GUEST BLOG: Why Smart Marketing Is Needed to Drive Successful EHR Implementation

Farrell:  The role of the CMIO has been evolving dramatically from information technology advocate to senior leader helping to move their organization up the quality scale in both improved care and clinician efficiency.  With this expertise and leadership, the CMIO is in a unique position to bridge the gap between IT and clinicians because they speak the language of both groups.

Cloidt: What does an effective communication strategy and plan entail?  And, what’s involved in launching and maintaining such a program?

McCourt:   That’s a big question, Kim.  First, establishing an integrated, professional IT communications program should be approached the same manner as any other important project.  It requires the establishment of goals, project planning, and identification of challenges or obstacles, as well as ample resource allocation.  Bottom-line, it requires a structured project plan as well as an owner of the communications plan.

I often ask my clients how they can require clinicians to enter orders electronically, seek best practices on-line and improve patient engagement if they still send paper-based instructional memos and newsletters through the postal service or by fax.   It’s often a great “ah ha!” moment.  When launching the program, it is critical to use contemporary communications tools, such as the web, intranets and text messages to effectively reach your audience

Lastly, it’s essential to develop and constantly maintain distribution lists by role.  This is a gigantic challenge because quite often communications are fragmented across a diverse departmental landscape.  However, cleaning-up, centralizing, and automating through a contact-management tool will improve the speed of communications and enhance the ability to craft appropriately targeted communications.

Cloidt:  That makes a lot of sense Doug.  Are there any tips you can give CIOs which can help them fast-track the communications development and maintenance process?

McCourt: I’m glad you didn’t use the phrase, “cut corners,” Kim.  Communications is a mission-critical activity.  There are ways to develop an IT communications platform that can re-purpose and centralize existing communications mechanisms that may already exist in other departments. 

When launching a new EHR initiative, start early by integrating the communications plan and key milestones into the overarching EHR project plan.  Don’t wait until training activities are launched; that’s too late.  As the EHR planning process matures the executive team must review and support milestones, activities, costs and resource requirements which must also include communications-related work.  Surprising the executives late in the deployment with unplanned work and costs is a recipe for failure.  By starting early, the owner of EHR communications, in collaboration with a cross-departmental communications team, will have ample time to work through many complexities and develop appropriate action plans.

Cloidt:  When you say “team,” Doug, what do you mean?

McCourt: The designated leader/owner of EHR communications can’t act alone; it’s a collaborative team exercise which should be charted and governed in a formal manner.  More importantly, the organization needs to realize that various groups often have different and/or conflicting goals and priorities that need to be aligned.  It’s critical early-on to differentiate the unique impacts the new EHR will have on each constituency so that messaging can be customized.

Cloidt:  We’ve seen a backlash in fast-paced EHR implementations with lower than expected adoption and satisfaction rates with physicians, clinicians and staff.  If a short time period is necessary for technology implementation, what can be done to improve adoption?

Farrell:  EHR adoption starts with “useful and usable” solutions.  Dr. Mostashari, national coordinator for health information technology, recently implored vendors to focus on this, before adding more bells and whistles.    The shortened timeframes for adoption encouraged by MU make timely and effective communications all the more important, but ultimately the usability of EHRs will drive improved satisfaction.