2 6 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E A P R I L 2 0 1 6
technology taking focus away from patient
care, about it slowing down charting, about it
being difficult to adapt to changes in documen-
tation needs and about it containing user inter-
faces that are more irritating than intuitive.
Why the disconnect between the purported
potential of EMRs and the technology's real-
world performance? And what can you do to
make sure your facility takes advantage of
healthcare's paperless future?
Looking for support
Many vendors are competing for your EMR dollars. Make the right choice and
you're on your way to virtual happiness; make the wrong one and misery awaits
— maybe, that is, until you acknowledge failure and try again.
"Our first system was too cumbersome and really not friendly at all," says
Kathy Hummel, RN, manager of the Gateway Surgery Center in Edwardsville,
Pa. So it was back to the drawing board.
"Then the second was a nightmare," she says. "It was so slow. You'd click on
something and then literally count the seconds, waiting for it to respond." Had
Ms. Hummel's center stopped there, it might still be among the miserable. But
good fortune and increased awareness struck when a new corporate partner
brought in a different system. "The one we have now is absolutely amazing," she
says, ticking off a long list of benefits. "Each area is so easy to put in informa-
tion. It's beautiful. Oh, and another thing: It codes ICD-10."
Of course even the best systems aren't just plug and play, which points to
another key issue. An EMR will likely be only as satisfactory as the support and
training that comes with it. And most folks say they're somewhere below
thrilled when it comes to what they're getting. A thin sliver of respondents
(11.2%) rate their vendors as excellent in training and support. And only 28% are
willing to say their support is good. That leaves more than three-fifths who say
• SCREEN SAVERS EMRs offer a wide range of
benefits if you tap into all they offer.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
