Replacing an Electronic Health Record (EHR) software is a complex and time consuming process. One needs to manage the entire process starting with determining the exact requirements of your practice, to making sure that the new system does not give you more headaches. Change is never easy and most of the time, employees are apprehensive about it. You need to be able to manage the change professionally, by making the right decisions.

4 most commonly made mistakes while replacing an EHR software:

1. Mismatched IT 

One of the biggest issues to avoid while replacing an EHR software, is to not choose a software that you do not need. You need to make sure that you have the appropriate hardware required for your software. There’s no point in having the right system but not the right hardware to support it.

2. Misplaced resources

A medical practice is not an IT organization. Therefore, to avoid any lingering problems, it becomes all the more important to manage the change properly. You need to have properly trained staff to make sure that the transition is smooth.

3. Missed accountability

Another important aspect of properly managing a change, is to have proper accountability measures in place. From practice leadership to clinical and office staff, everyone needs to understand their roles and responsibilities, if the project is going to be a successful one. You might also want to place checkpoints and milestones in order to gauge the change management process of an EHR software.

4. Mismanaged logistics

Implementation timeline and required tasks should be accurately documented to make sure that even the minute details are accounted for, and managed properly. Responsibilities to your staff, vendor, and other people involved in the process, should be assigned clearly and definitively. Identifying potential downtime risks, and how to work around them is of paramount importance.

These are a few of the commonly made mistakes by practices, when changing/replacing an EHR software.  Avoiding these mistakes can markedly enhance the chances of a successful and smooth transition.