Every few years there seems to be a compelling event in the world of technology that creates a groundswell of conversation and accompanying anxiety. Ten years ago it was Y2K . . . today, in healthcare, it’s "meaningful use."
I know few organizations or physician practices who aren’t currently assessing how to accelerate and re-prioritize their technology plans to leverage these incentives. While some are tempted to keep both eyes on Washington to deliver the final nitty gritty details of meaningful use, smart organizations will start assessing their organization’s readiness for clinical implementations. While technology usability, features and functionality can enhance adoption, one of the biggest hurdles in clinical implementations is not the technology itself. It’s organizational culture and clinician readiness. And that is something that every organization -- hospital or physician practice -- can start working on today.
We recently held executive roundtables at the HFMA meeting in Seattle and the AHA Leadership Summit in San Francisco. Across the board, these executives cited culture and change management as the toughest hurdle their organizations will have to face. One executive stated: “. . .we’ve had to think really hard strategically about how we are going to change the culture within the organization. Because we don’t have a choice. If we’re going to survive, we have to make these cultural changes.”
How are you assessing physician readiness for upcoming technology implementations? Do you know if you’re ready? Do you have a change management plan in place?
Below are some links to resources and articles that can help you get started.
Readiness Assessment – Clinfowiki. Lists high level questions to get a broad understanding of organizational readiness for CPOE.
Organizational Readiness Assessment. (Opens word document). Survey to help identify your organization’s readiness to plan for implementing an electronic health record and other health information technology. Created by Stratis Health.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists -- Readiness Assessment: Is Your Practice Ready for EMRs? A series of articles designed to help the practicing physician understand the complexities, benefits, and challenges associated with electronic medical record systems for the office.
Inpatient CPOE Readiness Assessment. Provides a structured method to assess a hospital’s readiness to implement CPOE, developed using the Sloan model of organizational transformation.
Implementing an EMR: Why Do A Readiness Assessment? HealthLeaders, September, 2007. Case study describing the value of readiness assessments when GreenField Health, a clinical practice group in Portland, OR, implemented their EMR.
Massachusetts Hospital CPOE Initiative CPOE Readiness Roadmap Guide. Comprehensive guide to readiness components that lay the foundation for eventual success with CPOE. Published in 2005.
Do you have a resource that is particularly helpful? A best practice you can share? If so, please post below or contact editor@whatismeaningful.com to become a contributing author.
