Survey: Change management crucial to EMR adoption

Jeff Byers | | Health Exec | Economics
Change management is as critical to EMR deployment success as IT planning and execution, according to a recent survey by Accenture.

The New York City-based technology and outsourcing company interviewed CIOs from select U.S. health systems from April to August of 2010. Key findings from the survey include:

  • Most major health systems underestimate the time and cost associated with implementing advanced EMR functions.
  • Hospitals can expect spikes in operating costs over the course of the EMR journey. Benchmarking shows that hospitals experience an 80 percent increase in IT operating expenses while transitioning to EMRs.
  • When it comes to healthcare IT resources to support EMR implementation, there is a significant gap in qualified personnel. Over the next year, it is estimated that 90 percent of hospitals will invest to install/upgrade EMRs, driving even greater competition for top IT talent.
  • True EMR success means working and thinking differently to optimize the investment over the long term.
Less than 1 percent of health systems achieved mature use of EMRs in 2009 and roughly 50 percent of U.S. hospitals are at risk of not meeting the demands of the federal requirements and incurring penalties by 2015, according to the company.

    Jeff Byers

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