DENVER, CO – A new book available today reveals barriers to the adoption of electronic medical records, reasons for poor and failed adoption, and a new approach to achieve successful adoption and long-term sustainment of EMR. Beyond Implementation: A Prescription for Lasting EMR Adoption is available now at www.BeyondImplementation.org, www.MagnussonSkor.com and www.Amazon.com.
The authors, Dr. Heather Haugen and Dr. Jeffrey Woodside, M.D., conducted more than 18 months of research with leaders at healthcare organizations representing more than 3,200 physicians and 350 ambulatory sites. Through actual case studies and research, the authors examine why the transition to EMR is often overly costly, lengthy and frustrating.
"Despite the significant benefits of electronic medical records, healthcare organizations are not seeing the financial and clinical outcomes they had hoped for," said Dr. Haugen, co-author of Beyond Implementation. "After investigating the outcomes of poor adoption and why physicians don't get the full potential from EMR, we have identified one common thread. Too often, the primary focus is on go-live implementation when instead, this step should be the beginning of a sustained effort for the life of the application."
Book Outlines Better Approach for EMR Adoption
As an alternative, Haugen and Woodside describe a new approach to EMR adoption that includes major changes to the leadership agenda, training through role-based simulators, pursuing performance metrics, and planning to achieve lasting value from EMR. The proven, research-based approach has already been implemented with healthcare organizations large and small, helping them achieve adoption rates of 95 percent or more in a realistic, proven and practical way.
"When healthcare professionals are using EMR to its full potential, it means less redundancy, fewer errors, reduced costs and a higher level of care for all," said Dr. Woodside, co-author of Beyond Implementation. "If healthcare organizations change their approach to EMR adoption and move quickly, they can achieve positive, measurable financial and clinical outcomes that will have far-reaching effects on the quality of healthcare."
Beyond Implementation
is hailed as a must-read for leaders at any healthcare organization involved in EMR adoption or pursuing the related financial incentives from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
