Documents are heart of the healthcare industry – providers rely on them to provide critical, up-to-date and real-time information on a patient’s health and care. It makes sense, then, that documents are the central figure in the radical transformation the industry is in the middle of. It’s critical that an organization have a system in place to manage documents with pinpoint precision and efficiency, yet document inefficiency continues to be an enormous cost driver and cause of errors.
Providers have a lot on their plates – develop a system that works best for their organizations, physicians and patients, and that also meets meaningful use guidelines and deadlines. It’s not a one size fits all. Overhauling the patient record system can be a long journey, and requires the careful selection of appropriate systems, proper implementation, and the understanding and cooperation of staff members. It can be daunting in that organizations understand just how important it is to get it right.
Botsford Hospital is an example of an organization that understands how much is on the line in implementing an electronic medical record (EMR) system. The 330-bed hospital located in Farmington Hills, Mich., is less than a year away from a fully operational EMR, and put a lot of thought and effort into the decision-making process, including these steps:
- Evaluated existing processes to make them more efficient and effective before moving to an EMR.
- Established an Office of Clinical Process Improvement along with a steering committee to guide the process and develop objectives for a new EMR system.
- Engaged ACS, A Xerox Company, a long-time IT services partner, to assist in the selection of an EMR solution.
- Involved employees in the decision-making process by asking for routine input from the nurses, physicians and IT staff.
Botsford chose the McKesson Paragon solution, an all-inclusive and fully-integrated hospital information system, and is currently entering the final phases of implementation, which includes integrated testing and end-user training. The hospital is on track to meet its financial and productivity goals with this endeavor.
