If I were an EMR, would you buy me? 8 tips on happy EMR ownership.
If you are EMR shopping, there are several basic considerations. I’m not going to go in to the benefits of web hosted v. you hosted etc, who has bells and whistles, and gives the most screen shots.
Nope, lets cut to the chase and make sure you buy something you and your staff will use and love. So here’s what to do:
- Get references. Talk to everyone you know, and visit their practice. Watch them do notes, order labs, and handle consults. If there is lots of clicking, cutting, pasting, tooing and froeing, this is not the EMR for you!
- KISS! Keep it simple, stupid! The idea is that if there is 4 ways to do one thing, you and your staff will get confused. Try to find EMRS that have single, SIMPLE, easy to remember ways to do something.
- Look for intuitive navigation. Your hope is that your EMR operates intuitively, such that notes would be where you find notes, and the labs tab would be where you find labs. Don’t laugh–your world is different from the IT people who created these EMRS!
- Watch for multiple opening windows and drop down screens. The more windows you have to open, the more your screen fills up. The more cascades open up as you click along, the more buried you get. Your best option is a single click or command–going through windows and cascades takes time and causes frustrations to mount.
- Get complete buy in. Shiny toys are fun, but think of buying an EMR like buying a house–you’re going to be in it for a long time! Get all of your staff involved, and most especially, the physicians. If they aren’t completely invested, you just bought the equivalent of swamp land in Florida.
- Train, train, train, and train some more. A single class just won’t teach the users enough. Plan on multiple, short sessions, with repeating lessons.
- Be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither are competent EMR users.
- Know that you will see bad behavior. One physician hand wrote his History and Physical and taped it over the computer monitor. Nice.
Good luck out there! Choose carefully, as the aftermarket resale value of an EMR is small, if non-existent. (Can you buy an EMR on e-bay?)
Well said! Unfortunately Physicians get swayed by the bells and whistles and do not focus on what their real needs are. And EMR vendors like most software vendors are getting far removed from the K.I.S.S. principle.
Our EMR blog provides more details on technical and non-technical aspects of EMR selection and implementation.
Cheers,
Alok
Absolutely right on. Too many offices that purchase an EMR end up with shelfware because they fail to have a realistic implementation plan in place. It would be much wiser to define your goals and expectations and then talk to the various software vendors and see how they can meet your expectation. It is not about how pretty it looks, its about how well it functions in your environment. One size doesn”t fit all so be sure that the software can do what you need it to do with the least amount of hassle.
Thanks
Tom
The problem is, how do you pick? How can you be sure it is a good fit. It’s almost like buying a house, but it’s easier to redo your home than modify some EMRs! Thanks for your comments!