6 Common Barriers to EHR Implementation

 

According to HealthIT.gov, in the United States 86% of non-Federal general hospitals, 23% of rehabilitation hospitals, and 23% of specialty hospitals have implemented electronic health record (EHR) software. Furthermore, as per CMS.gov,73% of eligible providers have registered for EHR Incentive Programs, counting over 388,000 practices.  

The implementation and usage of EHR solutions are not always easy. It comes with many difficulties, and six significant ones are discussed below: 

Implementation Cost 

The EHR implementation is an expensive affair. The selection, execution, and optimization of EHR software can take away a big chunk out of your entire capital budget investment.  

The whole implementation process can be classified into five categories, hardware set-up, software installation, implementation assistance, staff training, ongoing maintenance, and the network fee. According to a research article published in the National Library of Medicine, the total cost of an EHR system implementation can range from $15,000 to $70,000. 

Time-Consuming Training 

The EHR system deployment also requires you to provide the medical staff with training about the new workflow. The clinicians and staff should spend extra time and efforts to get familiar with the new system and its use. The whole training process is tedious and a hassle for management and physicians. Medium to small size practices worry about losing business during the training period. Additionally, the staff may consider it an unnecessary effort. 

Lack of Usability 

The EHR system you choose must seamlessly apply to your existing workflow. There's no one-size-fits-all rule for the EHR system since the workflow of a dermatologist differs from a dentist. Providers will find it challenging to adapt to the system if there are any flaws in the design or inadequacy in the training provided. 

Data Privacy 

Another major barrier associated with EHR implementation is data privacy considerations related to patient health records and history. All stakeholders, including clinicians, patients, management etc., have concerns regarding data leakage due to cyber-attacks or natural disasters.

According to HIPAA Privacy Rule, all healthcare organizations and providers are responsible for protecting patient data. If any facility fails to do so, they can get into a legal hassle and penalize for the privacy breach. Hence, practitioners strive to ensure the data security of the EHR system they implement in their practice. 

Data Migration 

Exporting a pile of paper documents to the digital records into an EHR system can be a logistic nightmare for the staff. There will be many documents regarding hundreds or even thousands of patient histories, and data entry for all this is a tiresome task. Thus, it is a big challenge for medical staff because the effort is doubled for data migration if there is no proper format in the former system. 

Interoperability 

It refers to the ability of EHR software to make information accessible for clinicians and other authoritative individuals in different healthcare facilities. However, it remains a challenge to have an interoperable system that integrates labs, and pharmacies into it, enabling increased accessibility and coordination for better patient outcomes and care services. 

Bottom Line 

You can overcome the issues associated with EHR solution implementation by analyzing your practice needs and budget. Moreover, if you are a small practice looking for a cost-effective option, you can implement a cloud-based EHR solution that charges a monthly subscription fee and does not require setting up hardware and software. Moreover, cloud-based solutions offer better data security, privacy, and interoperability.