Planning is an important component of any electronic health record (EHR) implementation. Below you will find some of tactical steps that typically occur during the EHR implementation planning phase organized in three main categories: planning the workflow, planning for technology, and planning for our people. You may collaborate with and/or use tools provided by your Regional Extension Center (REC), IT vendor, and/or EHR vendor (if you already have an existing EHR product) to complete these activities.

EHR Implementation Plan Workflow:

• Map out the workflows and analyze how the practice currently gets work done (the current state). There are several standard processes in a private practice. You should map each of these processes out and analyze the workflows, using example workflow templates when available. Make sure to assign specific staff to “own” each process. Standard processes may include:

-      Scheduling the Patient

-      Provider Visit: Patient Check-In

-      Provider Visit: Rooming the Patient

-      Provider Visit with the Patient

-      Electronic Medical Devises Current Used

-      Provider Visit: Patient Check-Out

-      Nurse/Medical Assistant (MA) Visit: Patient Check-In

-      Nurse/MA Visit: Rooming the Patient

-      Nurse/MA Visit: Check-Out

-      In-house Labs

-      Outside Labs

-      Billing

• Map out how EHRs will enable desired workflows, creating new workflow patterns to improve inefficiency or duplicative processes (the future state).

EHR Implementation Plan for Technology:

• Initiate contingency planning – or disaster recovery planning – to combat issues that may arise throughout the implementation process.
• Establish a chart abstraction plan, a means to transform information from paper charts to electronic charts. Identify specific data elements that will need to be entered into the new EHR and if there are items that will be scanned.
• Understand what data elements may be migrated from your old system to your new one, such as patient demographics or provider schedule information.
• Understand the technical elements, internal and external stakeholders, and workflow implications of health information exchange (HIE) of your selected EHR system.
• Have a general understanding of the Meaningful Use objectives and what it will take for your practice to achieve Meaningful Use.

EHR Implementation Plan for People:

• Create an EHR implementation plan for transitioning from paper to EHRs, and appoint someone to manage the project plan. This person should possess the necessary skills to ‘own’ the project through completion.
• Identify and appoint a person in your practice who will be responsible for managing the implementation of privacy and security measures necessary during EHR implementation and adoption.
• Document your vision for EHR implementation; what the practice/hospital/health center plans to accomplish with its EHR system; the intended scope of the EHR implementation; and the expected benefits, including  return on investment (ROI), return on effort (ROE), tangible measures, and less-tangible benefits. This documentation will serve as the Project Charter.

Establish and maintain buy-in from all practice/hospital/health center employees by establishing a communication process that is reliable, bi-directional, and frequent.