Here's a scary fact: The California HealthCare Foundation reports that more Americans die each year from preventable medical errors than from AIDS or breast cancer (October, 2006). Health information technology, and more specifically electronic medical records (EMR), enable physicians and patients to access critical health information at the time and place it is needed. This means a doctor treating a patient in an emergency room would have immediate access to that patient's treatment history, including past diagnostic tests, current medications, and individual allergies. This information, when available in a timely manner, can actually save a patient's life!

In addition to reducing an organization's health care costs and streamlining redundant procedures, today's EMR systems can actually promote an increase in the quality and efficiency of the care provided to all of us throughout our local communities. And it seems that everyone - employers, consumers, healthcare professionals, and several government agencies - is looking for ways to improve the quality, safety, and affordability of healthcare. So if EMR systems can do all of the above, why haven't they been implemented more widely? Two principal reasons are the perceived high cost of these new technologies and the significant

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challenges involved in changing how individuals, organizations, and government agencies manage this ongoing transformation effort.

When it comes to EMR projects, the number of key stakeholders can be massive. From primary care physicians to pharmacists, community medical centers to regional hospitals, employers to individual healthcare consumers, a diverse set of people can be affected by implementing an EMR system. In addition, a variety of technology platforms and work processes are involved, many of which may not be aligned or interoperable with other organizations. And layered on top of all of this is the simple fact that the stakes are incredibly high because EMR may fundamentally change how healthcare is administered, delivered, and received throughout our communities.

This past year, Plus Delta partnered with one of our alliance partners Grace Consulting to provide targeted change management support to several community-based not-for-profit organizations working through the early stages of their EMR initiatives. To support these organizations, we focused on developing strong foundations for their change efforts, as often times organizations are so eager to implement these initiatives that they frequently neglect to set the stage for a successful change effort. We also helped these community agencies assess their readiness for change and create strategic communications plans to engage key stakeholders in their EMR implementation efforts.

Any organization contemplating a major cross-department or inter-organization change will benefit greatly from taking the time to carefully plan and execute the following 6 critical change management tasks. Be sure to include these activities early on in your EMR implementation plan to deliver a smoother, more successful change effort:

1.		Perform a change readiness assessment: Evaluate the organization's commitment to change, management support for the change effort, and the organization's general culture for change.
2.		Conduct a high-level impact assessment: Identify exactly what is changing as part of the initiative and determine who will be impacted by these changes.
3.		Develop your initial communications plan: Define a strategy for driving these changes forward by keeping everyone informed about the project before, during, and after the implementation occurs.
4.		Design a stakeholder management strategy: Develop a specific plan to obtain stakeholder buy-in and keep your key stakeholders engaged throughout the initiative.
5.		Identify project champions across the organization: Determine who the best sponsors will be across the organization and ensure these leaders are actively involved - and visible - throughout the project.
6.		Consider the required knowledge and skills for EMR: Design a high-level strategy for training anyone who may be impacted by the new EMR system to address any gaps in required knowledge and skills and enable everyone to perform their jobs effectively using the new system.

As we head into the New Year, we will continue striving to make a difference with organizations that are making a difference. So whether you work for a Fortune 100 corporation, non-profit organization, or a government agency, we look forward to working with you to enable your important EMR initiatives to succeed and to improve the quality of healthcare in all our communities. And we encourage you to get involved with projects and other organizations that are making a positive impact in your communities as well.

If you - or your organization - are interested in learning more about health information technology and the positive impacts of EMR, please take a look at the links provided on the Other Resources page of our website. You can also contact Dr. Jeremy Lurey directly at (866) PLS-DLTA or send him an email at jslurey@plusdelta.net to learn more about our methodology for managing technology change initiatives.

Note: This feature was originally published and distributed in Plus Delta Consulting’s e-newsletter in December 2006.