Here is some friendly advice for medical organizations and hospitals who are looking to take benefit from Medicaid and Medicare incentives by switching to a more efficient EMR software system – Some many roadblocks and challenges come with the initial transition phase of the software system. There are a few errors and mistakes that can be avoided to help your staff face the challenges and help your practice support patient care and patient satisfaction.
Avoid the following list of slip-ups to avoid excessive costs associated with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software alteration
- Prioritize the comfort-level of your staff members – It is important to make sure that everyone in your medical practice is on the same page and content about new workflows, interfaces, and tools of the newly installed software system. Communicate with your staff about the new software and reduce any avoidable administrative tasks so that your billing, coding ad scheduling team can get hands down with the new system before going live.
- Take the lead – A costly mistakes most clinicians end up doing is not taking complete charge as a leader during the transition phase. The success of your practice is dependent upon the smooth implementation of the new EHR software system that is deployed. It should be your utmost task to educate your team members about how the new software system will help streamline administrative, financial, and clinical workflows. Share your practice goals as the leader so any changes can be embraced without any hitches. In the end, your members will follow your lead so communicate all priorities.
- Not cooperating with your current and future EMR software vendors – While making an Electronic Health Records software switch you will realize that the new vendor has different solutions as compared to the previous software vendor. It is advised that you act as a team with your software vendor to ensure a smooth transition. Once the new software system is installed your members will naturally have queries about the system so it is good to work jointly and take help from their resources and customer support.
- Unrealistic anticipations – You might have unrealistic expectations with the newly deployed software system when it comes to functionalities and outcomes. A certified and top-ranked EMR software system will provide greater benefits to your practice in terms of workflow efficiencies but you need to know and understand what the software system can do for your practice. To make the most out of the newly installed software it is important to let your staff know how workflows will alter.
- Discounting issues-Any new EMR software shift is bound to have problems but the gravest issue arises when you completely ignore these problems. There might be issues related to functionality, user-interface, and configurations that need to be addressed. After the implementation is it important to take feedback from your staff members about how the system is working. Issues can be prioritized and then can be corrected to improve administrative workflows.
Conclusion
By avoiding the above-mentioned mistakes you can be sure that the software implementation is smooth and you save up your money that can be lost and can benefit your practice in the long-run. Communication with your staff members and new EMR software vendor is the key here to ensure a smooth transition and achieve a successful future for your healthcare organization. Be a proactive leader to support your staff embrace innovative technology with open arms.
