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Answer to Your Question

Is there a checklist or methodology that I can use to assess my practice readiness?

Yes, several tools have been developed to assist physicians, nurses, and office staff in assessing practice readiness. Checklists and methodologies facilitate critical thinking about the kinds of questions the assessment team should ask, how they should ask the questions, and to whom the questions should be fielded. These tools enable the assessment team to score a practice's readiness in several different areas, including management/executive readiness, operational readiness, technical readiness, and organizational culture readiness. We encourage you to use available checklists and methodologies to create an assessment checklist that best fits the needs of your individual practice/hospital/health clinic. Your local Regional Extension Center (REC) can support your practice in all stages of electronic health record (EHR) implementation including practice readiness assessment.

Implementing EHRs – Assessing Your Practice Readiness

How do I conduct a practice readiness assessment?
The assessment phase is foundational to all other implementation activities, and involves determining if the practice is ready to make the change from paper records to electronic health records (EHRs...
Is broadband available in my area?
The National Broadband Map The National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission maintain the National Broadband Map, a tool to search,...
What types of goals or metrics should I use?
We recommend that you set goals in areas that are important and meaningful to your practice. These may be clinical goals, revenue goals or goals around work environment. Goals in all three areas will...
One of the providers in my practice is adamantly opposed to using an electronic health record (EHR). Are there any suggestions for helping us move forward?
It's not unusual for some physicians to resist using an electronic health record (EHR), and there can be many reasons for this reluctance. Is he/she uncomfortable using a computer? Does he/she fear...
Who should assess practice readiness? Who can I ask for help?
If possible, the assessment team should include stakeholders with diverse roles in your practice/hospital/health clinic to leverage each role's expertise in their area of work and to encourage buy-in...
What if my community does not have access to broadband?
If you find your community does not have access to any of the broadband technology platforms, Broadband.Gov recommends contacting local government officials. You can contact your mayor, county...
What is broadband and why is broadband access important?
The Basics The term broadband refers to high-speed internet access. Broadband is different from dial-up internet service for several reasons, including the following: Broadband service provides a...
How can my organization access broadband?
The Basics Before implementing an electronic health record, you should plan for how your practice/hospital/health center will access broadband. You can access broadband in several different ways...
How much will the readiness assessment process cost?
Although precise cost estimates are not available, you are not on your own. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) established 62 Regional Extension Centers (...
What is the recommended bandwidth for different types of health care providers?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recommends the following minimum bandwidth speeds [PDF - 700 KB]: Single Physician Practice – 4 megabits per second (Mbps) Supports practice...
How long should the assessment phase last?
The amount of time required to perform readiness assessments will vary depending on several factors including the size of your practice/hospital/health center, whether your practice/hospital/health...
Why do I need patient input?
One of the five pillars of meaningful use instructs providers to "engage patients and their families in their health," and it is vital to begin engaging patients in the readiness assessment phase....