BUSINESS Embarking on the Adventure With Staff: Getting Started With EHR By Marge Axelrad Monday, August 31, 2015 12:00 AM AUSTIN, Texas—Certified electronic health records (EHR) helps improve patient care, by significantly reducing the risk of medical efforts and increasing the accuracy of the diagnosis with the help of clinical decision support in the system. Implementing updated and particularly new cloud-based EHR systems improves coordination with the health care industry, streamlines workflow, reduces billing errors and helps manage both the medical and financial aspects of your practice. Some practices that get started with EHR implementation feel excited about their new system, only to end up feeling like they are up a creek without a paddle. One of the easiest ways to avoid that stranded feeling in your practice is to have an office manager that takes an active role in managing the change the EHR will bring. Think of the implementation process like a camping trip you’re going to take with your staff. Someone needs to take on the responsibility of being the pack leader and getting everyone through the camping trip safely, and that’s the Office Manager. Like camping, EHR implementation brings out mixed feelings. Some people love the adventure and see themselves becoming one with nature, some people loathe the idea and only picture themselves sleeping on dirt and swatting away bugs. The bottom line is this: some of your team members may find it exciting while others might fear it. The StartYourUprise e-book, EHR Implementation: The Ultimate Guide to Change Management, is available for free download, and is intended to provide practices with a realistic set of expectations for the transition process. The e-book covers: How to Prepare for Change Management How to Get Yourself Ready for EHR Implementation How to Get Your Practice Ready for the Change How to Maximize Training How to Go-Live Successfully And, it provides an Implementation Kit. In the kit, which is geared to optometric office managers, are info and resources on such topics as Talking Points: Benefits of an EHR and a computer proficiency test, to help managers gauge the expertise of all members of the practice team. A Go-Live Timeline Template helps plan things in real time; A Training Assignment Template also details who’s expected to do what. And a Go-Live Checklist helps the implementation as well. Adapted From the e-Book, EHR Implementation: The Ultimate Guide to Change Management, by the experts at StartYourUprise