Eight Tips to Become Paperless

1. think like a doctor. Treat an electronic medical records (EMR) system like a clinical project, not an IT one. Many hospital IT departments pay a share of the salaries of physicians, nurses and pharmacists who spend part of their time in IT and part of their time with patients.

2. Don’t skimp on training. For the most effective results, consider one-on-one training for physicians rather than classroom instruction.

3. Prepare for a productivity hit anyway. EMRs have a huge impact on how clinicians do their daily work.

4. Think of resistance as feedback. Most of the physicians who push back will have valid points and concerns.

5. Start with the value. Once physicians get something out of the EMR—like faster lab-test results—they’ll be more likely to accept further changes.

6. Expect problems. Have backup processes in case the system goes down.

7. Be ready to make changes. The real work begins after the implementation, when clinicians will want to fix problems and add functionality.

8. Get an executive mandate. The CEO must require everyone to use the new systems, but this should only be your final nudge toward adoption.