By Sheryl Bushman, DO, FACOOG(D) | SVP, Physician Advisory
Implementing a new EHR system is a crucial step in improving patient care and streamlining operations. Yet, even the best systems can miss the mark without a personalized touch. My role at Continuum Health IT is to guide health systems and providers in recognizing the value of customizing their EHR experience to better fit their unique workflows and needs.
With this blog series, I aim to help health systems and providers avoid common pitfalls and launch their new EHR systems successfully.
Avoiding Pitfalls of New EHR Systems: Individualization
Basic training for a new EHR system only scratches the surface. While it shows users how to navigate the system and perform essential tasks, it doesn’t account for the unique workflows and preferences of each provider. Personalization is where the real transformation happens.
Personalization allows healthcare providers to tailor their EHR settings, templates, and shortcuts to match their specific needs and styles. This individualization enhances efficiency, reduces time spent on documentation, and ensures more accurate and comprehensive patient care.
Why Personalization Matters
Think of personalization as the difference between navigating a generic map and one designed just for you. By investing a few hours to set up personalized note templates, screen views, and shortcuts, providers can streamline their daily tasks, freeing up valuable time to focus on what truly matters – patient care.
Take note templates, for example. Instead of manually documenting every aspect of a common visit, a personalized template allows providers to pre-populate standard fields, like common diagnoses or treatments, and offer dropdown options for frequently used details. This not only speeds up documentation but ensures consistency and compliance with payer requirements.
Personalizing the system can also drastically reduce what we call “pajama time,” or the hours spent at home finishing charts. With tailored settings, providers can complete their notes faster and with fewer errors, leaving more time for themselves at the end of the day.
Decision Example: “How Should I Customize Templates?”
Imagine you’re a provider about to go live with your new EHR system. After completing basic training, you’re thinking, “I’m exhausted from all this preparation. Do I really need to personalize these templates now?”
It may be tempting to stick with the default options, but doing so could cost you more time and frustration in the long run. Instead, take a moment to customize your templates for the types of visits you see most often.
For instance, if you frequently handle well-child visits or annual wellness exams, creating templates that pre-fill standard information and offer dropdown menus for common details will make documenting these visits faster and more accurate – saving you time and effort in the future.
Potential Consequences
Failure to personalize your EHR system can have significant consequences. Without customized templates and workflows, providers may find themselves spending excessive time on documentation, leading to incomplete notes and potential billing issues. Incomplete or inaccurate notes can also compromise patient care. For example, medication details might be missed, or key clinical information could be left out.
When providers don’t personalize their templates, they risk creating more work for themselves, which can lead to burnout and dissatisfaction. This not only affects provider well-being but also impacts patient outcomes. Inaccurate or incomplete documentation can delay treatment, lead to duplicated testing, or even result in medication errors.
How to Make Personalization Effective
Start Early
Begin personalizing your EHR system before go-live. Spend time building templates, setting up shortcuts, and customizing screen views to match your daily workflow. This will save you time and stress when the system goes live.
Attend Personalization Labs
Make personalization labs a mandatory part of your EHR training. These labs provide hands-on support, allowing providers to customize their settings under the guidance of an expert. Bring examples of your commonly used notes on a thumb drive or in a Word document so you can quickly import them into the system.
Don’t Overcomplicate It
Focus on the areas that will have the most impact. For many providers, that’s the top 50-75% of their notes. Once you’ve set up templates for your most frequent visit types, the rest of the notes can be quickly dictated or added with minimal effort.
Schedule a Consultation With Continuum Health IT
At Continuum Health IT, we understand the importance of personalization in making your EHR system work for you. Our consultants are here to guide your organization through every step of the process, from initial training to ongoing support.
Whether you’re about to go live with a new system or want to optimize your current setup, we’re ready to help you personalize your EHR system to fit your unique needs. Don’t let a lack of personalization hold your practice back. Schedule a consultation with Continuum Health IT today and start maximizing the potential of your EHR system.