It’s very difficult to hit a moving target; even more so if that target isn’t easy to spot. If you dive into an EHR project without a clear sense of where you want to go and what it’s going to take to get there, you’re flying blind. Your budgeting is unlikely to be meaningful, and your target roll-out date might come and go while you work to get things back on track.
When end-users embrace an EHR platform and are able to use it effectively, these systems can fulfill the promise of better care through technology. However because of the complexity of EHR implementations, concerns about project timing and cost may supersede efforts to foster engagement with end-users. Clinicians work long hours and have challenging jobs, making it difficult for them to find time to engage with new initiatives. In some cases they may see changes as a distraction from their core responsibilities.
Impacts to revenue cycle management (RCM) comprise a frequently overlooked aspect of the EHR platform implementation process, even though this function is directly responsible for an organization’s financial well-being. In order to avoid operational disruptions, hospitals should work to understand the ways in which a new EHR project will connect with the revenue side of the organization.
This is especially true when dealing with integrated solutions like Cerner, in which RCM is combined with EHR and related clinical functions as part of a complete ecosystem. Changes to one part of the equation will have a ripple effect throughout the rest.
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