EHR and EMR management systems contain vast deposits of data, often leaving healthcare professionals feeling overwhelmed and unsure of how to manage the information efficiently. However, there are strategies available to help standardize clinical staff's interactions with these systems.
During an Aug. 19 webinar hosted by Becker's Hospital Review and sponsored by Hyland Software, two industry leaders discussed strategies to optimize EMR usage to ensure efficient workflows and improve the patient experience.
The speakers were:
- Cheryl Petersildge, MD, founder and CEO of Vidagos
- Colleen Sirhal, RN, BSN, chief clinical officer at Hyland
To increase efficiency in EMR usage, hospitals should focus on five strategies, according to the speakers. They are:
- Distinguish the EHR from the EMR. Many healthcare professionals are fuzzy on the distinctions between the two, but Dr. Peterslidge says "they really are two very different concepts." The EHR contains information from all the clinicians involved in a patient's care. It is updated in real time and shared with all providers across the continuum of care. The EMR is the digital version of a patient's paper chart, containing notes physicians collected during care interactions.
- Develop a strong relationship with the health information management department. At least 15 to 20 percent of all healthcare data is unstructured, meaning it exists in forms such as images, audio, videos and documents. The HIM department can help track, monitor and report on where this data is coming from, which makes it easier to quantify.
- Keep staff in an EMR-based workflow. Devices that produce images, such as EKG machines, should be integrated into the document management system so scans can be uploaded directly. Physicians need all information in one place to ensure they have a complete profile of the patient. "Your mantra should be simplify, standardize, automate," Dr. Peterslidge said.
- Be collaborative. The chief medical informatics officer needs to be more involved in the document management strategy than they are at most healthcare organizations. It is also important for various departments to work together to establish a common terminology across an entire organization, as this makes data more searchable and easier to understand.
- Adopt a "digital front door" strategy. Healthcare organizations should immediately onboard new patients to an online portal and ensure they have an opportunity to share information with their provider before their appointment. They should "create a digitized experience at the first point of interaction with a patient," according to Ms. Sirhal.
To learn more about Hyland, click here. To access to the full webinar, click here.