Electronic Health Records For Dummies

Documenting a plan

Put everything on paper, in a spreadsheet, or at the very least in a detailed memo to your team and staff. You don’t have to use a fancy program to make a useful record of your plan, but if you’re a multimodal kind of person, jazz it up with multiple platforms. Create recurring reminders, make a PowerPoint or Prezi plan that is interactive and colorful, or just make a useful Excel sheet that is easy to read.

Regardless of how you document your plan, include some goals, timeframes, and milestones by which you can chart your progress. Include a listing of set regular meetings and make note of required participation for your selection committee. The more specifics you can include, the more time you will save later by reducing the number of questions you will need to field from your committee.

Understanding the Vendor Landscape

Currently, there are more than 400 ambulatory electronic health record systems. That’s right, 400! Some have been around for more than 20 years and many have come to life in the fertile soil of new health IT opportunities. Some have been developed by large technology superpowers and others have been created in the garages or home offices of physicians. The good news is that many of the vendor systems will work great for you and your practice, and that takes a little pressure off you feeling like you have to make the perfect choice.

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