Five questions to ask your nurses before you replace your EHR

Given that nurses have the most exposure to patients in a healthcare practice and likely possess a wealth of ‘on the ground’ information, their insights can be instrumental in informing effective EHR ( implementation planning.

As Patricia Sengstack, president of the American Nursing Informatics Association states in an interview published in the healthcare journal Modern Healthcare notes, “Nurses are the biggest users of the EHR and are responsible for a large portion of the documentation that addresses quality measures, safety measures and the overall clinical picture of the patient.” Intuitively, nurses should serve as a valuable resource and key stakeholders in EHR planning and implementation.

However, despite the wealth of practical information available to nurses, practices often fail to utilize their knowledge in the planning process. According to a survey by Black Book Market Research, a staggering 98% of nurses report that they have never been included in their hospitals’ decisions regarding EHR implementation. Case studies highlight that including nurses in the planning process can lead to significant, tangible benefits for healthcare practices. Conversely, the exclusion of nurses from planning can result in EHR underperformance, or in extreme cases, a failed EHR implementation.

Given the value nurses can provide to the implementation process what should planners ask nursing staff when planning and implementing an EHR?

1. How can the system be designed to optimize workflows?

Given that nurses handle the majority of on-the-ground work with patients, it's crucial to design an EHR system that enhances their workflow rather than disrupts it. Planners should engage with nurses to understand how the EHR can be tailored to streamline their daily tasks, ensuring minimal disruptions and maximizing efficiency.

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2. What data entry features would be useful?

Data entry is a significant aspect of nursing work, so it's vital to ask nurses how they currently input data and what improvements could be made to this process. For example, nurses can best describe what works and what doesn't when discussing how work is conducted on the front lines and how clinical data is inputted in the fastest and most accurate manner.

3. How could this EHR impact communication with patients?

According to Black Book, 90% of nurses report that their EHR system has negatively impacted communications with their nurses and their patients. Therefore, it is important to consider if the EHR setup will not disrupt the process of communication with patients.

4. How could this EHR impact communication between members of the care team?

Further, the Black Book survey reveals that 94% of nurses do not believe that their current EHR has improved communication among care team members. Understanding which communication methods are effective and ensuring that the EHR supports these practices is crucial for cohesive and efficient teamwork.

5. Does the interface work for you?

Just as workflow and data entry are important, the EHR interface should also be intuitive and compatible with the nursing staff’s work style. By involving nurses in evaluating the interface early on, planners can identify potential usability issues and ensure a smoother transition to the new system.

In conclusion, including nursing staff in the EHR planning process is essential given the invaluable insights they can provide. Asking targeted questions to gather actionable feedback from nurses can significantly enhance the success of EHR implementation, ensuring that the system meets the needs of all users.