| There's no question that an electronic medical | | | | will make some tasks unnecessary, and some |
| record system can improve your practice's | | | | skills irrelevant. However it's important for you to |
| efficiency and productivity. However, without full | | | | recognize, and to communicate to everyone, that |
| buy-in from everyone on your staff, you'll never | | | | when work gets reorganized, and when certain |
| achieve the performance results you anticipate. | | | | tasks are no longer necessary, people can be |
| It's one thing to know that you need staff buy-in, | | | | moved to more profitable activities. For example, |
| it's another thing entirely to know how to get it. | | | | if implementing the new electronic medical record |
| Here are the steps to take to get participation, | | | | system will allow you to increase your patient |
| cooperation and collaboration from staff members | | | | load, you may need staff to shift to more |
| at all levels, and increase your chances for a more | | | | patient-centered activities in order to take |
| rapidly successful electronic medical record | | | | advantage of these new opportunities. |
| implementation. | | | | Harness the Power of Collaboration |
| Convey The Urgent Need For Change | | | | Regardless how large your practice is, a new IT |
| Making a major change in your medical practice is | | | | system will impact the work of staff members at |
| hard enough. Trying to make that change when | | | | all levels. To get the maximum value from that |
| people don't recognize the need for it is a recipe | | | | system, and to increase the speed of getting to |
| for failure. | | | | that value, you need discretionary effort and |
| Everyone in your practice needs to understand | | | | enthusiastic collaboration from everyone in your |
| the factors that make the new electronic medical | | | | practice. |
| record system desirable or even essential - for | | | | First, when it comes to designing the system and |
| example: the ability to streamline work and | | | | reengineeringing the workflow, you must get your |
| enhance patient care, the opportunity to reduce | | | | staff's perspective. They are closest to much of |
| costs and increase productivity, and the ability to | | | | the work of the practice and can offer |
| adapt to changes in patient needs, 3rd party | | | | suggestions and ideas that can facilitate |
| demands and new government requirements. | | | | implementation and reduce the expenses and the |
| However, while you may make a great logical | | | | temporary productivity slow-downs that inevitably |
| case for change, people don't make decisions | | | | accompany any new electronic medical record |
| based on logic alone. Emotions are a powerful | | | | system implementation. |
| factor. You need to make sure that your staff | | | | Second, if you want to mobilize people to not only |
| not only understands the logical reasons for | | | | cooperate, but to give their best effort, you need |
| implementing the electronic medical records | | | | to allow them to participate in developing plans. |
| system, but also understands what the | | | | You may have heard the expression,"People who |
| consequences will be to them personally if the | | | | plan the battle, rarely battle the plan." If staff |
| implementation isn't successful. | | | | members at all levels are involved with the |
| When you present the new electronic medical | | | | development of the implementation strategy, |
| records system as a way for the practice to | | | | they will have a vested interest in its success. |
| continue to operate profitably - despite challenges, | | | | The way to do that is through a series of |
| to continue to provide quality care to your | | | | interactive workshop-style staff meetings that |
| patients, and to continue to provide your valued | | | | elicit staff ideas and engage staff members in |
| staff with employment, you're likely to capture | | | | creating their own future. |
| their attention. | | | | Show People What's In It For Them |
| Keep People Informed | | | | The real secret of successful change |
| People don't really fear change. What triggers fear | | | | management is to show people what's in it for |
| is uncertainty. | | | | them. You can accomplish this in two ways. |
| The worst thing you can do is to keep people in | | | | First, by showing how the electronic medical |
| the dark about your plans. This encourages | | | | record system will positively impact people's work |
| rumors and leads people to start grumbling about | | | | and enhance their job satisfaction. For example, |
| their jobs and worrying about their futures. | | | | once implemented, will the system eliminate the |
| When it comes to implementing an electronic | | | | frustration of lost charts and information? Reduce |
| medical record system in the practice, one of the | | | | tedious tasks? Improve documentation and coding |
| biggest concerns people have is whether the new | | | | accuracy? Allow staff to get home earlier? |
| technology will take away their jobs. | | | | The second way to show people what's in it for |
| In light of today's economic realities, no one really | | | | them is to attach rewards and recognition to |
| expects guarantees of job security. However, | | | | specific goals and milestones. Offering team |
| what they can and should expect are honest | | | | bonuses for increased practice productivity, |
| answers to tough questions. | | | | increased referrals and increased patient |
| People will want to know: | | | | satisfaction can be very effective in building a |
| - How the electronic medical record system will | | | | cooperative environment. However, it can take a |
| impact their work and their futures | | | | while to get to significant performance increases. |
| - What new expectations you and the practice | | | | Establishing intermediate milestones, "small wins" - |
| have of them | | | | like getting a specific system module successfully |
| - What new skills they will need to meet these | | | | up and running, or achieving a certain reduction in |
| expectations | | | | transcription usage - can go a long way to building |
| - How they will be trained and supported for | | | | momentum and can help to convert any lingering |
| these new challenges | | | | skeptics. |
| - How their performance will be assessed The | | | | These kind of rewards and recognition are |
| fact is, the new electronic medical record system | | | | tangible pay-offs that fuel the fire of motivation. |