7 financial trouble spots during EHR conversions

Approximately half of EHR users switched EHR software because they wanted features their previous platform did not have, according to a survey from Capterra. Switching EHRs comes with logistical and operational challenges which can affect leadership outside of the IT department.

Here are seven potential trouble areas for financial leaders during an EHR transition, from Health Data Management.

1. The potential for errors grows during an IT transition, as IT executives are managing two system environments. Technological errors can translate into financial ramifications.

2. It can be easy to ignore legacy systems as a hospital or health system is transitioning to a new platform, but this is when leadership should be focused on maximizing the legacy systems, according to the report.

3. Different systems often use different reporting metrics, so those differences should be mitigated.

4. EHR implementations may face cultural barriers, as launching a new system often requires a new collaborative mindset from all leaders from all departments.

5. If a new system integrates all departments, a health system may need to reorganize its otherwise siloed structure to allow the EHR to function across the enterprise.

6. The transition may recreate inefficient workflows instead of optimizing them.

7. End users may be reluctant to adopt the new technology if they don't believe switching EHRs is both necessary and beneficial, and they may undermine the adoption effort.

"A large-scale [health information systems] conversion will require continued focus on inherent revenue cycle risks associated with the change over," Timothy Kinney, a founder and managing director of McKinnis Consulting Services, told Health Data Management.

More articles on EHRs:

25 quotes that show just how fed up physicians are with EHRs
EHR implementation: Keeping million-dollar projects from bleeding beyond the budget
Leidos, Virginia Tech partner on big data, EHR research initiative

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