by Chandresh Shah

Created on: April 18, 2008

10 Steps to Successful EHR Implementation

Before we talk about Successful EHR implementation, the first question that confronts Physicians is "Should I implement EHR; NOW? I know I will have to go for it eventually, but is this the right time?"
A wonderful quote from Quaid-e-Azam, "I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it."

I love that! If you want success, sooner or later you have to take action and go for it!

Too often we try to schedule success. We try to plan it for after we watch TV or for that proverbial "someday". Life doesn't work that way. The truth is that every day is the perfect day to do the right thing, to pursue your dreams, to take action, to begin.

The question is, "How?" I'm often asked about the details of where to begin and how to take action. No responsible Physician wants to make an abrupt and poorly thought-out decision.
Some electronic health record (EHR) implementations proceed on schedule with full involvement of their participants and achieve their goals. Others flounder, stall or struggle, experiencing only partial success or, in extreme cases, no success at all.
What accounts for the difference? Is it a problem with the people, the process or the EHR product? How are large-practice implementations different than small-practice ones? How can you fortify yourself against failure and plan for success?

Here are my Top 10 steps for Succeeding with EHR.

1. Establish Leadership. People are the most important element in success and Leadership is what drives people to drive projects towards success. Successful EHR projects needs leadership of two kinds.
a. The Physician must become a champion of the project. He/She must be a great motivator, supporter and communicator of the project. The Physician champion must not only believe in the success but also back the project wholeheartedly by providing necessary resources.
b. Project Manager. The job of this person is to manage time-lines and people. This person should ideally be a detail oriented person. In small practices, this role can be played by the Physician directly, or a partner or a full-time office manager. When a person with necessary skills to manage a project is not available, you should ask the EHR vendor to provide one and take up this role. Asking the vendor to take this role is not a bad idea because they too have equal stake in ensuring that the project is successfully implemented.
The leader is in charge of managing change, which is one of the most challenging tasks. The

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