First Step To Successful EHR Use Is Evaluating Paper Workflow

Jennifer Bresnick | EHR Intelligence | September 3, 2013

Every good cook knows that a finished meal is only as good as the ingredients you start with, and the same adage holds true for EHR implementation, a messy recipe if ever there was one.  While adapting an EHR might seem like a complete departure from everything your office is used to, the basics of how well you’re going to use your new software are already deeply embedded in your paper-based workflow.  Ensuring that your clinical documentation, patient interactions, and administrative processes make sense on paper is a vital step to successfully bridging the divide when your EHR comes online.

“If you don’t have a solid handle on your paper-based documentation, converting to any EHR system can very well turn into a frustrating – and costly – nightmare,” cautions Chiropractic Economics.  “After all, it’s the existing paper-based documentation that your office staff will be entering into the EHR system to serve as a basis for input of future patient case management and diagnostic data.”  [...]