Electronic Health Records: Building a Sustainable Organization
Electronic health records (EHRs) will help you build a sustainable medical organization and prepare for the changing health care landscape. The next generation of health care professionals will expect and demand to care for patients at medical facilities that meaningfully use EHRs. Achieving meaningful use can help your organization recruit and retain talented young clinicians and improve efficiency, safety, health care quality and, most importantly, patient outcomes.
Resources to Support Your Case for EHR Implementation
To support your case for EHR implementation, several types of resources can be used.
- Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles: You can use peer-reviewed journal articles when pitching your rationale to investors. Journal articles have shown the advantages of electronic health records and how EHRs can:
- Improve preventive cancer care, diabetes care, asthma care, and health care quality
- Help prevent adverse medication events
- Improve your organization’s efficiency
- Stories from Providers Like You: Case studies and stories of physicians and other health care organizations who have already implemented an EHR system are also powerful and provide tangible details and context to make your pitch memorable.
- Return on Investment Calculators: Studies have shown EHRs to generate a positive return on investment.1-3 You can calculate your organization’s expected return on investment to help support your case for EHR implementation.
Your Local Regional Extension Center Can Help
Your local Regional Extension Center (REC) can provide more resources and ideas for pitching health IT to investors. RECs are located in every region of the country to help health care providers select, implement, and become adept and meaningful users of EHRs. Contact your local REC to find out if you are eligible for free or reduced-price support.
References
- Wang SJ, Middleton B, Prosser LA, Bardon CG, Spurr CD, Carchidi PJ, Kittler AF, Goldszer RC, Fairchild DG, Sussman AJ, Kuperman GJ, Bates DW. “A cost-benefit analysis of electronic medical records in primary care.” Am J Med. 2003.
- Grieger DL, Cohen SH, Krusch DA. “A pilot study to document the return on investment for implementing an ambulatory electronic health record at an academic medical center.” J Am Coll Surg. 2007.
- Miller RH, West C, Brown TM, Sim I, Ganchoff C. “The Value of Electronic Health Records in Solo or Small Group Practices.” Health Affairs. 2005.