Practice Management Alert

Practices may want to switch doctors to e-records individually

Medical offices that are switching from paper records to electronic health records (EHR) have to consider a lot of variables. Transferring all of the office's information to e-records takes time and planning, and offices that don't think about the adjustment ahead of time could have trouble implementing EHR.

According to Teresa G. Taylor of Mason Surgical Clinic PLLC in New Albany, Miss., her entire office was nervous when e-records were introduced.

-It was a big adjustment at first. Just the fact that we could not pull a chart and read it- made things nerve-wracking initially, Taylor says.

This nervousness was only eased as people used e-records and got accustomed to them. But after you-ve mastered its intricacies, -EHR spoils you fast. Everything you need is right at your fingertips,- she says.

Best bet: Make sure all staff is given the time and support they need to get used to EHR. Offices with staff members that have few computer skills might want to send them to an e-records seminar. You could also ask your vendor about any EHR software training programs available for medical offices.

Expect Doctors- Progress to Slow Down

Doctors are also susceptible to problems during an e-records switch. Complications arise most often during the transition, when patient files are being converted from paper to digital. Consider the case of Page Fulton of Anderson Hills Pediatrics Inc. in Cincinnati.

-We just made the move to EHR, and my advice is this: If you work in a large practice, only switch a few of the doctors at a time- over to EHR, she says.

Fulton learned this lesson the hard way, because her office attempted to switch all 10 of its doctors to e-records simultaneously last summer.

The result? -It was scary,- she says. -My doctors were still documenting in the paper chart and did EHR at the same time, so this really slowed them down.-

However, as in Taylor's case, the frustration bore fruit once everything was in place.

-We have been on EHR for a few months now, and although we have a few kinks to work out, everyone loves it,- Fulton says.