As a healthcare organization, having a robust EHR in place is undoubtedly crucial, and research suggests its significance is expected to increase. While we hope no one is reading this due to budget cuts, we believe there is value in seeking cost efficiencies in IT and EHR maintenance. Demonstrating that every cent is being spent wisely can make a stronger case for more budget. This article will explain how to reduce costs without compromising the impact and effectiveness of your IT team’s efforts in supporting clinicians to enhance patient care.
Get your EHR off to the best start
When starting with Oracle Health, you will undergo an implementation phase with the vendor but this is often a one size fits all program. By employing an expert who can work with you during or immediately after this implementation phase, you’ll ensure that the EHR is built and configured to meet your needs and that your team has all the knowledge they need to keep it running smoothly. This step will reduce the need for costly changes and troubleshooting down the line.
Check out our guide to a smooth EHR implementation process.
Regular maintenance is key
Like any system, EHRs require regular maintenance to keep them operating without any issues. By performing routine check-ups and updates, you can prevent major issues from arising and avoid expensive fixes. It’s essential to have a dedicated team member who is responsible for keeping track of these. Support from a vendor can make this task easier.
Take advantage of vendor resources
Oracle Health provides a wide range of resources for customers to utilize, such as training materials, support forums, and webinars. By taking advantage of these resources, you can reduce the need for costly external training or consulting services. Encourage your team to attend webinars and participate in forums to stay up-to-date with the latest enhancements and troubleshooting techniques.
Maintain test guides to reduce cost of your Oracle Health EHR
In order to effectively manage costs associated with maintaining your Oracle Health EHR system, it is crucial to maintain test guides, configuration guides and processes. Test guides are of utmost importance as they should be utilized regularly to ensure that any changes or new configurations won’t disrupt the Production environment. Creating design and build guides that are tailored to your organization can be invaluable, as they prevent the constant need to start from scratch. The more you can document these processes, the better.
Often, specific individuals hold the knowledge on how to address certain issues or who is responsible for what within the system. However, transforming this implicit knowledge into documented information makes it easier for everyone involved to accomplish tasks. This not only increases efficiency but also ensures continuity in case of personnel changes.
Continuously evaluate your EHR usage
It’s important to regularly review your EHR usage and assess if all features and functionalities are being utilized effectively. By identifying any unused or underutilized features, you can potentially save money by not renewing those licenses or finding alternative, more cost-effective solutions. A great way to assess what is and isn’t being used is to speak to the users – the clinicians – directly. Keep an open line of communication with stakeholders so you can optimise the platform to suit them. Don’t forget that Lights on Network (LON) can help you see how well users are using your Millennium EHR. LON also indicates the general health condition of your system (number of crashes, if recommended configuration tasks are in place etc…)
Run a skills audit of your department
No need to worry. We’re not proposing that you eliminate team members – especially considering the global skills shortage in IT. What we suggest is conducting a team audit. You might discover that you have six developers performing identical tasks when only three are necessary. By retraining the remaining three in areas expected to become more important, you can save on recruitment and onboarding expenses down the line.
Train your team effectively
On the subject of training, one of the most costly mistakes in EHR maintenance is having an untrained team. This can result in a decrease in productivity, an increase in mistakes, and ultimately, a negative impact on patient care. Of course, investing in training for your team can be expensive, so it’s crucial to be selective. Avoid broad training programs that include unnecessary courses. Instead, focus on mapping out your current and future needs to future-proof your team’s skills. Look at training programs offered by consultancies who will devise a bespoke package depending on your needs and size of team and will fill in any skill gaps themselves which your employees are learning.
Consider outsourcing
Outsourcing certain tasks or partnering with a reliable EHR consultant can often be more cost-effective than hiring and maintaining an internal team. This is especially true for smaller healthcare organizations with limited IT budgets. Consider outsourcing tasks such as building a new interface, creating a new MPage, setting up a new solution or functionality, and troubleshooting to a trusted partner who can provide cost-efficient solutions.
Make use of custom MPages
Custom MPages within Oracle Health can help streamline workflows and increase efficiency. Consider investing in building custom MPages to make it easier for users to find the patients or data they need, and improve overall EHR usage. These custom pages can also be used to integrate other systems or tools, potentially reducing the need for costly integrations in the future.
Check out our Diabetes Predictor MPage and discover how easy it is to create other custom MPages.
Keep your staff happy and committed
As mentioned earlier, the global IT skills shortage poses a challenge when it comes to replacing staff who leave. It may be necessary to engage a recruitment agency for assistance and hire temporary staff while searching for suitable candidates. Additionally, onboarding new team members comes with its own costs, with research from Oxford Economics and Unum estimating it at £30,000 (or $38,000) per employee.
To ensure their happiness, make sure you’ve taken their progression, performance improvement plans, and wellbeing into consideration. Keep an eye on their growth, measure performance, and prioritize employee wellbeing.
Conclusion
Overall, reducing the costs of maintaining your Oracle Health EHR requires a combination of proactive measures and continuous evaluation. By implementing these practices and constantly reassessing your EHR usage and team skills, you can optimize your EHR system while minimizing costs. Remember to regularly communicate with your team and take advantage of available resources from your vendor to stay up-to-date and efficient. With proper maintenance and strategic decisions, your Oracle Health EHR will continue to support your healthcare organization for years to come.