Accessibility = Acceptance
A recent engagement with a large multi-specialty client gave some insight into increasing physician acceptance and adoption of the Electronic Health Record. It became apparent very early on during the rollout of ePrescribe and Call Processing, that easier accessibility equals higher acceptance. The physicians want to be able to access the EHR instantaneously while with the patient: order medications, input visit data, submit charges. This proved to be a difficult task when workstations were not available in the exam rooms. We discovered that the providers were less likely to exit the exam room at the end of the patient visit to print/send prescriptions and return to the exam room with the patient.
There are different options available to increase accessibility. Permanent workstations in each exam room provide the providers with the ability to access the EHR directly from the exam room and complete any tasks needed for the current visit: order medications, diagnostic tests, submit charges, input visit data. Tablet PCs give the provider the flexibility of moving around the clinic and working in different areas. They are able to access the EHR while in the exam room, in their office, or standing at the nursing station.
I have seen the use of both the Permanent workstations and Tablet PCs in different sized organizations. They are both viable options that depend on the needs and infrastructure of the organization.
