Over her 13-year career, seasoned project manager Julie Van Puffelen has held numerous positions in the Implementation Services Division of healthcare software company Epic Systems. In her role as an executive nurse liaison, Julie Van Puffelen has assisted C-suite executives at over 30 hospitals in navigating the change management process.
Change management is a key component in successfully implementing an electronic health records (EHR) system, either for the first time or in an upgrade. Organizations should prepare staff, patients, and all end-users well in advance, and workflows should be evaluated for optimization and incorporation into the EHR system.
System changes take time to learn and can temporarily impact how staff members perform their duties. To ease the transition, some healthcare providers may implement readiness programs by department or unit, and appoint a leader from each group to take charge of the change management process. It is also important to consider how the EHR system change will impact the staff members who do not work directly with the system, such as those working overnight, and address these changes directly.
As EHR software is constantly upgraded, improved, and adapted to better meet the needs of healthcare providers and their patients, organizations should instill a culture of continuous learning by promoting ongoing change as a sign of progress and success.
