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Tip: Ask yourself five questions when planning EHR solutions

EHR Connection, October 15, 2007

Five simple questions can help you understand your organization's work flow, a critical factor that must be considered when planning an EHR or electronic document management solution (EDMS).

These questions will help you identify and understand work queues-sometimes called work flow-which often require adjustment for successful EHR or EDMS implementation.

You must understand your current work flow before you select a system. As you examine your current system, consult with HIM staff members to ascertain which users touch patient records. Some questions you should ask include:

  • Who reviews or requests medical records?
  • How do they submit the request?
  • Where do they physically perform the reviews?
  • How long are the records out and available?
  • Do we ever need to copy parts of the record?

    Document these steps in a procedure and/or flow-process diagram once you understand your current process. This is just one example of work flow that you should consider.

    Review your policy and procedure manual to ensure you've identified work flows for each major functional area. You can identify record usage patterns by reviewing outstanding chart requests or by reviewing record retrieval statistics if you use an automated chart tracking system.

    This tip is brought to you by the October issue of Electronic Health Records Briefing.

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