As the panelists discussed the state of the EHR, it’s clear the EHR could opportunities could offer some opportunities that have not yet been realized.
Most notably for hospital financials, this includes meaningful use. “It’s a good start to get everyone into the pool,” joked Mr. Kinsella. “Then, when we put the patient in the middle and talk about a safe experience: That’s what’ll drive us going forward.” However, patient safety is not the only driving factor for providers. “There are a large number out there chasing the dollars,” said Mr. Casper, estimating the proportion at about half.
Interoperability also continues to pose a great challenge. Open platforms are few and far between, and true, seamless interoperability seems to be far off. Frustratingly, the technology is not the entire battle. “It’s more a governance and economics issue. There are lots of disincentives to have the pure interoperability we’d like to have,” said Mr. Casper.
And, physician and clinician computer order entry needs to change for better clinician adoption, according to Mr. Kinsella, who suggests clinicians’ capacity for the task may be at a theoretical maximum. “As we optimize the EHR to be more useful for the physician [with voice transcription and decision aids], we’ll make it a better expense of energy for the clinician,” he said.
Despite the difficulties, EHRs are a net benefit, according to Mr. Casper. “Having some data is better than having no data at all,” he said. Mr. Klass agreed with the net benefit: “From a decision-support standpoint, I’m please where [meaningful use] has taken us. Without that data, we can’t track things like patient safety, “ he said.
When selecting an EHR, Mr. Kinsella offered some guidelines: “Best-of-breed sounds sexy when you’re applying for permissions. But, you never ask a customer what you want, because they don’t know. Ask them what they’re trying to accomplish, and come back to them with some options. See if you can accomplish what you’re trying to accomplish with what you have in place, first.”
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