EHR – Rural Perspective
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EHR Implementation Challenges for Rural
Hospitals
EHR Implementation Challenges for Rural
Clinics
Considerations for an Effective Integrated
EHR
Minnesota E-Health Initiative Advisory
Committee
EHR IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES
FOR RURAL HOSPITALS
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Lack of capital resources to invest in an EHR (upfront
costs seem prohibitive)
Lack of standards for interoperability (waiting for national
or state standards)
Significant process change is often required
Lack of internal IT leadership and personnel resources
needed to handle the temporary increase in work load
often accompanying a software implementation
Clinical providers’ acceptance of change or impending
change
Demonstrating the ROI that outweighs the expense,
pain, and suffering
EHR IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES
FOR RURAL CLINICS
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Lack of capital resources to invest in an
EHR
Concerns with loss of productivity (and
revenue) during transition to an EHR
system
Lack of internal IT leadership
Concern for clinical providers’ ability to
input data
Proving ROI
CONSIDERATIONS FOR AN EFFECTIVE
HOSPITAL/CLINIC EHR
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Openness and transparency
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Defined limitations
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easy to use and easy to pull, query and analyze data
who can enter and edit information in the integrated
system
How is confidential information protected
How is information shared
Data integrity and quality
Security and safeguards
Accountability and oversight
MINNESOTA E-HEALTH INITIATIVE
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
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Advisory Committee Convened by the
Commissioner of Health in October - 2004
Diverse representation
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Public Health, Health Plans, Large Hospitals
(Kim Pederson), Rural Hospitals (Mary
Klimp), Clinics, Pharmacists, Consumers,
Academics and Research, Long Term Care,
Stratus Health, Purchasers, MNA, MMA,
Senior Federation, HIPAA Collaborative
Initial Charge
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Provide recommendations on:
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Ways to accelerate the adoption of electronic health records systems
and other relevant health information technology
Define the role for MDH and State Government in the development,
financing, promotion, and implementation of EHR and HIT
Address at least the following issues:
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Barriers to adoption of EHR
Identify the core components of an EHR and standards for interoperability
Assess the status of current implementation of EHR
Assess the costs for primary and acute health care providers in
implementation of EHR
Identify partnership models and collaboration potential for EHR
implementation
Monitor the development of federal standards
Identify barriers and develop a plan to develop a standardized record system