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Embracing EMR Change

Posted by Julie - on Wed, Mar 20, 2013

Life is full of change!  Sometimes it's invited... sometimes it is thrust upon us.  Embrace New Ways 5p shutterstock 121204132 resized 600

No matter what the situation, fighting change that is inevitable only makes the transition tougher. It's like trying to walk up a down flowing escalator.  The escalator is not going to change direction, so better to turn around and go with the flow.  To make it even faster, we can walk down the already moving escalator. Embracing change may help us learn things quicker and see benefits we may not have considered.

Moving to an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is a good example of inevitable change.  It can be scary, especially for someone who is still handwriting notes into a paper chart.  With an EMR, a computer must be used, passwords must be memorized, systems must be learned, and more accountability is put on the provider.  A huge change!  To some, this can sound like a bad thing, but there is a positive side to consider.

Positive Affects Of An EMR

1. Easy Access To Patient's Medical History.  No more flipping through stacks of papers to find pertinent medical information.  A good EMR will already have those things highlighted.

2. Immediate Billing. An EMR allows for a patient's record to be immediatley completed and billed out.  A provider's priority is to care for a patient, but ultimately, it's a business.  Taking care of billing as quickly as possible allows for the business end of things to run smoothly.  Using an EMR contributes to the overall success of the medical organization.

3. Better Patient Care.  When my provider passed away, I was given a set of my medical records.  Although I loved my doctor, it was very frustrating that I could barely read anything he wrote down for my care.  Who wants a medical history they can't read?  EMR's are more professional and assure better patient care.

4. Saves Time.  The EMR CAN save time if it fits the specialty and is used properly.  The provider must learn the EMR and shortcuts to become efficient in using the EMR.  Also, appropriate tools such as tablets, stylus pens, Dragon Medical Software, system support, etc., allow for smooth workflow and ultimate productivity.

5. Reporting.  Data can be accessed and reports can be created to track medical conditions, community diseases, and many other things, resulting in better healthcare.

Change is not easy, and is affected by our attitude.  My daughter recently took on the challenge of skiing down a hill and across a man-made pond of water at a local ski resort.  It's called "The Slush Cup".  It was 32 degrees outside and there were chunks of ice floating in the water.  As we stood at the top of the hill, looking down at some successes and some hard falls into the abyss, she looked at me and said, "I'm gonna fail!"  My response, "Yes you will with that attitude!  You will only make it if you believe you can!  If you're going to do it, commit to it!"  Defeating ourselves before we begin a change is doomed from the start.  I know I don't want to be the complainer sitting around every day angry at the world because I have to do something differently.  I might not like it, but I am going to tackle it.  

By the way, my daughter conquered the slush cup!

Tags: EMR, Dragon Software Support, Embracing EMR Change, Learning EMR System