What are the vital characteristics of go-live resources?
Being well-prepared for the launch of a new electronic health record (EHR) system goes beyond having the right system and a well-tested build in place — hospitals must have the right floor support resources available to manage the needs of the clinical and ancillary staff. Go-Live team members must be capable of providing both solid technical expertise and high-quality customer service during those first critical weeks.
In this post, The HCI Group, an healthcare consulting company in Florida, consider the key qualities needed from Healthcare IT consultants during an EHR Go-Live
EHR Go-Live Planning: Training & Support
As you begin to plan for your EHR go-live, you will need to consider how much staff training has been accomplished prior to the go-live and if you will be able to contribute internal full-time super-users during back-load and activation. Understanding training and available resources at your facility will greatly impact the numbers, type and requirements of the resources you will need to augment your project. The idea is to accomplish your goal, cover hot spots and maintain patient safety.It’s always better to slightly overestimate your support needs and have the contractual flexibility to draw down resources as project leadership determines.
Consider these three important aspects for a positive go-live experience, which will help your organization get the most from your go-live resources:
1) The Integration of Go-Live Resources with Your Hospital Staff
At-the-elbow support resources are the front line for the hospital staff and the face of your project. How will your resources be perceived by hospital staff? Your resources must be knowledgeable in their modality and radiate a teaching spirit.
If your resources struggle technically or lack the ability to connect with more difficult customers, you will most certainly be asked to replace that resource.
2) EHR Activation Troubleshooting Skills
The best go-live resources have strong problem-solving skills. Every build is unique and it is imperative that your resources work to get to the root of each problem.
It is not realistic to expect that your resources know everything, but they should be eager to uncover the issues, be specific and report through the communication process to ensure the customer’s concerns have been addressed. If possible, the resource should follow up with end users.
3) Keeping Busy after the Go-Live
After the first week it is normal for there to be lulls in support activity. Acuity will begin to rise; nightshifts and weekends can become a little slower for floor support resources. It never fails — there is always someone caught hanging out in the lounge, texting or disappearing for long periods of time.
Resources must be trained on creative ways to fill their time productively. For example, a useful resource will approach staff and ask for permission to either sit alongside or work at the bedside so they are able to watch how the clinician engages the system. This approach creates opportunities for the resource to provide tips, guidance and shortcuts to help the clinician to complete their work more efficiently.
Overall adoption rates are much faster on floors with strong and engaging support. As part of The HCI Group go-live recruitment process, we actively screen resources to exceed these expectations. HCI has an active, tenured network of resources available to provide classroom training, instructional design and at-the-elbow support for clinicians and ancillary staff.
Do you have an upcoming Go-Live project? Contact our Go-Live Team via the form below. You can also learn more about our Go-Live Services here.
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The HCI Group is always looking to add exceptional talent to our go-live resource team. If you feel that you bring extraordinary knowledge, skill and abilities, you are welcome to contact The HCI Group’s go-live department for more information about our screening process and to see if you qualify. Call 904-337-6300 for additional details.