Assignment:
Throughout this course, you will develop a plan to select and implement an electronic health record (EHR) system in your health care organization (HCO). Each week, you will build upon your plan, and in the final weeks of this course, you will provide a final report detailing your findings.
The following scenario will be utilized throughout this course to assist you in completing your plan:
The benefits of EHR implementation are numerous; however, there can be significant barriers to their acquisition and use. Discuss benefits of and barriers to implementation of EHR this week, and please use the following scenario to assist you with this week's assignment:
Yorkshire Clinic is an acute care clinic located in Tacoma, Washington. The clinic is comprised of a group of 10 physicians, 2 physician assistants, 1 nurse practitioner, and several ancillary staff. Yorkshire Clinic serves a patient population of approximately 14,000.
In 2013, Jeff Magone, the new senior health care executive of Yorkshire Clinic, set the goal for the HCO to implement an electronic health record (EHR) system. Currently, the clinic still conducts patient care using paper health records. Mr. Magone and the physicians have discussed the option, and they realize that EHR usage is proven to improve the quality and safety of patient care. In fact, they all believe in implementation of the EHR so much that Mr. Magone has incorporated EHR implementation into Yorkshire Clinic's strategic plan. Recently, the company determined that your organization qualifies for government incentives-under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical (HITECH) Act of 2009-with successful EHR implementation.
Mr. Magone and the physicians realize that EHR implementation will be costly and will take time, but they are willing to make the investment. There is widespread support for the endeavor, and everyone has agreed to be part of the steering committee to guide project development.
The various stakeholders include physicians, nurses, administrators, and patients. There have been several meetings in which the end-users have been afforded the opportunity to ask questions and provide their feedback about the initiative. There is growing enthusiasm among physicians and clinicians about the possibilities that EHR implementation will bring.
Mr. Magone has made it clear that patient needs are driving the project. He wants to ensure that EHR design is driven by patient care and satisfaction. He also wants to make sure that proper work-flow planning occurs and areas where EHR use could be best applied are determined. Leadership at Yorkshire Clinic also recognizes that training and support will be imperative to success. Mr. Magone wants to ensure that training is budgeted for and scheduled accordingly.
Acquiring an EHR can be a daunting and extensive process, and it requires an extensive amount of planning and organizational commitment. By developing a viable plan, risks associated with EHR adoption can be minimized. Throughout this course, you will develop a plan to select and implement an EHR in Yorkshire Clinic. Each week, you will build upon your plan, and in the final weeks of this course, you will provide a final report detailing your findings.
Your plan will include the following:
o Readiness Assessment and Benefits and Implementation Issues
o Project Plan (organization, migration path, communication to stakeholders, change management, etc.)
o EHR Selection (research vendors and select one)
o Request for Proposal (RFP) to submit to potential vendors
oImplementation Plan (training, chart conversion, installation, security considerations, etc.)
Readiness Assessment and Benefits and Implementation Issues
• Utilizing the information in above scenario, provide a readiness assessment in preparation for the implementation of the electronic health record (EHR) at your health care organization (HCO).
• In as much detail as possible, describe the benefits and challenges of implementation across the organization.