Learning to Dance with The EHR
How many times have you asked yourself during the process of creating workflows if the exercise was worth it? I posed this question to Joseph Solin, project manager at ABQ Health Partners. He explained that he spends two hours reviewing the workflows with each clinic one week prior to their go live week. During this review he goes step by step through each workflow with the clinic that is affected by the phase. He explains that the workflows are like “learning to dance with the EHR so you are not tripping over each other.” For example if users don’t understand that certain electronic prescriptions will not transmit to the pharmacy until the provider authorizes the task, the clinical staff may end up duplicating efforts trying to get the prescription to the pharmacy.
Many important questions are sparked by the users during these meetings as Joe reviews the differences in their workflow today and what their workflow will look like with the EHR. These are questions that are typically answered during the meeting and often times reassure any anxieties the group may be experiencing prior to their go live. A thorough review and understanding of the clinical workflows will give users an appreciation for the need to adjust their workflow to the EHR and provide more efficient use of the EHR from day one
