Writing for HealthCare Business News, Mark Powell, Juno Health's Director of Professional Services and Clinical Content, discussed the primary challenges hospitals face when implementing a new EHR system. He asserts that implementation failures are mainly process and management problems rather than technology issues. According to Mark, successful implementations require fundamental orgnizational changes, not just software swapping.
The Root Causes of Failure
Mark noted that there are two common causes of hospital staff resisting adoption of the new system, which leads to a failed implementation:
- Poor change management - Hospitals mistakenly treat EHR implementation like "changing a light bulb" by trying to fit new software into existing processes instead of adapting their workflows to accommodate the new technology
- Unrealistic timelines - Administrators often set unattainable 6-12 month deadlines when EHR implementations typically require up to 24 months, causing implementation teams to make value-reducing tradeoffs under pressure.
Being realistic in your expectations of the commitment of time and effort that is needed to ensure success can help avoid missteps in the long run.
Critical Success Factors
Mark pointed out that while implementation of new software may be percieved as an IT undertaking, the entire staff needs to be involved and engaged from the start.
- Clinician involvement is non-negotiable - EHR implementation should never be left exclusively to the IT department since clinicians who will actually use the software need to be part of the process from the beginning
- Bring users into the entire project lifecycle - Secure buy-in from nurses and physicians before beginning and involve them at every stage—from building to testing to training—to ensure the software solves problems rather than creating new ones
- Find your project champions - Identify willing volunteers (not assigned staff) to serve as internal advocates who learn the system early, communicate benefits, motivate colleagues, and facilitate communication between hospital staff and the implementation team
Implementation Strategy
Mark believes that the dedication of the support team from start to finish, collaboration between roles and departments, and a defined plan are all necessary for implementation success. He provided four key tips for getting the project across the finish line without hitting roadblocks:
- Establish a formal process - Create a project charter with clear goals and objectives involving hospital leaders and EHR vendors, then develop a comprehensive project plan with realistic target dates that accommodate clinical staff schedules and patient care responsibilities.
- Collaborate with end users - Involve IT and nursing leaders together from the vendor selection process onward so clinicians can create feature punch lists, participate in vendor pitches, and make informed recommendations to the IT team.
- Leverage super users - Utilize the clinicians involved from inception (typically nurses) who become expert super users through "train the trainer" sessions to organically educate and support broader staff adoption on the floor.
- Communicate relentlessly - Maintain constant communication about the EHR benefits and concerns through both formal channels like memos and training sessions and informal methods such as flyers in clinician locker rooms.
Discover how Juno Health ensures implementation success
Whether your organization is a small care facility, a public health system, or one of the largest hospitals in the country, Juno Health will be your partner in creating a bulletproof implementation process. We will help you develop a plan, identify key points of collaboration, and guide you through the process.
Schedule some time with one of our healthcare experts to learn more about our implementation expertise.