Is Your Staff Ready for EMR?
The one thing that is often
forgotten in a major project such as implementation of EMR within a
medical practice is the impact that it has on the staff. Are they ready
for the major sea-change of going from paper records to electronic ones?
This column will provide ideas on staff training for an EMR
implementation.
In a typical ophthalmology practice, most employees involved in data
input are high school graduates with basic writing skills. Some may not
have typing skills.
When we converted our electronic practice management (EPM) system from
Medical Manager to NextGen, we went from a DOS-based, keyboard-stroke
entry system to a Windows-based, mouse-driven menu system. While this
may sound like a subtle difference, it was nevertheless a stressful
change for business office employees who were quite comfortable doing
things the old way. Soon after the transition to our new system, files
were mysteriously �disappearing� (dragged-and-dropped into cyberspace)
and printouts were accidentally printing out in satellite offices miles
away.
As we ready our technical staff for implementation of the EMR module, we
have set up a computer classroom to teach them the basics of computers.
When we transitioned to our new EPM, we rotated a few staff members at a
time through the classroom and gave them a basic skills assessment and
training. They had the opportunity to practice their new skills by
calling patients, verifying their information and appointment, and
entering it into the new system database.
What They Learn
Completing this training should give staff a basic knowledge of Windows
terminology: maximizing/minimizing, restoring, task bar, start menu and
tool bar. And because the EPM/EMR system does not exist in an isolated
environment, they should also be comfortable with basic computer skills:
media and drives, folders, files, paths, default settings and logging
off. The EMR system will have its own set of terminology and functions.
Employees will need to be able to distinguish between different
templates, images and active images, fields and datagrids, pop-ups and
pick-lists. Security Policy
Additionally, this is the time to put in
place your security policy for computers and the EPM/EMR system. What
are the requirements for passwords? How often do they need to be
changed? Weekly, monthly? What hardware security systems will be used if
any? Swipe cards, PIN numbers, fingerprint scan or iris scan? What are
the consequences for violating the password policy? After what period of
inactivity do computers lock out? Who on the staff will be in charge of
managing the security policy?
Particularly in this day and age of HIPAA regulations and penalties,
maintaining the security of patient information on EMR systems should be
constantly drilled into employee behavior. OM
Next: Buying an EMR System
In a multipart series, Dr. Polack is describing how a seven-partner practice, Ocala Eye in Ocala, Fla., with five locations and 140 employees, makes the major transition from paper medical records to EMR. During the course of the series, Dr. Polack will provide readers with a �real-time� look at how the implementation is progressing. This is part 19 of the series.
Peter J. Polack, M.D., F.A.C.S., is
co-managing partner for Ocala Eye, PA, and a specialist in cornea,
external disease and refractive surgery. Founded in 1971, Ocala Eye is a
ten-physician, multisubspecialty ophthalmology practice located in
Ocala, Fla. The practice, which has six locations including an ASC and
laser center, has 140 employees. He can be reached by email at
ppolack@ocalaeye.com
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