When and how should I start EHR implementation planning?
Plan Your Approach
You should begin planning as soon as you assess your practice readiness and decide to adopt an electronic health record (EHR). Planning draws on information gathered during the assessment phase to outline the organization’s EHR implementation plan.
Start, Stop, Sustain
Planning is critical not only for identifying the right tasks to perform and the order of those tasks, but also for communicating to the entire team the transition to health IT. One effective first step in the planning process is for your team to segment tasks into three categories:
- What new work tasks/processes are we going to start doing?
- What work tasks/processes are we going to stop doing?
- What work tasks/processes are we going to sustain?
The “Start, Stop, Sustain” exercise will help your organization envision what the new work environment will be like after EHR implementation and helps the team prioritize tasks in the overall project plan.
For More Information
For more information about building your EHR implementation plan, see the following resources.
Implementing EHRs – Planning Your Approach
Creation and management of an effective electronic health record (EHR) implementation team is a crucial process. Once you have identified potential members of the implementation team, follow these...
Successfully creating and managing an internal planning team is crucial to planning success. Team members should bring differing perspectives on how the electronic health record (EHR) will be used...
Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are not vendors selling electronic health record (EHR) systems or products. Your REC is a trusted advisor with the same aims as you – to help ensure quality...
The introduction of an electronic health record (EHR) into a practice presents great operational challenges as well as opportunities for the improvement of patient care. Adopting an EHR will change...
Implementation teams interested in maximizing the benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) should pay close attention to these important EHR workflow redesign areas. Workflow analysis should...
Using electronic health records (EHRs) will help health care providers build a sustainable medical practice. The next generation of health care professionals will expect and demand that their own...
For a successful electronic health record (EHR) implementation, you may need to assess the need for additional EHR infrastructure investments. The first step to making a sound hardware decision is...
Your Local Regional Extension Center Can Help
Even if your organization has an existing IT system, your organization should contact your local Regional Extension Center (REC). You may still need...
Redesigning your workflow helps you get the most value from implementing an electronic health record (EHR). To get started, analyze your existing workflow. Create a visual map of how work is...
Tip 1: Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in your current workflow. Decide which aspects of your workflow need improvement and prioritize them. Then do the work in stages, creating wins along...
The Basics
Several studies estimate the cost of purchasing and installing an electronic health record (EHR) ranges from $15,000 to $70,000 per provider.1-5 Costs vary depending on whether you select...
There are several resources specific to rural health IT and electronic health record (EHR) implementation. You can use the following resources to learn more about health IT and EHR implementation in...
A Challenge for Rural Providers
Overcoming limited number of staff and resources is challenging in rural communities. No model fits all organizations you must determine the best ways to recruit and...
The Basics
Adopting an electronic health record (EHR) will change your organization's workflows. Workflow redesign is a process your organization should complete before EHR implementation. EHRs may...
Health IT Workforce Initiatives
To address the growing demand for a highly skilled health IT workforce, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) funds the Health...
Plan Your Approach
You should begin planning as soon as you assess your practice readiness and decide to adopt an electronic health record (EHR). Planning draws on information gathered during the...
Grant Programs and Funding Opportunities
There are several grant programs and funding opportunities intended to help rural providers and rural communities implement health IT.
The Rural Utilities...
Electronic Health Record Implementation Planning
Here are some tactical steps that typically occur during the planning phase. You may collaborate with and use tools provided by your Regional...
Health IT Workforce Resources
Locating qualified health IT professionals can sometimes be a challenge, but health IT professionals can be a valuable resource when you are selecting and implementing...
Creation and management of an effective electronic health record (EHR) implementation team is a crucial process. Once you have identified potential members of the implementation team, follow these...
Successfully creating and managing an internal planning team is crucial to planning success. Team members should bring differing perspectives on how the electronic health record (EHR) will be used...
Regional Extension Centers (RECs) are not vendors selling electronic health record (EHR) systems or products. Your REC is a trusted advisor with the same aims as you – to help ensure quality...
The introduction of an electronic health record (EHR) into a practice presents great operational challenges as well as opportunities for the improvement of patient care. Adopting an EHR will change...
Implementation teams interested in maximizing the benefits of electronic health records (EHRs) should pay close attention to these important EHR workflow redesign areas. Workflow analysis should...
Using electronic health records (EHRs) will help health care providers build a sustainable medical practice. The next generation of health care professionals will expect and demand that their own...
For a successful electronic health record (EHR) implementation, you may need to assess the need for additional EHR infrastructure investments. The first step to making a sound hardware decision is...
Your Local Regional Extension Center Can Help
Even if your organization has an existing IT system, your organization should contact your local Regional Extension Center (REC). You may still need...
Redesigning your workflow helps you get the most value from implementing an electronic health record (EHR). To get started, analyze your existing workflow. Create a visual map of how work is...
Tip 1: Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in your current workflow. Decide which aspects of your workflow need improvement and prioritize them. Then do the work in stages, creating wins along...
The Basics
Several studies estimate the cost of purchasing and installing an electronic health record (EHR) ranges from $15,000 to $70,000 per provider.1-5 Costs vary depending on whether you select...
There are several resources specific to rural health IT and electronic health record (EHR) implementation. You can use the following resources to learn more about health IT and EHR implementation in...
A Challenge for Rural Providers
Overcoming limited number of staff and resources is challenging in rural communities. No model fits all organizations you must determine the best ways to recruit and...
The Basics
Adopting an electronic health record (EHR) will change your organization's workflows. Workflow redesign is a process your organization should complete before EHR implementation. EHRs may...
Health IT Workforce Initiatives
To address the growing demand for a highly skilled health IT workforce, the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) funds the Health...
Plan Your Approach
You should begin planning as soon as you assess your practice readiness and decide to adopt an electronic health record (EHR). Planning draws on information gathered during the...
Grant Programs and Funding Opportunities
There are several grant programs and funding opportunities intended to help rural providers and rural communities implement health IT.
The Rural Utilities...
Electronic Health Record Implementation Planning
Here are some tactical steps that typically occur during the planning phase. You may collaborate with and use tools provided by your Regional...
Health IT Workforce Resources
Locating qualified health IT professionals can sometimes be a challenge, but health IT professionals can be a valuable resource when you are selecting and implementing...