Q: In your experience, what is the biggest mistake an ASC could make before going live with an EMR?
Sarah Sterling: The first time I implemented an EMR was in a private practice in an orthopedic office, so implementing an EMR here at Post Street Surgery Center is the second time I’ve implemented a system. The implementing process is a tough one. Because it’s such a new technology and ASCs are so much smaller than other healthcare settings, it’s a risk that you’re taking.
People tend to make the mistake of not doing their research and getting software that doesn’t meet the needs of their facility. The research is important, so what I had done was look at different products from different vendors, demoed their products, created a spreadsheet that listed each products’ best features according to their vendors and talked to vendors’ clients about those products. I asked them what they liked best about the product they were using and what they thought could use some improvement. It’s a competitive analysis of the different products. You really have no idea of how well a system works for a practice until it goes live, and usually there’s no trial period so it’s important to do the research.
Q: What other suggestions do you have for facilities interested in implementing EMRs?
SS: I also suggest administrators to consult with an EMR consultant who has implemented an EMR system before but doesn’t have a conflicting interest with that company. They can assist in the research process because they know what features to look for.
Budgeting and costs are other aspects ASCs have to be aware of. A facility may think that it just has to purchase software, but there’s a lot of hardware support to go with that. There’s also the cost for IT support after you’ve gone live with the EMR.
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