Instant access is a term viewed with reverence in the Healthcare world, for instant access to medical care can mean a lot to patients. And with the electronic health record (EHR), digital version pertaining to a patient’s paper chart, making patient information instantly available, patient outcomes are being transformed for the better.
With the EHR systems allowing easy access to patient data, streamlining provider workflow, more and more providers want to use EHR implementation towards transforming patient engagement and outcomes.
What are hurdles that providers face during EHR implementation?
Interoperability
Though EHR is now an able ally for other health systems, communication between these systems remains a challenge. Today, providers face the uphill task of making different facets of their practice share a similar digital language. Where sharing patient information is gaining traction, what’s obligatory is the need to ensure secured sharing of patient information, which stress the need to leverage interoperability standards.
Overcoming this challenge means that a provider comes out with a clear picture of the interoperability requirements as well as about possible integration systems. For instance, if the integration takes Laboratory systems (LIMS) into account, requirement ought to be defined properly by the provider. Seeking the assistance of expert integrators will guide providers in resolving interoperability issues.
Data Migration
Another salient feature of EHR implementation is data migration, be it the need to move from other digital systems or paper based forms. Data loss, a risk factor taken into consideration during migration, will have a negative slant to it when former systems are devoid of any common standard.
Addressing data migration challenges is about ensuring data exported from legacy systems is readable as dictated by the newly EHR system. Most importantly providers ought to identify right data sets for migration and make use of appropriate tools to facilitate seamless data migration.
Patient adoption
A new EHR system comes with the promise of fostering patient engagement, which in turn can spur better patient outcomes. Patient reluctance in adopting EHR features for optimizing patient engagement, as that of patient portals, doesn’t augur well to augment patient engagement, ensure several patient engagement metrics are met.
Providers play a key role in ensuring that patients understand the significance of new EHR, brought about by encouraging patients to go through formal trainings and educating patients on the value of new EHR as well as features in improving patient involvement. Considering how IoT is enabling capture of patient health information from different devices, patient adoption can pave the way for better engagement and outcomes
It takes strategic planning for providers to make the most of EHR implementation. Ensuring all the stakeholders adopt new changing environment is a step forward for the providers to leverage EHR implementation to transform patient engagement and outcomes.