Electronic medical records were identified in the previous section as the most viable solution to help reduce the problem of poor communication among healthcare professional. This section provides a detailed EMR implementation plan to guide the project team during the implementation and commissioning process.
Methods to be used to Implement the Proposed Solution
To implement the solution, the hospital will employ process implementation planning methodology. This method is a customizable framework that would enable the implementation committee to establish a process and management program platform that influences the use of the 6D project channel. This method will ensure that the project management plans, expectations, and institutionalization of the project processes are managed effectively. It will involve the creation of an internal communication plan, setting up of standards and policies, and project implementation procedures (Spector, 2010).
The Overall plan for Implementing the Proposed Solution
The implementation process will begin with the selection of a committee of physicians, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and IT experts. The project manager will make sure that at least every department in the hospital is represented on the committee. The implementation plan will follow the following procedure.
Assessment
The committee will conduct a thorough analysis of the hospital systems that require the incorporation of technology and EMR adoption. For instance, the hospital IT infrastructure will be evaluated as well as hardware requirements for the EMR system implementation (Brooks & Grotz, 2010).
Planning
Planning will involve reviewing of the data collected during the assessment stage and developing EMR implementation goals. System improvement opportunities will be identified and targeted as well.
Selection
The type of the electronic health record system and the vendor will be selected during this stage. In addition, EMR system configuration and development goals will be identified and selected for replacement.
Implementation
The IT expert will initiate EMR system installation and configure the system hardware and software. The vendor will be given enough, but scheduled timeline to carry out the implementation process and the staff will be trained on how to operate the EMR system. Finally, EMR system testing will be conducted to ascertain its workability (Spector, 2010).
Evaluation
The evaluation process will involve an audit of the whole project implementation process to identify possible challenges and develop measures to avoid them in the future. The committee will also use the review to generate an improved implementation plan.
Improvement
The implementation committee will modify the EMR to counter the problems identified during the evaluation phase.
Resources Needed for the Proposed Solution’s Implementation
Successful implementation of the EMR project / solution requires qualified human resources, financial resources, and quality time. It also requires operational IT infrastructure within the hospital. In addition, hardware and software resources will be required for the installation of the project.
Methods for Monitoring Solution Implementation
Survey and electronic data will be used to monitor the success of the EMR implementation. Survey tools will be used to monitor office medical processes such as doctors’ everyday jobs and administrative responsibilities after and before the implementation of the EMR system (Brooks & Grotz, 2010).
Use of a Theory of Planned Change to develop the Implementation Plan
According to the planned change theory, realization of organizational change depends on the attitudes, intentions, beliefs, norms and behavioral intentions of the organizing team. This theory will be used by the management to mobilize the healthcare team to accept the EMR implementation plan following its associated benefits. The hospital staff will be mobilized to change their attitudes, intentions, and perceptions towards technology adoption (Borkowski, 2005). The team will organize a series of meeting to convince the top management about the importance of implementing an EMR solution to reduce medication errors, hospital operational costs, and paperwork.
Feasibility of the implementation plan
The hospital management is aware of the need to have a technology solution to deal with the issue of rampant medication errors and miscommunication within the hospital. Therefore, the entire staff should be willing to accept necessary hospital reforms to improve patient care and safety. Implementation of this solution is viable because the hospital has an already established IT infrastructure. Moreover, the government is ready to offer financial support for the implementation of IT solutions to enhance patient care (Brooks & Grotz, 2010).
References
Borkowski, N. (2005). Organizational Behavior in Health Care. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers
Brooks, R., & Grotz, C. (2010).Implementation of electronic medical records: How healthcare providers are managing the challenges of going digital. Journal of Business & Economics Research, 8 (6), 73-84.
Spector, B. (2010). Implementing Organizational Change (2nded.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.