With technology continuing to advance on a daily basis, it may be time for your practice to begin the transition to Electronic Medical Records. Although it may be somewhat difficult to convince every member of the practice of the importance of this conversion, we will now present 8 tips for increasing EMR adoption.
1.) Study and Minimize the workflow impact: Gain an estimation of the daily workflow at your practice to allow for customized how you can efficiently implement the shift to EMR. This will minimize the disruption and give you areas that can receive immediate upgrade.
2.) Deploy in phases and find advocates: Instead of trying to accomplish the tasks all at the same time, possibly causing the practice to temporarily close and loos revenue and patient satisfaction, conduct the transition in chunks that will allow continued operation of the business. In addition, you should identify those in the practice that believe in the success of the transition and allow them to be your advocate for the transition.
3.) Use physicians to train physicians: Who better to train those who will be using the new systems than those who speak the same “language?” Often that best person to train someone else is a person who understands the workflow, causes, needs, and desires of the individual being trained. Also, consider a small training environment that allows for better understanding and more intimate learning.
4.) Eliminate password problems with single sign-on: Every application that relates to privacy requires a password. It can be a daunting and unnecessary challenge to remember all of these passwords. This can be a solution that the IT department or professional can arrange that allows all programs, applications, and tools to be unlocked at the same time with one username and one password. This is not only easier than the constant call to IT when a password is forgotten but also an efficient way to access the applications necessary to continue the workflow.
5.) Simplify authentication and online signing with No Click Access: Due to HIPAA security and compliance regulations, it is important to remember that passwords can be easily compromised and this should be considered when aiming to keep sensitive patient information secure. Consider applying some form of biometric or other physical measures to prevent fraudulent access to the EMR. Some examples may include fingerprint biometrics and passive proximity badges.
6.) Simplify re-authentication for E-prescribing and CPOE: Stage 1 Meaningful Use objectives include requirements that physicians re-authenticate with the application when executing electronic prescriptions or ordering medications using CPOE. Offering the same, No Click Access described above for re-authentication reduces the burden of this requirement for physicians.
7.) Automate logoffs from shared workstations – Secure patient data: When we consider how busy our practices can be at times, it is sometimes difficult to ensure that each shared workstation is logged off each time it has been used. Providing an automatic logoff at designated time-out periods can dramatically reduce the potential for unauthorized access.
8.) Support clinician roaming with a virtual desktop: This tip would allow a physician to be working with a patient record on one terminal, logoff, and pick up where they left off on another terminal without having to reload data. This is an efficiency solution that allows us to remain focused on the task we are performing.
Read more at: Web Link: http://www.imprivata.com/sites/default/files/resource-files/mu_for_sso_wp_final.pdf
HART Marketing & Communications Inc. 