Implementing an Electronic Health Record

1
Implementing an Electronic Health Record

• Darby Christopherson, RN
• Clinical Systems Manager
• darby.christopherson_at_macpierre.com
• Medical Associates Clinic
• Pierre, SD

2
OBJECTIVES

• Our Facility
• Staffing
• Timeline
• Benefits
• Cost Savings

• Disadvantages
• Myths
• Lessons Learned
• Essentials
• Which EHR is right for you?

3
Medical Associates Clinic

• 22 Physicians
• 5 PAs
• Multispecialty
• Physician-Owned

• 130 Employees
• Ambulatory Surgery Center
• Anywhere from 200-400 patients per day

4
IT Staff

• Starting out 1 IT, 1 Clinical System Analyst
• Now 3 IT, 2 Clinical System Analysts
• Future 3 it, 1 Clinical System Analyst

5
Timeline

• 2004 Shopping
• Went shopping for an EHR along with a practice
  management system to integrate with it
• Doctors visited other clinics with EHRs
• Had different venders show their software to
  staff at the clinic

6
Timeline

• February 2005 Went Live with Scheduling and
  Registration in our Practice Management System
• March 2005 Initial Project Team training on
  EHR.
• May 2005 Business Office went Live with
  Practice Management System
• March October 2005 Design, Build, and
  Training Phase I of the EHR

7
Timeline

• September 2005 Clinic moved into new building.
  Implemented Digital X-ray Technology
• October 2005 Brought first group Live on Phase
  I of the EHR
• May 2006 January 2007 Design, Build and
  Training Phase II of EHR.
• February 2007 Present Continuing to bring
  clinic Live on Phase II

8
Future Plans

• Systems are always changing and upgrading
• Spring of 2008 Begin process of upgrading to a
  new version of EHR
• Continued maintenance and improvements to be made

9
Benefits

• Prescribing
• Phone calls
• Waiting for charts
• Integration
• Digital X-ray
• Lab
• Dragon Speak
• Devices

• Up-to-date records
• Portability/Working from home
• Speed Accuracy of billing process
• Ability to design system to fit your facilitys
  needs.

10
Benefits, cont.

• Fewer loose papers
• Templates
• EM Coder
• Task Lists

11
Cost Savings

• Chart Supplies
• Transcriptionists
• Medical Records Staff

• Improved Coding
• Reduction in Charge lag time
• Reduction in Denials

12
Disadvantages

• Cost
• Software
• Hardware
• Staff
• Support
• Maintenance

• Technology Learning Curve
• Enhancement Requests

13
Myths

• You will not need more staff
• IT Person
• Clinical Person
• The EHR is a Turn-Key operation
• Many hours of building/designing/training!
• The EHR will save you money ROI
• Takes Time!

14
Lessons Learned

• Big-Bang Theory
• Physician Involvement
• Standards/Policies
• If I could do it over

• Scanning Process
• How much of the chart do we scan?
• Patient Information
• Who should input this information?
• Stay with them until they are ready!

15
Essentials

• Workflows
• Staff must be open to change
• Physician/Administrative Support
• Physician Champions
• Super-users
• Always push forward. There is no turning back!
• Patience, patience, patience

16
Which EHR is right for you?

• Versatile
• Usability/intuitiveness
• Support
• How much designing/building must be done by you?
• Can you purchase just the modules you need?
• Do your own research

17
Which EHR is right for you?

• Ask around
• Make site visits (on your own)
• CCHIT Certified? Certification Commission for
  Healthcare Information Technology. www.cchit.org
• Founded in 2004
• Guarantees functional, interoperative and
  security standards for HIT

18

• QUESTIONS