E-Medical Records: 10 Steps To Take Now
Published: 2010-05-16 08:55:11By: Marianne Kolbasuk McGee | Information Week | March 3, 2010
The federal government's $20 billion-plus healthcare IT stimulus program has more hospitals and doctors than ever planning to implement e-medical record and other health IT systems. But many healthcare providers have put plans on hold as they wait for the government's final "meaningful use" rules that will determine which types of systems are eligible for reimbursements.
"I've been in this industry for 25 years, and I've never seen as much anxiety and confusion," said Dr. Mark Leavitt, chairman of the Certification Commission for Health IT. Leavitt spoke with Informationweek at the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS ) conference in Atlanta Tuesday.
Despite all the uncertainty, there are steps providers can take now that will help them jump-start system deployments once the final rules are issued later this spring. Here are 10 top ones:
1) Get buy-in and sponsorship from your organization's top leadership, including influential clinicians and the CEO. "Solicit your leadership team and actively communicate with upper management," said Curt Kwak, CIO of the western region of Providence Health & Services, a provider that serves Washington, Oregon, Montana, California, and Alaska.
Support from the top is critical, especially when convincing users to give up old work habit and processes. Make sure everyone understands your goals, such as how the new systems will improve quality of care.
2) Decide how you'll fund the project--remember stimulus dollars don't start flowing until 2011. Some EMR vendors are offering interest-free loans for the upfront costs related to the purchase of these systems. Also consider applying for federal, state, and private grants. And some hospitals are offering free EMR software to doctors under the relaxed federal Stark rules.
3) Start evaluating your workflow and processes. Figure out what steps you're doing now waste time and money, and can be eliminated with the new system. "Health IT is truly a magnifying glass, you'll see all your flaws," said Florence Chang, senior VP and CIO at MultiCare, a Tacoma, Wash., hospital network. "Decide what steps don't add value."
4) Find out where key information resides in your organization. For instance, is information on patients' allergies in paper charts or computerized files? Start collecting information on how many prescription drug orders your doctors put through, and how they do those orders--paper, fax, or phone-in. You'll need this data later to measure your organization's meaningful use of electronic ordering, said Mike Wilson, senior IT director of clinical systems at Compuware.
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