What Goes into an EHR Build?

An EHR build can be a daunting process. Most practices do not have the time or staff to build out a new EMR or EHR system. Breaking down your EHR build into manageable chunks can help you plan for a successful switch from paper records to a new EHR system. Here are the critical steps in an EMR or EHR Build.

Steps to Design Your EHR Build

Designing and building your new EHR system is the most time-consuming part of the EHR build process. Here are the key steps to help you design your new EHR and build custom features to fit your needs.

Identify Your Project Team

Your project team will shepherd your EHR through the design, build, and implementation processes. This team should include developers, project managers, and end-users of the EHR system. Many practices do not have developers and project managers on staff, however. Third-party EHR experts, like TempDev, can provide the project planning and development support you need for your EHR build.

Assess Your Needs

Your EHR can make your practice more efficient. But, to do so, it must be customized to meet your practice’s needs. Before building a new EHR system, consider what goals you want to achieve and what problems you are trying to solve. This assessment will help you prioritize custom development.

You should also assess your existing hardware for compatibility with your chosen EHR system. If your computers and laptops are slow, your EHR system will run slowly. This will frustrate staff and may lead to burnout. Consultants like those at TempDev can help you assess whether you will need additional or upgraded hardware to get the most out of your EHR system.

Create a Project Plan

A project plan is a blueprint for your EHR build. It breaks down the key tasks and milestones in your EHR build project. For each task, your project plan should identify resources and staff needed for successful completion. A clear, detailed project plan will help keep your project on track.

A strong project plan will also identify likely risks to your EHR build and provide mitigation plans. You can activate these mitigation plans as risks materialize, keeping your project from falling behind. If you need help with Project Management, the experts at TempDev can you help you develop your plan.

Design Workflows

A workflow is a process you use to complete a task. Whether your changing EHR systems or switching from paper records, your workflows will need to change to accommodate your new system. That does not mean you should center your EHR in every interaction with patients. The goal of workflow redesign is to make your interactions with your EHR an efficient, effective part of your daily tasks.

Workflow redesign can help you eliminate bottlenecks in your current processes and increase patient throughput. Well-designed workflows are intuitive and fit seamlessly into your staff members’ workdays. It is therefore critical to include staff in your workflow redesign process.

Customize Your Software

You can customize most EHR systems, like NextGen EHR, to fit your practice’s needs. By customizing your EHR system, you can improve system satisfaction and reduce EHR-related burnout. Custom development can include templates to help with data entry, indexing to aid record matching and speed information recall, or stored procedures to automate common tasks.

Your custom template development should focus on the key goals and problems you identified in your needs assessment. Customization can be complex, and coding errors can lead to system slowdowns and other issues. Third-party developers, like those at TempDev, can help you customize your EHR system to meet the needs of your practice.

Transfer Your Data

Your EHR can give you access to all of your patient data in one place. But first, you need to transfer data from your old EHR or other legacy systems. This process is called clinical data conversion. A proper clinical data conversion ensures that all data are imported into your EHR in the right format and the right fields. TempDev can help with your clinical data conversion needs.

Build and Test

Before roll-out, you will build and test your EHR system in a non-production environment. This means your old EHR or paper records will still be in use while you build your new EHR. Thorough testing is a critical component of any EHR build. Experts and daily users should test your system to ensure all functions work as expected and that your system does not need further custom development. During EHR testing, you can also test your new workflows to identify any gaps or problems.

Implementing Your EHR Build

Once your EHR build is ready for roll-out, you can begin training and implementation. As issues arise, you may need to revisit the build and test phase to correct errors or problems. You may also need to adjust workflows as staff members become more accustomed to your EHR system.

Your EHR build is an enormous investment. You must also invest in training to ensure your new EHR is a success. Targeted EHR training will improve efficiency and system satisfaction while reducing the risk of physician burnout. After roll-out, tune-up training sessions can help staff learn new EHR tools or support staff struggling with EHR tasks.

How TempDev Can Help With Your EHR Build

TempDev’s developers, consultants, project managers, and trainers specialize in NextGen. They can help at every step of the EHR process, from project planning to roll-out. If you have or are considering switching to a NextGen EHR and EPM, TempDev can help keep your EHR build on time and budget.

Call us at 888.TEMP.DEV or contact us to get started with your NextGen EHR build.