Question

What are some of the barriers to having the electronic health record provide data in support of public health data collection and reporting?

Answer 1

Ans) Before implementing EHR, healthcare providers need to consider some potential barriers in their way. Addressing the barriers from the onset of EHR implementation will help the organization set up realistic expectations and manageable goals.

1) Usability:
- Some EHR systems present usability challenges. Multiple screens, unclear navigation and too many options leave physicians and nurses frustrated or unable to process patient notes.

- Many practices and hospitals may not have the extra time required to learn how to work with a new system.

- Not understanding how to use an EHR program can have a negative impact on productivity, so overcoming usability issues is important.

2) Technical Ability:
- Computer literacy in healthcare can vary by region or age of a medical facility. For example, rural providers tend to trail behind urban providers in implementing EHRs.

- Connectivity can be more difficult in a rural setting, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

- Older healthcare providers may also prefer paper records to learning new technology. Getting buy-in from technology-reluctant clinicians can take additional work, especially if they feel that their method is working well.

3) Privacy Concerns:
- Healthcare providers and patients alike have voiced concerns about medical privacy with EHRs. Paper records may be tedious and inefficient, but they don’t face threats from cyber-attacks. Such security breaches could cause substantial harm to patients, as well as result in legal issues to providers.

- According to the HRSA, the common privacy concerns with EHRs are unauthorized access to records, tampering with records and the risk of losing information due to a natural disaster. Factor these risks in when choosing security policies during EHR implementation.

4) Cost:
- EHR systems can be expensive. Finding the capital to invest in the infrastructure, personnel, training and support required to install and maintain an EHR system can be a barrier, especially for small to mid-sized practices.

- Uncertainty over the long-term return on investment can exacerbate this concern. Associated costs, such as increased physician time requirements and decreased patient visits during EHR implementation, can affect providers’ bottom lines.

5) People:
- Healthcare organizations may have to deal with patients and providers who reject EHRs or are easily discouraged by the challenges of technical ability, cost and usability. Without EHR champions in an organization, it’s more difficult to have a successful rollout.

Barriers for EHR implementation can be different for different groups. Patients may have concerns that healthcare professionals don’t worry about. Within an organization, the EHR barriers for a nurse can differ from the barriers faced by a doctor or an IT professional.