Healthcare mergers and acquisitions (M&A) often lead to shared electronic health records (EHR) systems, such as Epic, Oracle Health, and MEDITECH. These shared systems can create challenges for smaller hospitals and clinics that inherit an EHR they did not design, along with its inefficiencies.
The Importance of EHR Optimization and Workflow Redesign
EHR optimization and workflow redesign are critical aspects of M&A and shared-system programs. However, due diligence often overlooks the complexities and inefficiencies of the inherited EHR. A new practice cannot adopt a larger organization’s EHR overnight, and the build it inherits will shape how its clinicians work for years.
A detailed current-state versus future-state assessment is necessary, involving both clinical and IT stakeholders. Clinicians need to understand how the EHR works today and how it will change, while IT needs to hear where the current build hinders care.
Collaboration Between Clinical and IT Teams
EHRs require lockstep collaboration between clinical and IT departments. This collaboration needs a structure, such as a multidisciplinary steering committee with clinicians at the helm, to own intake, prioritization, and the enhancement backlog. Every part of the EHR that touches a patient, including revenue cycle and radiology, should be within its scope.
Organizing governance around the patient journey keeps the backlog focused on workflows that span departments. Change management is as key as the technical build. Companies like ReMedi and CDW work together to bridge the gap between clinical and IT perspectives, focusing on clinician adoption and technology environment.
ReMedi’s teams bring healthcare expertise from both the physician and IT sides, ensuring that workflow redesign reflects how care is actually delivered. CDW’s healthcare IT teams ensure that the EHR’s underlying technology environment supports the new workflow, from end-user devices to secure access.
Addressing Workflow Stagnation in EHR Systems
Years after implementation, care teams often continue using outdated workflows, even as EHR features and processes evolve. Clinicians may persist with familiar, inefficient methods, such as completing tasks in 30 steps, due to comfort with established routines. A partner with clinical experience and EHR end-user knowledge can help identify and address these inefficiencies.
Treating EHR Optimization as a Continuous Cycle
EHR optimization should begin from the start, with a long-term roadmap that separates immediate and future priorities. Optimization must be treated as a continuous cycle, as EHR vendors regularly release new modules and enhancements. Without a standing process, decisions on adopting, deferring, or declining these updates often default to later.
