Question

1.What is the role project management techniques in the implementation of EHRs?

2. Why is project management so important for a successful EHR Implementation?

3. What is the role and value of acceptance testing during the EHR implementation process?

Answer 1

1.A healthcare project manager is responsible for leading and overseeing projects that a healthcare organization is pursuing to improve operations or patient safety. The manager coordinates and directs all project team members working on the project.

An electronic health record (EHR) implementation plan is a comprehensive set of strategies and steps used by a health care organization when preparing for and executing the adoption of an electronic-based health care system.

EHRproject manager’s responsibilities center on creating an implementation plan and ensuring the EHR project will further a practice’s strategic goals. The alignment of the EHR project with strategic goals requires the project manager to first articulate the implementation plan and make certain that all of an organization’s resources are being used in a way that furthers the plan .Put simply, a project manager is responsible for making certain the plan on paper is put into practice.

2.EHR implementation results in the improved quality of care, customer-orientation and timely access to complete information

Implementations typically take 16 to 24 months, include targets for each phase. Make them measurable and obtainable, incorporating every phase, from design to Go-Live..

10 Steps to Successful Electronic Health Record (EHR) Implementation

1) Build your electronic health record (EHR) implementation team.

2) Prepare the software.

3) Determine your hardware needs.

4) Consider the patient treatment room layout.

5) Transfer data.

6) Create workflows.

7) What to do when your EHR is down

3.

EHR acceptance by healthcare professionals is an essential condition to ensure that the expected benefits will materialize [38], [39]. Thus, understanding factors influencing EHR acceptance is one of the key elements in ensuring its optimal integration and, ultimately, measurable benefits within health system and population. Factors related to users and their working environment have to be considered because many previous EHR projects have failed due to the lack of integration into practices and organizations .

The EHR is also a tool that facilitates knowledge exchange and decision making among healthcare professionals by providing them with relevant, timely, and up-to-date information. EHR systems have the potential to make patient care more efficient while improving access to needed medical information. ... The best value of usability testing occurs when applied early on in the planning process, when problems are easier and less expensive to fix than they would be after implementation of the EHR.