The prospect of onboarding a new electronic medical record (EMR) can spark concern in even the most tech-savvy healthcare practices due to the size and scope of these projects. However, there is a way to take some of the worry out of an EMR initiative. Whether an ophthalmology practice is adopting the technology for the first time or upgrading to a new system, having a defined implementation strategy is key to success. Without one, a practice can see a drop in productivity, increased staff and physician frustration and patchy adoption—factors that can prevent an organization from reaping the full benefits on the system.
As ophthalmology practices develop EMR implementation strategies, here are some best practices to keep in mind.
Form a multidisciplinary team
This group should represent all areas that will interact with and be impacted by the incoming technology. Depending on the practice, possible team members could include physicians, nurses, administrators, and business office staff, such as coding, billing and patient access employees. The group should take the lead on researching and selecting the EMR that best meets the practice’s needs and specifications. It should also work with the vendor to map out implementation tasks and timelines, as well as take charge of performance metric monitoring post-go-live.
To be most effective, team leaders should set a regular cadence for meetings. Ideally, the group should gather weekly at the beginning of a project and move to daily meetings 30 days before implementation through 30 days post-launch. At that point, meetings can shift to a monthly schedule, and eventually occur quarterly once the system is at a steady state and employees are comfortable with the integration.
It’s also important to assign ownership for different tasks to the various team members. For example, physicians should review EMR content to ensure it can support comprehensive, ophthalmology-specific documentation. Practice administrators should predetermine that the EMR and practice management systems seamlessly exchange information to enable timely and accurate billing. It’s also recommended that patient access staff review scheduling and patient communication functionalities to verify new tools will foster a better patient experience.
Set expectations with physicians and staff
An EMR implementation should never come as a surprise to practice staff. The project team should communicate frequently about the initiative, addressing why the practice is onboarding new technology, what benefits it will bring, the details of the implementation process and anticipated timelines. These communications should clearly outline what is expected of staff, so everyone has a full understanding of their roles before, during and after the system goes live.
When discussing the EMR’s benefits, make sure to frame information as it relates to the audience. For instance, when speaking with physicians, showcase how the new system enables current workflows. More specifically, talk about how easy it will be to incorporate visual fields and fundus photos, how specialty-specific dropdown menus will speed charting and how sophisticated drawing capabilities will make it easier to capture more information about a patient visit.
For office staff, highlight how smooth the billing process will be post-implementation and how the EMR will help them better address patient needs around scheduling, billing and communication.
Create a comprehensive training program
Even if a solution is intuitive, it is critical to provide adequate training so physicians and staff can fully use the technology with minimal productivity slowdowns. This training should be convenient, accessible and focus on processes and strategies that staff use in their day-to-day jobs. Onsite training can be especially helpful at the start, providing staff with a high-level overview of the system as well as side-by-side training with vendor experts. Be sure to let staff practice in a test environment, where there is minimal risk—allowing them a safe space to learn.
As training continues, practices may want to designate an internal “expert” or “super user” who can train others and is readily available to help those who are struggling. It’s also beneficial to have access to online vendor support to address unusual or unexpected issues.
Monitor data to pinpoint potential problems
Once the EMR is live, it is vital to regularly review data around key performance indicators (KPIs) so the practice can quickly uncover potential issues, intervene early and course correct. Some possible measures to watch include system adoption rates, charting time, patient wait times, denials and patient and provider satisfaction. Be sure to collect baseline data before the project starts so there is a good basis of comparison on which to track performance.
A Proactive Approach Can Make the Difference
Although onboarding a new EMR is a significant project that requires commitment and dedication, practices that spend time developing a well-considered plan can ease the process. Additionally, taking advantage of a vendor’s expertise can also be beneficial. By tapping into their knowledge around best practices and lessons learned, organizations can craft a winning strategy while avoiding pitfalls and mitigating risk. Thinking through project details like implementation steps and timelines, stakeholder communications, training and performance monitoring, a practice can speed the time it takes to get a system up and running and ensure the optimal ROI.
As the SVP of Professional Services, Haley Nuckols brings more than 20 years of healthcare information technology experience to Nextech where she also leads the day-to-day delivery of product solutions to service professionals.