| A reality of the healthcare system in the United | | | | practice or hospital, EMR implementation can |
| States is it's behind nearly all first-world countries | | | | require professional project management and |
| in regards to the implementation and use of | | | | consulting. Rarely do physicians or practice |
| Electronic Medical Records (EMR). The US boasts a | | | | managers have the skills or staff to manage a |
| nearly 20-year deficit in technology automation | | | | large scale implementation. |
| compared to other types of customer-driven | | | | Execution: Preparing the staff, adjusting workflow |
| business. Other industries have spent billions on | | | | and setting realistic goals is just as important as |
| automation as it advances their business, while | | | | selecting the EMR itself. It does not matter |
| saving time and cost. In other words, it makes | | | | whether the practice owner has found the |
| them more money! Where would the US | | | | perfect product, if the planning of how it will be |
| healthcare system be today if our hospitals and | | | | used has not been thoroughly explored. This lack |
| private practices had just kept pace with the | | | | of experience will lead to physician resistance. |
| average? | | | | Fear |
| There is a laundry list of reasons why automation | | | | Among success stories boasting a 500% return |
| in healthcare has lagged behind other industries. | | | | on investment, there are EMR horror stories |
| However, before we begin treating a multitude of | | | | scattered throughout the healthcare community. I |
| symptoms, we should look for the root cause. | | | | spoke with an orthopedic surgeon last month that |
| Physician resistance is the primary inhibitor of EMR | | | | "fired" the same EMR, twice! Success and failure |
| adoption. Let's explore some reasons for this | | | | ultimately depends on what measures a medical |
| resistance. | | | | practice will take to select and implement their |
| Resistance To Change | | | | EMR system. The fear of failure when making |
| EMR will completely change how healthcare | | | | such a large investment is very real and it is a |
| practitioners conduct their business. | | | | justified inhibitor. |
| Documentation, prescribing, referrals, billing; all of | | | | Time |
| these daily processes will change. Many physicians, | | | | The bottom line; doctors are swamped. They see |
| especially those not comfortable with technology, | | | | patients all day and spend the early evening |
| will have to step outside their professional | | | | finishing paperwork. Most physicians simply don't |
| comfort zone to utilize the benefits of EMR. | | | | believe they have time to learn an entirely new |
| Physicians who double as practice owners have to | | | | system and use it effectively, immediately. The |
| commit to large amounts of time for research | | | | reality is most practices will see a three-month |
| and education, for both themselves and their | | | | loss of productivity post-EMR implementation. But |
| employees, to ensure all EMR benefits are realized. | | | | after this introduction period, not only will |
| All of these changes and expenses can lead | | | | productivity go up rapidly, processes will become |
| practice owners to be extremely wary of | | | | more efficient, enabling employees and practice |
| implementing EMR. The baby-boomer generation | | | | owners to perform their duties better. This will |
| can be most guilty of this. This generation of | | | | provide more doctors the opportunity to give a |
| physicians, who are likely to retire within years, | | | | higher level of care, heightening their value to their |
| are resistant to changing their paper-filled way of | | | | patients and ultimately improving the bottom line. |
| doing business, as it has been successful | | | | Money |
| throughout their long careers. They can also be | | | | Cost can be an inhibitor to EMR adoption. For |
| intimidated by the large amount of extra work | | | | many small practices EMR implementation can |
| that must be done in order to implement EMR. | | | | seem cost-prohibitive by traditional means. |
| Complexity | | | | However, with so many different financing |
| Complexity stems from the three primary phases | | | | options, practices can find a way to afford EMR if |
| of implementing EMR: Selection, Project Planning | | | | they are genuinely interested in bettering their |
| and Execution. | | | | business and quality of care. An issue that must |
| Selection: There are currently more than 300 | | | | be overcome is the fact that many physicians do |
| products on the EMR market. Choosing the best | | | | not see money as an inhibitor to adopting EMR, |
| product for a medical practice is as much an art | | | | but use it as an excuse. The truth is many |
| as it is a science. No single EMR will be perfect; | | | | practitioners don't want to go through the hassle |
| however, there are many that can mesh well | | | | of completely changing how they do business. By |
| with any practice through customization. | | | | ignoring the benefits of EMR, they are hurting |
| Practitioners step into unknown territory when it | | | | themselves, their business, their employees and, |
| comes to software selection, which becomes the | | | | most of all, their patients. We will take a look at |
| initial inhibitor to EMR adoption. | | | | how to overcome this, and other barriers, next |
| Project Planning: Depending on the size of the | | | | month. |