting from your office.

2. Identify any weaknesses or problems in the beginning

Any weaknesses or possible problems with the EHR, such as interoperability between systems, should be addressed before implementation. Talk with your vendor about these issues and make sure everything is resolved before the go-live date.  Even though this seems like an obvious thing to do, we see it time and time again where problems are forecasted but never fixed.

3. Assemble a leadership or project management team

EHR implementation is a massive change to your office, so it’s best to view this transition as a project that can be broken into smaller parts. Always remember that you shouldn’t have any downtime — your practice will continue to function, and you will need to assist patients during the transition process. We recommend beginning with a partial transition step — a small change that will come with the new EHR, such as a different paperwork flow. Assign an individual or team to be in charge of that process.

Assigning at least one person to commit to the project full-time can minimize confusion and ensure a smooth transition. Choose a timeframe in which the small change can happen — once the initial transition process has happened, the full implementation can take place

4. Measure your success

Many practices think the work stops after the EHR has been implemented. The real payoff for the EHR comes when a medical practice stays focused on achieving full adoption through the organization. Our best advice is for practices to track whether and how providers and staff use the new system. Asking your staff about any problems they’ve experienced or difficulty they’ve had with adoption is essential to successfully implementing a new EHR. Utilization and outcomes can be monitored with tools such as dashboards, checklists, and gap analysis forms.

If you’re switching your EMR to 1st Providers, you’re in good hands.  Our specialty specific EMR and practice management software will allow your practice to maximize efficiency by having a software program that is designed for your specialty upon installation.  To ensure success, one of the first steps is an implementation planning meeting where we discuss your practice’s workflow and specific needs within the software.

We provide a specialty-specific team where each customer is assigned a clinical trainer, an administration and setup trainer, and a billing trainer.  We also offer project management, software personalization, and EMR customization to ensure a smooth transition. Contact 1st Providers Choice online or by phone at 480-782-1116 to discuss moving to a better EMR system.

 

This article is reviewed by Jason Keele, a healthcare technology expert with extensive experience in electronic health records (EHR), practice management solutions, and digital health innovations. With over 42 years of industry expertise, he specializes in optimizing healthcare workflows and enhancing patient care through technology.

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