5 Signs that Your EHR Implementation is Failing

With an estimated 30% implementation failure rate, the EHR rollout gone wrong is not uncommon and most providers have heard their fair share of implementation horror stories, but there is hope. For agencies looking to avoid or escape the slippery slope of implementation failure, there are five signs to watch for.

1. Always Playing Catch-Up

Lack of internal preparation has been the downfall of many a provider, leaving agencies in a constant race to catch-up. To address this common misstep, providers should clearly document and determine ALL workflows, and define ALL staff roles responsible for data entry and system management. Equally beneficial is an internal or external committee to handle, track and be responsible for data migration. An effective EHR provider will offer guidance during this process.

2. Lack of Staff Buy-In

To achieve staff buy-in, providers should identify internal champions to help promote the implementation and importance of the new EHR. Providers should also create a leadership committee comprised of members from all stakeholder groups to oversee the implementation. Lastly, offering a reliable platform (meetings, group calls, etc.) for stakeholders to share system experiences is the best way to prevent current concerns from becoming future issues.

3. Severe Training Obstacles

Agencies can improve training efficiency by tracking the progress of all trainees to ensure that staff do not fall behind and stay behind. To boost trainee attendance, providers should consider incentivizing participation and make sure that staff is well educated on the importance of the new EHR and its effect on their day-to-day. However, to have the greatest impact on training success, providers should select an EHR with comprehensive, organized and engaging training capabilities.

4. Lack of System Functionality

Disappointing system functionality is a common issue for providers who do not select an EHR that was specifically designed for behavioral health and human services providers. These issues are also caused by EHRs that do not offer critical interfaces making the use of multiple systems necessary, which results in double work and time wasted. To prevent EHR regret due to inefficient functionality, providers should select an EHR that offers a detailed product roadmap with a clear vision of future functionality and interface integration. This will ensure that your EHR grows with you instead of becoming outdated.

5. Bloated Timelines

Never ending implementations have long plagued providers, with many spending years in an implementation, far beyond originally promised timelines. In order to avoid the endless implementation, providers should select an EHR with a reputation for comprehensive, flexible and fast implementations.

As the industry leader, Qualifacts is:

• The gold standard in EHR implementations for behavioral health and human services
• The implementation leader with the industry’s fastest implementations averaging only 6 months
• Synonymous with best-in-class training offering comprehensive and engaging sessions, access to some of the industry’s top trainers and training plans tailored to your agency
• The EHR of choice for providers seeking a solution with product roadmap transparency and a reputation for responsiveness to meet behavioral health and human services provider needs

Qualifacts Achieves Comprehensive Stage 2 Meaningful Use Certification

Qualifacts is proud to announce that its comprehensive electronic health record (EHR), CareLogic Enterprise, has received Stage 2 meaningful use certification. As an Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) 2014 Ambulatory Complete EHR, CareLogic will support the efforts of eligible professionals working to meet the requirements for Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the Medicaid and Medicare EHR Incentive Programs.

According to the Certified Health IT Product List (CHPL) managed by the ONC only 2,008 EHR products achieved 2014 certification compared to the 5,034 that achieved certification for 2011, creating a recertification rate of less than 40% under the stricter requirements for 2014 certification.

“The meaningful use program is about improving care quality and coordination across the entire healthcare system and as such, it’s a big deal to our customers and speciality behavioral healthcare providers across the country,” said David Klements, President and CEO of Qualifacts. “We’re pleased to be amongst the select number of vendors that have met the more strenuous requirements, and look forward to working with our clients to ensure their successful implementation and use of these new capabilities.“

“As soon as new meaningful use functionality was added to CareLogic, our EP’s and clinical staff could immediately begin using the functionality to improve client care.”

This certification will allow Qualifacts to continue providing CareLogic users with the infrastructure necessary to reliably and efficiently meet meaningful use measures, more accurately leverage data to improve quality of care and support overall agency sustainability through EHR incentive payments. The company will continue to leverage significant financial and staff resources to ensure that CareLogic Enterprise surpasses the current Stage 1 and Stage 2 needs of its users, and is better prepared for Stage 3 certification.

“The best thing about having a single web-based platform is that as soon as Qualifacts became certified, our customers had immediate access to the 2014 version of our certified EHR,” said Mary Givens, Product Manager of Healthcare Reform with Qualifacts. “Unlike other EHRs, with CareLogic there was no need to wait for an upgraded version of the product or pay additional cost to access the meaningful use features, saving our customers time and money.”

“We have used CareLogic for three years and one of the reasons that we selected CareLogic is because the system’s SaaS based, single platform provides immediate access to new functionality unlike other EHRs,” explained Karen Ayala, Executive Director of the DuPage County Health Department. “As soon as new meaningful use functionality was added to CareLogic, our EP’s and clinical staff could immediately begin using the functionality to improve client care.”

“Our agency participates in a consortium with eight other agencies who use Qualifacts’ CareLogic. With more than 50 Eligible Providers, Qualifacts’ certification for meaningful use Stage 2 is a significant step forward,” added Tom Ford, CEO of Lookout Mountain Community Services. “Not only will agencies in the consortium be able to access additional revenues as a result of the certification, but the agencies will also collect information that will improve the lives of the individuals we serve.”