"My EHR sucks!"
How many times have you or your staff made this statement?
As it turns out, you are not alone. According to a Medical Economics study conducted in October 2019, most physicians are dissatisfied with their current electronic health record (EHR).
Some of the most common complaints are:
- It's hurting my productivity and causing burnout
- The EHR is interfering with my patient relationship
- The system doesn’t work the way I do; it's hard to use
It's not me, it's you
Maybe these aren’t exclusively EHR issues. Maybe it's also a user issue.
According to a recent KLAS Arch Collaborative study, EHR satisfaction increases when staff is well trained. Respondents to the survey that indicated they received good training from their EHR vendor reported that they were more satisfied with their EHR (83%) than unsatisfied (17%). Conversely, respondents that reported a bad training experience were more unsatisfied with their EHR (64%) than satisfied (36%).
If your healthcare practice is evaluating EHR systems—either as your first solution or your replacement solution—consider the onboarding and training processes in making your purchase decision.
Look for an EHR that provides comprehensive training including programs specific to your specialty and workflow. Does the EHR vendor offer affordable, customized optimization and training services to ensure you take full advantage of your technology? If the answer is no, move on.
It is just as important to make sure you and your team are committed to doing the training. It will take time and effort and you may get some pushback, particularly from providers. However, the results are worth it. You will have higher satisfaction rates with the tool and a highly functioning practice.
It's never too late for EHR training
There is no way that you will be able to learn everything your EHR can do during the implementation process. Learning should be a long-term commitment. In fact, the KLAS study found that ongoing training was key to maintaining high knowledge and satisfaction levels.
A good EHR vendor will provide a variety of training and educational resources. Whether it is knowledge articles, regular webinar training, self-paced learning programs, or custom onsite training options, make sure your practice is taking advantage of all these resources. Appoint team members to manage your ongoing EHR training efforts. Set up regular staff meetings that review new software features and functions or focus on practice pain points. Not only will you learn how to do more and be more efficient, but you will help improve overall satisfaction.
If you are currently using an EHR and satisfaction is low, EHR training might be the answer. Instead of stripping out your system, take the time to invest in some EHR training. This can be far less disruptive and less costly than implementing an entirely new system. Sometimes, the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t.
Embrace change, but train for it
An EHR is a powerful tool for your practice improving efficiency and productivity and enhancing the patient experience. But just like any tool, you need to learn how to use it to realize its full potential. Invest in ongoing EHR training and satisfaction will follow.