Best Practices For Replacing Your EHR

By Megan Williams, contributing writer

One EHR vendor offers up tips and suggestions for selecting a new EHR system.

As much as the use of EHRs has been touted as the key to improved efficiency and effectiveness in the medical industry, the ever-growing technology has been blamed for actually lowering satisfaction among physicians. Dissatisfaction is caused by changes to workflow, confusion over how to use platforms, and a shifting of physician attention from patient interaction to computer screens.

In response, much has been written about the doctor love/hate relationship with EHRs, and even some surprising solutions to help alleviate some of the sore feelings and decreased time with patients. For many providers though, finding peace with their EHR means obtaining a different system altogether.

Upgrading Ambulatory EHR

A recent eBook sponsored by Allscripts and authored by their VP of Physician Practice Solutions, Libby Moore, addresses the process of selecting a new EHR system. The eBook, Redefining Ambulatory EHR: An eBook On Selecting An EHR Replacement, is available for download on EHR Intelligence highlights some of the primary reasons behind the 58 percent dissatisfaction rate among ambulatory users. The rate stems from:

• Overpromises: Exaggerations of system capabilities, and no follow-through on physician understanding and adaptation.
• Excess Regulatory Focus: Developers creating systems that conform to regulatory requirements, instead of finding a balance between regulations and physician needs.
• Population Health And Integration: Systems and vendors not taking this into account, which leaves physicians stuck with information silos that do little to make genuine impact on patient care.

Vendor Selection

The book goes on to recommend four specific criteria providers should look for when selecting an EHR vendor to aid them in replacing their current system:

• Experience that consists of a balanced portfolio, a large industry footprint, and implementation that meets diverse governance models.
• An understanding of scalability and applying it to individual needs, along with proof of prior success.
• Preparedness around Meaningful Use and ICD-10.
• Financial stability based on a healthy client base and investment in R&D.

The book also gives advice on identifying individual practice deployment needs, creating roadmaps, analyzing raw data, and using health information exchanges to connect with key stakeholders and manage population health. Additionally it covers patient portals and training questions. To read more, you can download Redefining Ambulatory EHR: An eBook On Selecting An EHR Replacement here.