When an IT implementation is performed customer service is one of the main aspects to focus on particularly in the healthcare industry. Changes made in the computer systems can make the end users confused and nervous; this can push them to be frustrated eventually affecting employee satisfaction and patient care, also endangering the project. It is imperative to make sure that the employees don’t experience any frustrations and patient care must not be affected. A successful project is not possible without the cooperation of the end users, which cannot be achieved without an exceptional customer service from the team responsible for the implementation.
Although the healthcare industry has a lot of options when it comes to select from EHR systems, Epic is the most popular one and a majority of healthcare organizations are inclined to go for Epic Go-Live Implementation. An effective training to the end users is a crucial part of a successful Epic Go-Live implementation in order to make sure that the employees don’t have to face any post-implementation complications. Therefore, below we have shared some effective tips to help you with a valuable Epic Go-Live training to the end users.
Identify the end-users Computer Skills to provide basic Training
It is necessary for the practices where prevailing medical procedures are mainly paper-based and there is a minimum level of utilizing computers. It might not be necessary for those healthcare organizations which are already using practice management software or other technologies. Now is the time to know whether your staff is capable of carrying out difficult tasks on a computer or not. At present, your front desk medical team might be doing scans of insurance cards and printing them to add to every patient’s paper chart individually. The main issue here is to know if they have any knowledge regarding saving those scanned documents. Do they know how to attach those files to a patient’s Epic chart?
In order to find out the computer proficiency level of every staff member, the healthcare organizations can conduct one of the many online available computer skills exams. A precise knowledge regarding your staff’s computer skills will help you to determine if they need the basic training or not. By the time you discover the staff members needing necessary computer training, if your resources allow, get them enrolled at a local community college or appoint an instructor to give them the training once or twice a week. Offering sufficient computer training can help with a smooth transition process for those users cautious of changes and will make your team fully ready when the new EHR system is implemented.
Assign Technically Competent Super Users
Those end-users who have a thorough training in the EHR system, for other staff members; they will be the right persons to go-to concerning any EHR related issues. They will have the authority and expertise to offer useful tips and techniques to existing users, along with educating the new members on how to operate the system.
To pinpoint the “super users” within your organization track down the people who:
- Are highly computer literate
- Have the ability to quickly grasp new ideas
- Are enthusiastic regarding the EHR
- Have the willingness to educate others to use the system
- Are well-liked by other employees and have leadership qualities
- Have been working with you for more than a year
Most probably you will find the super users within your existing staff members. If not, you can spot them by performing some job searches relevant to your EHR practice. You can start by creating a list of the required skills and responsibilities you expect from the superuser and make them known to other employees. Also, offer attractive incentives to encourage the skilled employees to come forward and take the responsibility. While conducting an interview to narrow down the list, make sure that the most suitable “super user” you select isn’t already burdened with too much on his/her plate.
Train your Employees only in Related Areas
A majority of the EHR implementations come with the notion that each employee must be trained in all areas and features of the EHR system, which is quite impractical and unrealistic. If truth be told, following this idea can significantly delay the implementation process and frustrate the staff members. This kind of training should be intended only for the “super users” and other staff members must be trained in only those areas which they need to use in the routine.
For instance, an employee from the billing department should be trained only to get insurance information and billing codes, sending messages to the physicians and submitting electronic claims. Getting training in transferring a chart, viewing test results or entering a diagnosis will be irrelevant and wastage of time. Following this strategy can be very helpful in saving training time and without any confusion or glitches your staff members will be quick to get on with the EHR system.
Perform Post-Implementation Feedback Sessions
Opposite to the general idea, implementation isn’t the last phase of the training. By the time your EHR is installed and you are on the go to use it with the patients, it is inevitable that you will be experiencing a few problems with it. It can be the nurses finding it hard to understand the system or a workflow process that can do with a redesigning.
A faster way to discern the obstacles with your EHR system is to ask your staff members to give their feedback. It will be very effective if you schedule weekly or bi-monthly sessions with the staff members, during the post-implementation period of your Epic go-live. While holding such meetings make sure that the different members including physicians, nurses, administrative staff, billing, and front desk employees etc get represented in them.
Get feedback from various departments of your organization regarding how they are doing with the changes and if any of them have observed improvements in the required areas. Also, try to identify if there is a need to reinforce any kind of training concepts. If you find it difficult to manage your time for regular feedback sessions, sending out a survey to the staff members is your best alternative option. Once you are done with identifying the problem areas, arrange them by order of importance to resolve the most critical issues first and then focus on the other problems.
