What do you do if physicians are struggling to effectively adopt electronic health records systems?

The best way is to offer support. EHR is the way of the future, if not already here. A colleague or trusted advisor can be a reference and a mentor, but ultimately adaptation is key. We spend a good deal of time in CME, this is no different.

Honestly, there is nothing at all wrong with the majority of EHR's; they are not the problem. The problem is our health care system. We hate EHR's because they are the cash register of the health care system and the quality of our interactions with it are measured in wRVU. Once I stopped taking insurance, even the lower cost EHR on the market was fun and effortless.

I believe first thing to do is to coordinate team of equipped personnel in EHR skills. Then schedule physicians according to their line or department of work for them to start the training. After that, as the training is happening allow physicians to engage and have a practical session so it’s proficient. The training can start with the basics and progress to a complex task as they continue to proceed with the work they do.

EHR should be adopted to offer accuracy and efficiency and ease to track patients' progress. Training acts as a pull factor to encouraging time saving and reducing errors related to loss of info and time required to search and organize physical records

Offering tailored training sessions is a key response to the identified needs. Training should be diversified to cater to various learning preferences and busy schedules, with an emphasis on practical, hands-on sessions that will build confidence and proficiency. Ongoing accessibility to these resources is important for reinforcing learning and allowing for continuous improvement.

Ideally, an EHR system would be customizable to the specific workflow patterns of the individual user without the extensive menus, drop downs, etc.

Those who can make change within the EHR should spend the time shadowing physicians. I remember as an administrator, I followed a hospitalist after he told me about an inefficiency in our workflow. It was frustrating him and obviously would impact his experience with other team members and physicians. After I saw how frustrating it would be with my own eyes, we contacted the right folks and had it fixed in a couple of days. It's easy to just pay lip service to providers, but spend the time seeing it from their perspective.

One thing I have found to be helpful is continuing education on EMR capabilities, availability of trainers onsite & having a dedicated hotline with a key trainer available to answer questions.

One of the things I’m currently doing to improve is streamlining the documentation side for both Medical and Nursing Team to help simplify the process and make things easier to view, as well as make it easier to navigate all important information needed.

When establishing a new EMR system, it is necessary to develop a detailed group, possibly including IT, nursing and other resources available 24/7. These individuals would be available to assist physicians with any questions or concerns that may arise.

Crear un grupo experto, que pueda acompa?ar a los médicos directamente en el campo de área laboral, atendiendo dudas y solucionando de manera individual e inmediata las dificultades que puedan surgir.

Support is ongoing. Dedicated physician line is critical to minimize wait time. Anyone having and EHR should be heard as quickly as possible. Monthly champion meetings, going to division meetings or department meeting - take 5 mins slot for EHR update and feedback.

Feedback received from Physician should be addressed in time. whether things can happen in EHR or not - complete the feedback loop with the response. encourage healthy discussion and feedback and feedforward sessions. Once a month Informatics sessions for new things coming out, feedback on how best to implement etc..

Feedback is always essential to the addition of any new process, and definitely with a new EMR system. Multiple avenues of feedback are helpful to involving physicians in this process. These may include direct contact with an administrator overseeing the new EMR, a specific call line to record concerns, and group meetings held multiple times throughout the initial period of the EMR adoption giving physicians opportunities to discuss and make changes within the system. Involvement in the process from development to implementation would encourage acceptance and active usage by physicians.

Regular feedback regarding the EHR will help in fine tuning and make it more refined which will help in getting more people to get onboard.

I think the most important thing to consider is that EHR systems are generally junk. Garbage. They were forced on physicians by business outsiders - typically the case, because physicians have been so focused on patient care that the business of healthcare grew around us, suffocated us, and subdued us. Now, we dance to whatever tune they play; as they become wealthier by producing software and systems that we work like cogs in a wheel. To believe that these templated formats which include endless amounts of useless information and noise could ever replace the unique notes and orders written by sentient and highly educated human beings is ridiculous. That being said, we’re never going back, so goodbye excellence and hello ???? mediocrity.??

The initial step of EHR implementation is to come up with a detailed strategic plan for the activities ahead. Assign duties and responsibilities to the team members, identify the physician champions, and create a space for mutual support and dependence. Make sure the team is ready with the contingency plans too. Workforce productivity may decrease; workflow may go haywire or even patients may get annoyed during the implementation phase. An important point to remember here is that preparation is the key to successful EHR implementation.

Many electronic medical records (EMR) systems are perceived as cumbersome and not physician-friendly, often due to their complex nature and bureaucratic elements. To address struggles with EMR adoption, it's crucial to increase physician input and influence in the design and implementation phases. Enhancing EMR systems to be more intuitive and less time-consuming can shift the focus from screen time to patient care, fostering better adoption and more effective use.

I have had to train in and implement 3 EMR systems in 27 years. I had the advantage of a journalism background (writing/editing on computers) and very fast typing skills, but even for me it was rough. Never forget that adopting an EMR is back-breaking, exhausting, exasperating work. Three secrets to success, and why I am very good at EMR: 1. Train thoroughly before -with modules, -by watching experienced effective physicians, -step by step with a skillful user the first couple weeks. 2. Slow way down, seeing only 4-6 patients per half day for at least two weeks. Learn it right from the start! 3. Once the flow is going, come back and build and implement timesavers/smart phrases/order groupings/templates, etc. EMR done right is gold!

As a hormone practice consultant, I came across this a few years ago when EHRs were mandated. It appeared everyone was resistant to adapting to this new technology, not just the physician. I handled it by speaking their language and offered hefty bonuses if we made a deadline for adaption. It worked! Money speaks many languages.