Clearing 8 Common EHR Hurdles
Anxious over a transition to electronic records? Fear not.
E
lectronic
health
records. To
some, these 3 words
are music to the ears.
To others, they make
the blood run cold.
There's no denying that
transitioning to EHRs
comes with its share of
challenges. But in
many ways EHRs rep-
resent a significant
upgrade from the pen-and-paper era — and they're only going to get
better as users learn how to unlock their potential. Here are 8 of the
most common anxieties people have about the transition to EHRs,
along with some prescriptions for overcoming the real-life hurdles.
"It costs too much." An EHR system requires a significant
investment of financial capital, not including the expense of the
time required to use it effectively. One study (osmag.net/MZe7Bd)
puts the implementation cost for a 5-physician practice at $162,000,
with $85,500 in first-year maintenance expenses. Until recently, it was
difficult to determine ROI surrounding the adoption of EHRs, but the
technology is beginning to have a measurable impact on reimburse-
ments. EHR systems can facilitate more accurate patient information,
which can affect claim accuracy and, in turn, collection rate. Also, the
Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive Programs can help to cushion
3 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7
Business Advisor
Paul C. Kuo, MD, MS, MBA, FACS
• EASE OF USE Continued EHR training can help staff members who may be reluc-
tant or fearful to embrace change.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
