In a recent article published by HIT Consultant, Chris Mercier, Vice President of Research and Development at Juno Health, explored the critical role IT teams play in ensuring clinicians have the tools and support they need to deliver exceptional patient care through their EHR systems.
Mercier, emphasized that professionals across public health, acute care, and behavioral health settings depend on EHR software daily. He noted that while these systems support the care continuum through diagnosis entry, care planning, and administrative documentation, each new advancement requires careful navigation by IT teams.
Mercier highlighted a common challenge: most hospitals don't allocate sufficient time for IT personnel to deeply understand new EHR systems. He stressed that IT teams need comprehensive knowledge equal to clinical end users to effectively configure and support these systems.
The solution? Remain agile and engage in continuous learning. Mercier recommended that IT teams regularly review vendor documentation, release notes, and test scripts to understand evolving workflows and use cases. This proactive approach proves invaluable during user acceptance testing and software updates.
According to Mercier, effective EHR support can make or break the end-user experience. He outlined a three-tier support structure that organizations should implement:
• Tier 1: Clinical super users and informatics specialists providing immediate, bedside support
• Tier 2: Specialized IT staff handling complex system issues and customization
• Tier 3: Vendor support and system administrators managing critical failures and upgrades
Mercier emphasized the importance of on-site triage, noting that the more clinicians can accomplish with their EHR in-house, the more control they maintain. IT teams should establish dedicated helplines with aggressive response time metrics to address common issues including:
• Connectivity and hardware concerns
• System resource checks (RAM, CPU, disk capacity)
• Customer-loaded software issues
He stressed the golden rule of troubleshooting: "Never skip steps." By identifying patterns and leveraging customer workflows, IT teams can help vendors implement fixes more effectively.
Mercier pointed to the power of infrastructure monitoring, recommending IT teams focus on CPU/RAM usage, network utilization, and response times. He noted that EHRs will soon be capable of proactive alerting that can detect issues before they impact patient care.
Perhaps most importantly, Mercier emphasized that quality EHR support thrives on clear communication. He recommended:
• Collaborating with clinician champions to customize workflows and templates
• Implementing cross-functional committee meetings with IT, product management, and clinical leadership
• Establishing rapport that encourages end users to report issues comfortably
As Mercier concluded, healthcare's increasing complexity and geographically dispersed IT teams demand baseline practices for effective EHR support. Keeping communication channels open ensures users are equipped to navigate their systems and support the critical flow of healthcare information.
Juno EHR embodies these support principles, providing healthcare organizations with a modern platform designed for seamless clinical workflows. Schedule some time with one of our healthcare experts to see how Juno Health ensures IT teams have the resources they need to empower clinical excellence with robust vendor support and a commitment to continuous improvement.