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R E A D E R
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and polished. It's the manufacturer's job to sell itself, and your job to
be wary.
Finally, I wish I'd visited centers with the software already in place
and being used for every procedure, every day. It'd be important to
spend several days getting a view of how workflow differs — and
doesn't — with full implementation. It's all the better if the end-user
you sit down with is willing to share the cons with you, and how they
got staff past them.
Advice for the long trudge
We've had a rough start, but are working out the kinks. We have a
huge staff (130-plus) and trying to get everyone on board at the same
time posed a problem. So we backed off and, instead of going live in
all areas, have launched in one area of the center at a time. This not
only lets each area become fully comfortable, but also lets IT provide
its full attention to a smaller group of users, making the process more
manageable.
For example, our front-desk personnel had to familiarize themselves with the demographic and insurance sections. They had to
learn how to scan patient information into the EMR. They also have
to remember to gather data such as patients' e-mail addresses. We
gave them a refresher on HIPAA rules regarding use of this information; we use the e-mails only for appointment reminders and other
official communication, such as follow-up discussion, with patients.
F E B R U A R Y 2013 | O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
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