9 challenges PT providers face during EHR implementation

The use of electronic health record (EHR) technology has risen dramatically in recent years. In the United States, over 80% of hospitals had adopted the use of EHR systems by the year 2015. This was a dramatic increase from 2008, when less than 10% of hospitals had been using the technology, according to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. It did not take long for health care providers to recognize that EHR implementation allowed their record-keeping processes to become more accessible, comprehensive, and centralized.

The implementation of EHR systems doesn’t just help providers to access records more quickly. These systems also help patients receive higher standards of care. Having digital records for patients provides a comprehensive view of their overall health. This makes providers better prepared to diagnose their patients and recommend the best kinds of care for their needs. As a physical therapy provider, having a holistic view of your patient’s health helps you to work alongside their primary care provider to achieve the best possible health and wellness outcomes for the patient. 

However, there are many challenges that may make some providers hesitant to adopt EHR implementation. Any new technology comes with bumps in the road, regardless of how helpful and beneficial that technology can be.

What are some of the challenges that providers face during EHR implementation?

If your physical therapy practice is considering adopting EHR systems, there are several challenges that you may face in the process. EHR implementation often comes with inconveniences that you might not have expected. Here are nine challenges that physical therapy providers may face during EHR implementation:

1. Implementation costs — The cost of implementation is probably the largest hurdle that physical therapy providers face during EHR implementation. Setting up the hardware, purchasing the required software, paying for assistance and training staff represent a very large upfront cost. Your EHR systems will also require regular maintenance and network fees, just like any other computer system. 

2. Training — The software and hardware required to implement EHR in your practice will require training. Physical therapy providers may not feel up to the task of training their employees on a system that they have only just learned themselves. Outside training may be required, which will not only cost money but will also take time away from patient care.

3. Usability — Some practice employees may have trouble adapting to EHR implementation. If your practice has become used to a regular workflow, some software and hardware might interrupt that flow more than it seems to help it. The purpose of EHR implementation is to make the provider’s work go more smoothly and efficiently, but that is only possible with user-friendly tools.

4. Privacy — Many physical therapy patients will have concerns regarding their data privacy when their records are stored digitally. Cyberattacks and data breaches are a real concern for both patients and providers. EHRs are usually stored and accessed in a cloud-based system, making it possible for them to be compromised by hackers or cybercriminals, especially if providers do not take adequate steps to protect patients’ data. 

5. Interoperability — If a patient’s needs require them to visit multiple providers, then the transfer of data between those providers is necessary in order to understand the full picture of the patient’s health. However, in order for that to be possible, providers need EHR implementation that allows for easy exchange of the patient’s data between practices. Interoperability between different EHR systems allows for much quicker and efficient access to a patient’s records, and better outcomes for the patient.

6. Data migration — One inevitable part of EHR implementation that no one will be looking forward to will be data migration. This will be the long and likely arduous task of transferring patient records from their current paper documents to a digital format. If your practice has been around for a long time, you may be looking at hundreds of patient documents going back years or even decades. Some practices may not have kept very tidy or organized records, which will make the process even more difficult. This is also a time-consuming task that could take hours away from your practice’s normal workflow.

7. Limited resources — Smaller practices may have more challenges than larger ones when it comes to EHR implementation. A small practice likely won’t have an in-house information technology specialist, or access to the newest equipment. Smaller practices will also feel the sting of implementation costs more acutely than larger ones, as they have smaller budgets to work with. With fewer employees to go around, it may also be more difficult to spare the labor to make EHR implementation possible.

8. Staff reluctance — Many employees of physical therapy practices may be resistant to giving up old methods in favor of EHR implementation. While EHR is designed to benefit both patients and practitioners, it may be difficult to convince some staff of these benefits. Making your staff aware of the many benefits of EHR implementation will go a long way toward making the transition to digital records easier.

9. Patient misinformation — Some EHR systems allow patients to access and view their own records. While this may help improve patient engagement in many cases, there is a risk that patients may not be prepared to process the information that they have at their disposal. If a patient reads something in their records that they do not understand, it can lead to fear. This can result in the patient taking actions that may be inappropriate or even harmful to their health based on misinformation.

What can AgileEMR do to help my practice overcome the challenges of EHR implementation?

AgileEMR is an electronic medical records system that was designed by and for physical therapy practitioners. We understand the challenges that your physical therapy practice can face during EHR implementation. That is why our comprehensive medical record solution offers everything that a physical therapy practice needs for accurate documentation, task management, scheduling, template management, reporting and billing tools in one time-saving platform.

Our unique platform takes all the features that are required for comprehensive EHR implementation and simplifies them to make life easier for your clinical staff. Our cloud-based storage is protected by the highest levels of data security available, giving your patients the peace of mind that they deserve.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule a demo to see how AgileEMR can help your practice.