Question

Name a few challenges involved in EHR training. What can healthcare professionals do to overcome such challenges?

Answer 1

Challenges in EHR training

It is not an easy task to implement Electronic Health Record (EHR) system everywhere. There are some challenges to face while switching to EHR. Here are some of the challenges in EHR training and the ways to overcome it.

1. Difficult & time consuming

It is believed that clinicians and staff need extra time and effort to use this system instead of doing usual paper records, and thus there can be a resistance to this new system at first. In order to avoid that, there should be additional staff to manage the system. That is, hospitals should fund a dedicated team exclusively to work with the staff helping them understanding the workflows and do the necessary steps. It need to invest enough time in proper training.

2. Cost

It can be a real problem if hospitals don't have enough money for implementing EHR system. These high costs include training and network fees along with hardware, software and implementation. The Practitioners can contact their Regional Extension Center to find out more economical ways to partner up with a vendor.

3. Usability

Thanks to its design flaws, many physicians don't want to use it simply thinking that it is not that effective, or it may reduce productivity. They are forced to spend more time as its not considered as user friendly. In order to overcome this, system should be designed specifically for the user's workflow and ensure its fit for practice's needs. It can be done through a proper selection process which suits EHR functionality.

4. Compactibility

Always make sure that the system purchased is compatible with existing systems, along with other practices in healthcare network.