Investment in EHR technology alone insufficient to address staff shortages, patient care, and burnout: increased IT support crucial for optimal functioning
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) technology has been a significant investment focus for healthcare providers, with EHR adoption growing at a rate of 13.53% year on year globally. However, with implementation challenges rife, these investments alone are not enough to address the pressing issues of staff shortages, patient care, or burnout. In fact, the use of EHRs are themselves becoming a cause of burnout for many clinicians.
Additionally, as patients’ requirements change, and healthcare organizations continue to grow, 70% of users state that aspects of their current EHR system won’t be able to meet future requirements. To truly leverage the potential of EHRs, there is a need to invest in comprehensive IT support that ensures these EHR systems function as required.
A major barrier to this is the IT skills gap. 37% of organizations have suffered project delays or cancellations due to a lack of available IT talent and 86% said it is challenging to recruit and retain IT/tech talent.
To support UK and US healthcare organizations, and their IT teams, a new EHR consultancy, EHR Enhancify, has launched today. Available to support on a retained basis or project-by-project, EHR Enhancify’s consultants work as an extension of their clients’ teams, putting their 17 years of experience working at the heart of Cerner Millennium to use. Services include onboarding and training, troubleshooting and maintenance, Custom MPage creation, advanced configurations and more.
“Getting EHR implementation right is key to making big changes in healthcare,” said Etienne Boshoff, Managing Director of EHR Enhancify. “And to make sure these systems work well, fit your specific needs, and continue to evolve as your organization does, you need strong IT support in place. Without it, the problems you’re trying to solve – such as burnout, staff shortages, and disjointed patient care – will only be exacerbated.”
This is supported by evidence from a JMIR Medical study, which found that the return on investment from EHR systems can only be maximized when they are paired with substantial IT support.
As part of its launch, EHR Enhancify is offering free introductory meetings to troubleshoot Cerner EHR issues.
To book one, click here.