How Lean Six Sigma Can Help with Your EHR/EMR, Move to the Cloud

How Lean Six Sigma Can Help with Your EHR/EMR, Move to the Cloud

Reposted from December 15, 2022

Moving your Electronic Health Record (EHR) or Electronic Medical Records (EMR) to the cloud can be intimidating, but with the proper support, it doesn’t have to be. Although EHR and EMR programs have commonalities, they are different.?

An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s medical history that allows healthcare professionals to quickly access vital information such as medications, allergies, test results, and other health data. EHRs enable healthcare providers to make informed decisions about care for their patients by allowing them to track patient progress over time. This can help healthcare professionals quickly diagnose and treat illnesses, coordinate care between different health systems, and better understand the needs of their patients.

EHRs provide real-time access to patient data and secure records that are electronically stored, which allows for faster data entry, easier sharing between providers, and more accurate data tracking. EHRs allow for increased safety through reminders and integrated drug databases.

An EMR (Electronic Medical Record) is a subset of the information in an EHR, including administrative, billing, and clinical data.

The primary difference between an EHR and an EMR is the amount of information that is available. An EHR contains much more data than an EMR, as it includes detailed health information, including patient medical histories and medications taken. An EMR, on the other hand, typically only consists of clinical data necessary to provide direct patient care.

Lean Six Sigma is an approach that can make the transition to a cloud-based EHR/EMR system easier and smoother. Lean Six Sigma combines Lean and Six Sigma elements to create a comprehensive approach to business process improvement.

To correctly identify the problem, it is fundamental to understand the context of the move and the key stakeholders involved. This includes stakeholders such as physicians, nurses, IT professionals, administrators, and patients. It is also necessary to understand the current infrastructure of your EHR system and any potential challenges that may arise from moving it to the cloud.

Once you have identified the stakeholders, infrastructure, and potential issues associated with the move, it is critical to analyze them to develop a comprehensive plan. Lean Six Sigma can be a valuable tool in this analysis by helping you define and prioritize the problems, develop potential solutions, select the best solution, and ultimately implement and monitor the solution.

By taking the time to fully understand and define the problem associated with moving your EHR to the cloud, you can ensure that the project will be successful and cost-effective. Lean Six Sigma provides a structured approach to help you identify and address potential problems before they become an issue. With this approach, you can make sure that you are making an informed decision that will benefit everyone involved.

Identify the Root Cause

?One of the key benefits of using Lean Six Sigma to assist with an electronic health record (EHR) move to the cloud is that it can help identify the root cause of any issues or delays in the process. Lean Six Sigma utilizes various analytical tools, such as fishbone diagrams, value stream mapping, and failure mode and effects analysis, to investigate the cause-and-effect relationship between events. With this data, teams can analyze the data and identify where problems arise and why.

When analyzing the data, teams should consider internal and external factors that could affect the success of the EHR move. Internal factors could include needing more resources or expertise within the organization or how well the processes were planned and implemented. External factors could consist of outside vendors or technology constraints.

Once these factors have been identified, they can be addressed by developing corrective action plans to minimize these factors' impact on the move's success. These corrective action plans should be monitored and tracked to ensure that they effectively resolve the issues. By using Lean Six Sigma to identify and address root causes, organizations can ensure that their EHR moves to the cloud are successful.

Developing Potential Solutions

?Once the root cause of the problem has been identified, it is time to move on to the next step in the Lean Six Sigma process: developing potential solutions. For example, several possible answers could be employed for electronic health records (EHR) moving to the cloud.

One solution could be to move the EHR system to the cloud using existing infrastructure and processes. This would require minimal changes to the current system and could be done relatively quickly.

Another option would be to upgrade the existing system to make it more cloud-ready. This could include adding new features and capabilities or updating existing ones.

A third solution could be to create a hybrid system that utilizes both cloud-based and on-premises components. This would allow for greater flexibility and scalability while maintaining security and control. Finally, a fourth option would be to switch to an entirely new cloud-based EHR system. This would allow for a complete overhaul of the existing system and a fresh start for the organization.

The critical thing to remember when developing potential solutions is that no single option is perfect for every situation. Each of these solutions has advantages and disadvantages, and it is up to the organization to decide which?is best for its particular needs. Once a few potential solutions have been identified, it is time to move on to the next step: selecting the best solution.

Popular EHR/EMR Systems

?Choosing the correct electronic health record (EHR) system for your healthcare organization can be daunting. Knowing which best fits your needs can be challenging with?many different solutions.

There are many choices, but the most popular are:

·????????Epic

·????????Cerner (Oracle)

·????????Athenahealth

·????????McKesson

·????????eClinicalWorks

Epic is designed to integrate with various other healthcare systems, making it easy to pull information from other sources. The software also provides access to detailed patient records, including medical history and health information, which helps practitioners diagnose and treat patients more effectively. Additionally, Epic offers powerful tools for tracking performance, enabling practitioners to review key performance indicators and make informed decisions about their practice. Finally, the system provides reliable customer service and technical support to ensure users can access help.

Cerner is one of the most popular electronic health record (EHR) and electronic medical record (EMR) solutions, but some drawbacks should be considered.

One of the most significant drawbacks of Cerner is the cost. It’s one of the most expensive options on the market, so it may be too pricey if you’re a small practice with limited resources. Additionally, Cerner is known for having complex implementation processes, which can add to the cost.

Another potential con of Cerner is its need for more flexibility when it comes to customization. While Cerner offers some customizable features, it’s not as flexible as?other EHR/EMR solutions. This could be an issue if you need more customized features to meet the needs of your practice.

Finally, there have been reports of slow response times and technical glitches with Cerner. While working hard to address these issues, they still present a downside to using the solution.

While Cerner is a popular EHR/EMR solution, it has its downsides. So before deciding to go with Cerner, please carefully consider the pros and cons and make sure it fits your practice correctly.

Athenahealth is one of the leading Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) solutions on the market today. It offers a comprehensive suite of features, including the ability to document patient care and connect healthcare professionals in a streamlined manner. In addition, Athenahealth is designed to improve the speed and accuracy of data entry and make it easier to share records between providers.

Athenahealth integrates with many third-party applications, making it highly customizable and easy to use.

Athenahealth stands out for its ability to integrate with hundreds of third-party applications, allowing it to be customized to any practice. This makes it an excellent choice for those looking for a flexible EHR or EMR solution that can grow and change as their practice does. Athenahealth also offers an intuitive user interface, making it easy for physicians and staff to use the system.

In addition, Athenahealth provides a secure platform, with data backed up in multiple locations and protected by stringent security protocols. Athenahealth includes many features, such as digital forms, e-prescribing capabilities, telemedicine support, patient portals, and more. Finally, Athenahealth provides access to a knowledgeable customer support team to answer any questions and help you get the most out of your EHR or EMR solution.

McKesson is a medical and pharmaceutical services company primarily known for its EHR and EMR solutions. While McKesson’s solutions have some desirable features, there are some cons. First, McKesson’s user interface can be overly complex and challenging for less tech-savvy users. Furthermore, the pricing for McKesson’s EHR and EMR solutions can be pretty expensive compared to other vendors, with monthly subscription costs reaching the thousands. Finally, some users have reported that the customer service for McKesson can be less than satisfactory, with limited access to experts. In summary, while McKesson has some desirable features, consider the pros and cons before deciding.

eClinicalWorks

?eClinicalWorks is a popular EHR/EMR solution that has been around for over a decade and is used by thousands of medical practices. It was designed to help make the medical practice run more smoothly, including integrated medical records, an electronic prescribing system, and an integrated billing system. It also provides advanced analytics tools to help healthcare providers understand and analyze patient data. eClinicalWorks also offers customizable dashboards that allow providers to view patient information and make informed decisions quickly. The platform is also well-known for its user-friendly interface, which makes it easy for healthcare providers to use. Additionally, eClinicalWorks is highly scalable, so it can easily be adapted to fit the needs of any size practice.

?Selecting the Best Solution

?Once potential solutions have been identified, it is compulsory to evaluate them to select the best one. The Lean Six Sigma methodology can assist with this process. First, the team should identify the criteria which will be used to evaluate the potential solutions, such as cost, feasibility, and implementation timeline. The team should then score each solution based on the criteria and compare the scores to make an informed decision.

The Lean Six Sigma methodology also provides a Pugh Matrix tool to assist with decision-making. The Pugh Matrix uses a scoring system and evaluates the potential solutions against one another to determine the most suitable. This tool allows the team to weigh each possible solution against the identified criteria and select objectively.

Once the best solution has been selected, ensuring that it meets all requirements for successful implementation is crucial. The team should review the chosen solution’s details to identify any potential risks or issues that may arise during implementation. If any threats are identified, the team should develop a mitigation plan.

Selecting the best solution is vital to successfully moving to the cloud for electronic health records (EHR). The Lean Six Sigma methodology can help teams evaluate potential solutions and select the best one that meets their requirements.

Implementing and Monitoring the Solution

Once the best solution has been identified, the next step is to begin the implementation process. This may involve changes to existing EHR systems, establishing new protocols and procedures, training staff, and ensuring that technical requirements are in place. Successful solution implementation requires attention to detail and thorough planning to ensure?the transition is as smooth as possible.

Once the implementation is complete, it is imperative to monitor the progress and results of the solution. Through regular assessment and evaluation, any areas of improvement can be identified and addressed quickly. For example, lean Six Sigma can measure the solution’s success, track KPIs, and identify areas where additional training may be needed. In addition, regular monitoring can help to ensure that the transition to the cloud is successful and that all employees are using the new systems correctly and efficiently.