HCPro.com: Electronic Health Records Briefing

"Electronic Health Records Briefing" is a monthly newsletter that offers HIM supervisors, directors, and managers practical advice on legal concerns, testing and training, physician buy-in, return on investment, change management, and every other topic related to the electronic record transition. It includes sample tools, forms, and policies, advice from legal and technical experts, and lessons from your peers in the industry, all provided to help you clear out from under the mountain of paper records into the new electronic realm.

To view the entire newsletter issue, click the “View Entire Issue” link below

September 2007 (Volume 3, Issue 9)	view entire issue

Create an EHR-capable facility from the ground up
Before the hospital even opened in 2005, leaders at Saint Clare's Hospital, a 107-bed facility located in Weston, WI, set their sights on creating an all-digital hospital. As plans and technical functionality fell into place, Saint Clare's promoted the digital aspect of the hospital and focused on hiring intelligent, capable employees who were committed to reaching the all-digital goal.

Share data correctly with standardized procedures
"Interoperability" is a word that gets bandied about quite a bit these days. What exactly does it mean, and is it an attainable and worthwhile goal? "Interoperability allows data from distinct healthcare information systems to be used and shared," says Blackford Middleton, MD, MPH, MSc, director of clinical informatics research and development at Partners HealthCare in Wellesley, MA. "An interoperable hospital would be one where you could share data with both partners and potentially competing organizations within the healthcare marketplace or across a region."

Prepare HIM for EHR implementation
Editor's note: This article is the second in a two-part series. The first part appeared in the August EHRB and focused on data collection, required HIM process improvements, assessing document readiness, and analyzing HIM job functions. Two of the big hurdles that an organization must tackle along the way to EHR conversion are form redesign and scanning preparation, according to two industry experts. Leslie Mack, RHIT, senior director of HIM at CareTech Solutions in Troy, MI, and Bambi Rose, RHIT, certification manager at Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology in Chicago, agree that organizations should aim for standardization and automation.

CCHIT creates site for NHIN standards
The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT), the Healthcare IT Standards Panel, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology have created a Web site that provides resources and information for organizations interested in having systems that conform to National Health Information Network (NHIN) standards.

Other recently-published articles from Electronic Health Records Briefing:

Protect your EHR security and confidentiality

Consider these five areas where your EHR implementation efforts could fall short

Build your very own EHR dream team

Perform careful preparation when implementing an EHR in an ambulatory setting

Develop a training plan prior to your EHR rollout

Design an effective change management plan for EHR implementation

Tackle work-flow changes with a plan

Computer-assisted coding may be wave of the future

Ensure ambulatory implementation success

Move to patient-centered care grows slowly

Understand EHR entry authentication

CCHIT creates site for NHIN standards

Prepare HIM for EHR implementation

Share data correctly with standardized procedures

Create an EHR-capable facility from the ground up

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