29 Mar How to create a successful team for EHR implementation
Once you’ve planned your approach to electronic health record implementation and you’ve organized your practice, you might realize that you don’t have enough resources or staff members to successfully adopt this new health information technology system. You may find it in your best interest to hire new staff members or consultants who have a good understanding of EHRs and could help the rest of your team thrive.
Search internally
New EHR team members don’t necessarily need to come from outside of your practice, according to Health IT. You may find it beneficial to bring on team members internally, as they are already familiar with the workflow of the practice, and they have a reputation with your company. Consider reaching out to existing staff members to see if they are interested in taking on a new role for EHR implementation.
Consider precise roles
To implement and follow through with EHR usage successfully, Healthcare IT recommended hiring team members for precise roles so that they have full focus on completing particular tasks. These individuals should have experience in the roles they are hired to perfect the EHR implementation process. The source suggested considering hiring for the following roles:
A planner
As you implement electronic health records, there’s bound to be a change in priorities, schedules and other things that make it difficult to stay on task. To keep everyone organized, consider hiring someone to take on the role of a planner. This person should help you handle all of the challenges and changes, and should be able to manage them on his own. During the hiring process, ask the candidates how they would react to a miscommunication in a transition. The perfect applicant should be able to remain calm under pressure and figure out a solution for the problem.
A messenger
The person you hire as the messenger should channel all of his focus on being a leader of communication. This person should keep the team updated with information throughout the process. He should also go above and beyond when delivering news via email and phone by returning messages promptly. During the hiring process, consider asking candidates how they dealt with situation where communication was lost or delivered poorly to help you get a sense of how they can turn a situation around if necessary.
An educator
When implementing EHRs, it’s important to hire someone that has great knowledge about health IT that can help the rest of your staff get a better understanding of EHRs. This person will take on the role as the educator, and he should know both your new and old health IT system inside and out. By understanding your old system, your educator will find it easier to relate to your staff and get a better understanding of the transition. During the hiring process, get a good understanding of your candidates experience with health IT.
A supporter
Implementing EHRs isn’t going to be an easy process, so it’s very important to have a cheerleader who can keep everyone motivated if something doesn’t go as planned. This person will take on the role as the supporter, and he should be able to keep your staff from getting frustrated and upset during the implementation process. The perfect candidate should have an excellent attitude no matter the circumstance.
