RISK MANAGEMENT Evaluating EHR Systems

portant to remember that implementing an EHR system requires thorough research and careful planning.

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One of the first considerations when select- ing an EHR system is whether the system has been certified under the Office of the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology (ONC) Certification Program, the goal of which is to ensure interoperability and functionality. To find out whether a sys- tem is certified, visit ONC’s Certified Health IT Product List at http://oncchpl.force.com/ ehrcert.

The next consideration is whether the system is compatible with community net- works or large providers that influence your practice (for example, hospitals, pharmacies, major third-party payers, etc.).

You may find it helpful to contact or visit other dental professionals located in the same service area to discuss products and vendors. Soliciting their feedback regarding the installation, implementation and main- tenance of a system can be invaluable in the planning stages. If local comparisons are not an option, ask prospective vendors to provide references.

Include your office staff in research, plan- ning, testing and system purchase decisions, and evaluate whether the potential product is compatible with their daily workflow routines. Other important considerations when evaluating EHR systems include the following:

 How easy is it to access and manipulate the electronic data to meet the needs of your practice? Access to patient informa- tion should not be complicated, and the format should be as easy to read as a

22 focus | MAY/JUN 2015 | ISSUE 3

s dental practices continue to make the transition from paper- based health records to electronic health records (EHRs), it’s im-

paper patient record.

 How will the system inter- face with other internal and external systems? Internal systems might include scheduling and billing systems. External systems to consider include hos- pitals, diagnostic entities, pharmacies and third-party payers.

 Will required interfaces add considerable cost or administrative steps to the transition?

 Is the vendor responsive to requests and needs?

 Is template language adaptable to fit the needs of your practice?

 What additional data needs exist? For example:  Research activities  Pay-for-performance initiatives  Internal performance improve- ment/data monitoring

 Specialty service needs, including system responsiveness to termi- nology, flow sheets, screenshots or data sets that might need to be integrated into the system to facili- tate specific practice activities. How much will modifications cost? Can office staff easily modify the fields? Can programming logic be retained for future modifications?

 How will the system affect daily workflow processes? For example:  Chart retrieval and viewing: Does the EHR have standard system-wide views and customized views? The team should assess the readability and completeness of information.

 Document and information cap- ture: How are scanned documents displayed? Does the system restrict free text input (i.e., the ability to

provide patient-specific notes and narrative)? Is text in narrative fields easily retrievable?

 Chart completion: How does the system indicate that the chart is complete?

 Release of information: Can you eas- ily track released information?

 Coding and abstracting: Will you need additional coding interfaces?

 Transcription: Is the system capable of voice recognition?

 Patient reminders and consultation letter templates: Are they eas- ily formatted and automatically prompted?

EHRs have the potential to improve patient safety, enhance continuity of care, and improve documentation. However, these sys- tems also present new challenges and risks. Dentists who are considering implementing EHR systems in their practices can proac- tively address some of these issues through careful evaluation and assessment of EHR system features and specifications. f

This article was produced by the Patient Safety & Risk Solutions Team at Medical Protective, the nation’s oldest professional liability insurance company dedicated to the healthcare professions. For additional information visit the Medical Protective website at www.medpro.com. Copyright 2015 The Medical Protective Company. All rights reserved.