Read this if your organization is considering replacing or implementing a new EHR system.
Have you ever been on a vacation with a group of friends or relatives, whether it was a camp outing at the nearest lake, a trip to an amusement park, or a visit to another country? There's one thing that can make or break a trip: communication. If you had good sound communication with your travel companions, it probably enhanced the enjoyment of the vacation. Nonexistent, poor communication more than likely contributed to an experience you won't want to repeat. The same dynamic is present in any workplace project involving other humans.
According to research by Salesforce, which included employees, corporate executives, and educators, 86% felt that ineffective communication was the underlying reason for workplace failure. A study performed by the Economist Intelligence Unit identified that poor communication results in 25% of missed goals and 44% of failure to complete projects. By contrast a poll by Expert Market showed that when employees are offered better communication, productivity can increase by up to 30%.
If your organization is in the process of a large-scale project, such as replacing or implementing an electronic health record (EHR) system in the near future, success will depend on having a sound communication plan in effect before, during, and after the implementation. Fortunately, effective communication is not a difficult task to achieve. Based on our experience helping organizations implement EHR systems nationwide, our team has developed five simple communication steps for successful implementations.
1. Reach the right audience
Determine who will be affected by an EHR system. Remember, it is not just providers and caregivers. Make certain that all affected staff (e.g., IT, schedulers, administrative) and providers are discovered, and determine how the daily workflow will be changed.
2. Develop a thoughtful communication plan
A communication plan is essentially a well-thought-out guidebook for the implementation team to follow, to spread the message of change. A proper communication plan sets forth the process of updating and educating on the coming changes, requests for needs, reporting of issues, training, and delivering the right messages to the masses that change is happening. (e.g., A provider would not need to know the billing and accounts receivable data, nor would a scheduler need to know the nursing data).
3. Have a dedicated resource for communication
It is essential to know who will be communicating the change and how that communication should be spread throughout your organization. An organization may have a dedicated change manager who orchestrates the progression of all communications, or this task could be dedicated to a group with shared duties. Regardless, the task remains the same: effectively communicate the changes coming.
4. Frequently re-evaluate and restructure the communications
Not all communications work the same. Know your staff and their preferences for receiving their communications. Providers may need a messaging system of notification, nurses may prefer an email, but finance may need a memo. It is also important to re-evaluate frequently how well the communications are getting to the target audience. What may have worked before may not be working now, and the organization needs to consistently re-invent their communications to make sure the message of change is being heard and understood.
5. Hold periodic implementation discussions
The dedicated change manager(s) should be given an opportunity to briefly discuss changes coming with members of the organization who may be impacted by the change. This may mean one-on-one discussions, group meetings, or during an operations or full staff meeting. A two-way approach to communication will help to disseminate important information and ensure transparency by inviting feedback and questions.
BerryDunn’s team of consultants is happy to assist you with creating a Request for Proposal, selecting the right EHR vendor for your organization, and developing communication, change management, and project management for system implementation projects. Learn more about our team and services.