VisionWeb's I.O. View [SPONSORED]: Four Ways to Ensure a Smooth EHR Software Implementation

You've completed training, your staff is prepared, and you're finally ready to go-live with your EHR software! Going-live can be a scary time when you're dealing with actual patient data so it's very important that your practice goes live with the new system only when you're ready. Check out some advice we have for you to prepare you for go-live.

Take it Slow
Completely changing up what you are used to doing can be overwhelming, especially if you are moving away from paper records. To make the transition easier, you don't have to start with electronic records right at go-live. Here are some suggestions on how to take things slow:

• Chart only new patients electronically while the patient is in the office. The established patients can be entered at the end of the day, then slowly increase volume of electronically charted patients.
• Chart only particular kinds of exams electronically with the patient present, i.e. only comprehensive exams, or only CL Fittings, then increase to include more exam types.
• Chart one patient per day electronically with the patient present, and increase as you go.

Communicate Regularly
You may have already spent tons of time with your co-workers during training but you should be communicating just as much even after go-live. Conduct regular meetings to get everybody on the same page. They don't have to be long, but you should use these meetings to encourage your staff to ask questions and to ask for help when needed. Don't let them struggle through the process without communicating.

Get your staff to note issues that arise throughout the week and bring them to the meetings so everyone can review and compare notes and then work together to solve them, and prevent the same issues from happening in the future.

Keep your staff involved by asking them to seek ways to improve the practice's workflow, especially parts they are in-charge of, and communicate their suggestions and feedback to you. You should work to continually improve your workflow, even after go-live.

Refer to Support and Training Options
Remember those resources provided by your vendor for training? Those will still come in handy after go-live. If you see your staff struggling to use the system after go-live, send them through training again. Get them to watch the training videos, review the knowledge base, and if your vendor offers structured learning, get them to take the quizzes again. Instead of just making sure that they pass the quiz, make sure that they are getting perfect test scores. And, if you need further support from your EHR vendor, do not hesitate to reach out to the support team to answer any questions you have.

Expect Hurdles
While you are working through those hurdles, it is a good idea to notify your patients of the new system so you can request their patience for any delays. Remember, change management doesn't stop the day of go-live. You should continue to provide support to your staff and learn new things along the way. You and your team have come this far, so don't let a few obstacles stop you! Things are not always going to be smooth sailing – that's just part of life! You should expect to face some hurdles even if you think you're prepared!

This piece was contributed by the Uprise blog. Uprise is a cloud-based practice management and EHR solution by VisionWeb. View the original post here: What to Expect When You Go-Live with Your EHR Software.