Healthcare professionals across various sectors, including public, acute, and behavioral health, rely heavily on electronic health record (EHR) systems to enhance patient care and streamline documentation. With an increasing number of advancements in this technology, mastering EHR software has become a critical focus for IT departments tasked with supporting clinical end users. Chris Mercier, Vice President of Research and Development at Juno Health, highlights the strategies necessary for navigating the EHR learning curve effectively by 2026.
Empowering IT Teams for EHR Mastery
To ensure smooth transitions to new EHR systems, IT personnel must obtain an in-depth understanding of the software. This knowledge is equally vital for IT staff as it is for clinical end users. Unfortunately, many healthcare institutions do not allocate sufficient time for IT teams to familiarize themselves with new systems.
The journey to becoming EHR experts should start with comprehensive involvement in training, integrations, and data migrations. This proactive approach allows IT teams to grasp the system’s functions thoroughly, ultimately preventing issues before they arise. Without dedicated training time, the dual demands of learning the EHR and managing daily responsibilities could hinder team competency and overall user support.
Remaining agile is crucial. IT teams should continuously review documentation and updates to adapt workflows as the EHR evolves. After initial training, ongoing learning is essential. Engaging with vendor release notes and testing scripts aids in understanding workflows and use cases, which is invaluable during user acceptance testing prior to the go-live date and during subsequent software updates.
Establishing a Robust Support Framework
The effectiveness of EHR support significantly impacts the end-user experience. A well-structured support system can facilitate quick issue resolution and enhance user satisfaction. One approach is to implement a multitiered support structure, which can address varying levels of need across the organization.
This structure might include:
– **Tier 1**: Clinical super users and informatics specialists providing immediate support at the bedside.
– **Tier 2**: Specialized IT staff handling complex system issues and customizations.
– **Tier 3**: Vendor support and system administrators addressing critical failures and upgrades.
By using their intimate knowledge of both the software and user requirements, IT professionals can assist in addressing smaller issues in-house. Establishing dedicated helplines and on-site staff with strict response time metrics can expedite simple triage, which may include resolving connectivity concerns, checking system resources, and addressing customer-loaded software issues.
When more complex problems arise, such as corrupt files or system-level issues, IT must escalate these to vendors for expert intervention. Submitting help tickets allows vendors to investigate and quickly implement repairs, enabling clinicians to maximize their limited resources effectively.
Data analytics and performance monitoring also play a vital role in EHR support. IT teams can monitor infrastructure to ensure that all components of the system are functioning effectively. This includes tracking CPU and RAM usage, network utilization, and response times. As technology advances, EHRs are moving toward proactive alerting systems that can detect issues before they impact patient care.
Enhancing Collaboration Between Clinical and Technical Teams
Effective EHR support relies on clear communication between clinicians and IT professionals. Facilitating feedback channels allows clinicians to share insights regarding system functionality, which is essential for addressing patient needs. Collaborating with users who are well-versed in the EHR can lead to improved customization of workflows, order sets, and templates, thus building a sustainable support network.
Cross-functional committee meetings that include IT, product management, and clinical leadership are also critical. These meetings provide a platform for discussing how well the EHR meets organizational needs and addressing any ongoing issues. Establishing rapport among different departments fosters a culture where end users feel comfortable bringing concerns to IT and vendors.
As healthcare continues to grow more complex and IT teams become increasingly dispersed across various facilities, it is imperative to have foundational practices in place for EHR support. Keeping communication lines open ensures that users are equipped to navigate the system effectively, which is crucial for maintaining the flow of information within healthcare organizations.
Chris Mercier, with over 30 years of IT experience and 25 years focused on healthcare IT, emphasizes the importance of adapting to the evolving landscape of electronic health records. When not leading development efforts at Juno Health, he enjoys engaging in hobbies such as 3D printing, woodworking, and spending quality time with his son.
