The times they are a-changin?: HIM in an EHR world
HIM Connection, July 20, 2010
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EHR implementation is a “big, hairy animal,” according to Meg McElroy, RHIA, MBA, HIM and medical staff services director at Children’s Hospital of Milwaukee. McElroy has been working toward having a fully electronic record for years. “It’s so expensive, and how do you just get it done?” she says.
“It’s as big as building a new building or a new tower—it takes just as much. And bricks and mortar stop; change does not. So an EHR in some respects is more complicated,” McElroy explains.
With many HIM directors being intimately involved in many of the various elements that go into a successful implementation, it’s no wonder that few have time to fully consider the unexpected effects the change may have on their own department.
Although it is wise for HIM directors to expect the unexpected when constructing an EHR, knowing what changes others have experienced before you can only help with planning. Remember, don’t think you have to be the groundbreaker, McElroy says. Learn from the experiences of your peers.
Note: To read more, visit the HCPro website. Subscribers to Medical Records Briefing have access to this article in the July issue of their newsletters.
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