Adopting a new EHR is a significant change for your behavioral health practice. Whether you are making the initial move from paper to digital, or switching from one EHR to another, its effect on your business operations, staff, and clients cannot be underestimated.
Effective change management is crucial for a smooth and successful transition. Here’s what behavioral health practice leaders should keep in mind when preparing to implement a new EHR.
Understand that this is a huge change.
Even if this isn’t your first EHR rodeo, and even if the new EHR promises to streamline your operations, it’s still a wide-reaching change that has a significant and long-term impact. This is not a decision to make quickly or lightly.
Be sure you carefully consider your EHR options. Understand exactly what you want out of an EHR and how it fits into your practice goals. Consider all the ways the change will affect your practice. Don’t be surprised if the decisions and implementation take longer than expected!
Communicate thoroughly.
Leadership or support staff may not fully grasp the effects of this change, even if they support the new EHR. Make sure you practice thorough, timely communication with staff and clients so everyone is on the same page.
This should include the development of a communication plan, with regular updates, training schedules, and success stories. Decide how you will communicate with different groups, e.g., clinical staff, administrative staff, or clients. Everyone should know what EHR you’ve chosen and why, when trainings will begin, when the implementation will be complete, and whom to ask for help.
Be open to feedback and prepare for a dialogue about the new EHR. Be transparent about addressing any questions or concerns.
Set your practice up for success.
Create a start-to-finish plan for the transition. Involve key stakeholders in the decision-making process. This may include clinicians, administrative staff, IT personnel, and end-users. Designate a system administrator to drive your organization’s training and process development and provide ongoing, onsite support.
Assign a change leader for each team. This person may be in charge of gathering feedback from their team members and addressing concerns throughout the implementation. Each department change leader will also ensure that their team has dedicated time to learn how to use the new EHR within their day-to-day operations.
Expect resistance and know how to address it.
Not everyone will immediately understand the need for the EHR switch, and many will not want to make the change. That’s okay! However beneficial the end results, the transition will cause disruptions. Be empathetic with people’s concerns, but don’t take their resistance personally.
This is an opportunity to practice your communication strategy. Help people understand the need for this change by emphasizing the big picture and your practice’s vision. For example, you might talk about how the change will lead to better compliance or more efficient operations.
Don’t expect to go it alone.
Your EHR vendor is your not-so-secret weapon in successfully implementing a new EHR. Besides being an expert in their product, the vendor should be a long-time collaborator during and after implementation. Take advantage of all trainings, troubleshooting, and customer service that this partnership offers.
BestNotes has years of experience helping behavioral health practices implement new EHR solutions. With our insights, expertise, and customer service we can help you navigate the challenges of implementation to help you get the most of your new EHR software. Contact us today to get started!