Written by Scott Davidson Tuesday, 02 November 2010 00:00

When it comes to EHR implementation, the type of role you play as office manager will determine the level of success and impact into your office environment.  Moving from paper charts to an EHR or continuing to optimize your EHR and modify workflows are all significant projects that require careful and deliberate management.  When it comes to implementing EHR systems there is not an easy “cookie cutter” or “one size fits all” approach that works for every practice.  Each practice is different and varies by specialty, size, and overall provider and staff involvement when it comes to embracing change.   Some key trouble areas are how to manage various parts of the patient chart and eliminating the paper superbill once and for all.  The office manager plays a pivotal role in the successful outcome of workflow transformation and the EHR implementation.

Each office manager may take a different approach to his or her EHR project.  Some dive right in and take control, where others consider it to be more of an IT project and put too much faith in the EHR vendor to make it all happen and tend to stand on the sidelines watching events play out.  I think they have their fingers crossed that everything will go smoothly and you can be sure that is most commonly not the case.  Finally, there are those who close their eyes, and want to be told when it’s all over, or hope that they’ll wake up and discover that it was all a bad dream.  Obviously, the proactive managers drive a successful transformation into the world of EHR technology, but of course they can’t do it alone.  The following are key attributes for the proactive Office Manager:

The Hammer and Motivator:  Educate, motivate, and direct each provider, staff member, as well as your vendor what needs to be done, and how it should be done based on your specific needs.  You have the whole picture in your mind and you know exactly how to make your new EHR system work for your office and staff.  You will hold people accountable for their roles and responsibilities.

The Project Manager:  You have the blueprint.  Now you just have to get the vendor, the IT staff, and your office staff to commit to doing what is necessary in a target timeframe and manage each step carefully to stay on track and within budget as much as possible. You are on top of the whole process, planning every step of the way and making sure everyone is doing what he or she needs to do.

The Coach:  Yes, this is a new adventure for you,  but you know how to obtain the knowledge and the manage the performance of the providers and staff in your office.  Guiding the team to step up to new responsibilities and to take some risk and a leap of faith is critical to keep the project moving.

The Super User:  You know the features of the EHR system – all the bells and whistles.  Not only do you know what every button and link and tab does, you know how it works and why.  Teaching is your specialty and embracing the technology and transferring that to others will be a success factor for on-going management and efficiency.

The Counselor:  Change is almost like a death – death of the old way of doing things.  You can help people to mourn and get on with a new way of life.  Your new EHR system has an impact on the roles and responsibilities of every person in the practice.  Each provider and staff member must come to terms with how best to use it for his or her job.

Patient Relations:  You’re concerned that the patients have more forms to fill out because you’re going paperless and they won’t like it.  The normally cranky people won’t be happy if they have to wait longer to see the doctor because of your new EHR system.  The providers and the patients won’t be happy that you have to limit appointments because it initially takes longer to manage each patient on the computer.  Prepare to educate your patients of what you are doing well ahead of time and how your investment in them will help provide better management and quality of the already outstanding care you already provide to them.  Proactive consumer education goes a very long way.

The Mediator:  You take on the task of getting everyone to work together and manage a very high-stress environment.  The providers are grouchy because the front desk or the clinical staff aren’t getting the patients ready fast enough due to the new registration process.  The staff is unhappy because they are trying to follow the new computerized process but the rest of the office is impatient.  The patients are wondering what all the fuss is about with the new computers.  Stay focused and be the glue that holds it all together.  Your role is so important to keep things moving and on track. 

The challenging news is that each of these roles are needed to some degree at certain points in time. The practices where the manager takes an active role in the EHR project will subsequently have a higher rate of success.  Just remember why you are adopting an EHR, and working together as a team to reach those goals will help you to make good decisions and provide the right motivation and education along the way.

The good news is that you don’t have to perform each of these roles perfectly, and you have other staff members and outside experts to help you.  Use your role as manager to enlist the help of everyone in the office in some capacity, voluntarily or otherwise.  Chances are that you will find someone to complement you in each of the different roles required. 

Be prepared for your new role.  Have flexibility, demand accountability, promote empowerment, drive communication, and be an agent of change.  Remember this affects you too, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, and those who take the time to plan, get help, and plan their project well do reap the benefits and never look back.