We can all identify with the feeling of buyer’s remorse following a purchase. When it comes to the EHR purchase in the clinic, the term carries with it a range of emotions that linger. But in the race to meaningful use, it’s critical to view the EHR vendor and system as a partnership within the clinic instead of just another vendor and just another product. Not only does this particular vendor relationship have a myriad of implications for every person in the clinic from workflow to patient care today, but it also leads to so many changes with ongoing development of their solution.
“Solution” is an important word to consider within this relationship because, if taken literally, it puts a tremendous amount of pressure on the stakeholders in the clinic who accept the responsibility for the due diligence involved in the vendor selection process (and success going forward). Those who incorporate the idea of the final solution as the goal in this vendor dialogue are likely setting themselves up for buyer’s remorse. What’s more, without an in-depth dialogue about the needs and expectations of stakeholders within the clinic, it’s likely that those same people will soon feel like they’re using a “solution in a box” rather than one that truly fits within their culture.
It’s an easy trap to fall into: The vendor representative asks, “How much time do you have for this demonstration?” and the physician responds with the answer, “Thirty minutes.” This is a complicated dialogue, and it may be more so because that EHR vendor representative does not understand all the nuances of providing care within the clinic. It’s a teaching moment for those on either side of this negotiation because it marks either the beginning of a new ongoing dialogue between clinic and vendor or the end of one based upon a mismatch of expectations. The end of this dialogue is about not just the fit of the current solution but also the willingness of the vendor to engage in a conversation about individual needs.
The expectations are as much about the clinic’s expectations for usability within their context of care as they are about meaningful use criteria at any stage in the EHR Incentive Programs. There are plenty of vendors who have entered this industry with the short-sided goal of getting their meaningful use incentives and also those who have put more skin in the game with a longer-term perspective that includes the reality of coordination of care.
The vendor’s expectations of usability for the clinic will be revealed in this dialogue when the physicians’ expectations for their specific context of care are defined in great detail. It’s not offensive to bring this to the surface early on in the dialogue because it is essential to the long-term performance of this EHR solution in the clinic.
Teaching moments abound in this dialogue about EHR because the healthcare conversation is a complicated one with so many intricate interactions and specific needs. What’s also complicated is the ongoing development of the EHR, not only for subsequent stages of meaningful use but also the realities of more coordinated care and the evolving digital health environment for us all.
This is not about searching through EHR inventory for the perfect solution today but thinking outside of that box of the solution and asking questions about what is and what can be through using this tool.
Meaningful use has stimulated an important dialogue, and the vendors and physicians (with their staff) will elevate this conversation to higher levels of integration, coordination, and reporting one day at a time. Source
