According to Mordor Intelligence, there has been a “dramatic increase” in electronic health record (EHR) platform adoption during the pandemic. Several countries, they report, embraced these systems “to a notable extent” to provide information about their infection status. This adoption rate is significant—and the report provides information about continuing momentum.
The EHR market is expected to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.8% from 2022-2027.
Benefits of EHR systems for hospitals, they write, include these:
- Easier access to patient data
- Increased patient safety because of:
- Decision support
- Structure of information
- Better access to information
Hospitals are embracing EHR systems for these reasons as well as because of government initiatives. They include how the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requires healthcare organizations to provide safe, secure access to patients who need information. There are also interoperability requirements and patient access provisions from the 21st Century Cures Act.
Straits Research forecasts for a longer period (2022-2030) with a CAGR of 5.5%. They note how COVID served as an impetus for greater adoption along with governmental initiatives.
Hospital Staffing Challenges
This increasing demand is occurring side by side with a shortage in hospital staffing. This runs the gamut of jobs. Analytic firm Mercer, for example, sees these shortages by 2025:
- 446,000 home health aides
- 95,000 nursing assistants
- 98,700 medical/lab technologists/technicians
- 29,000 nurse practitioners
More relevant to the need for EHR implementations, Sherweb.com shares troubling news about a shortage of tech workers. It’s been ten years-plus since more than half of healthcare CEOs worried about the growing lack of available IT talent. In 2019, 79% shared this concern. Because 72% of U.S. tech workers are considering a job change, there’s a real reason for concern.
Professional services firm AON released a list of ways that, in September 2022, hospitals are trying to hire and hold onto staff:
- Tuition reimbursement (94%)
- Flexible work policies (78%)
- Personal leave (74%)
- Cash-out vacation policies (73%)
- Financial wellness/planning support (72%)
- Gender-affirming benefits (45%)
- Adoption benefits (44%)
- Additional behavioral health benefits (40%)
- Student loan repayment plans (39%; another 41% considering)
These initiatives are encouraging but may not be enough. If it isn’t, then reaching out to experienced EMR consultants can stratigically augment your staff to fill very specific roles.
Supplementing Staff with EMR Consultants
You may need consultants because of staffing shortages. Or, as is commonly the case in our industy, there can be skills gaps in IT teams that manage many important jobs but don’t have experience in EHR implementation. HealthTECH Resources can help you to analyze and clarify your resource needs. Then we’ll help you to align your human resources with your healthcare organization’s projects and goals, also monitoring the progress of the EMR consultants we supply to ensure that you can meet your performance objectives.
Using skilled and experienced EMR consultants can allow you to get objective feedback on challenges and insights into best practices that can save you time and money. You can use EMR consulting experts for as long as you need them and can benefit from their expertise. HealthTECH Resources has a deep and wide EMR consulting network with expertise in top systems like these:
Versatility in EMR Consulting
Your healthcare organization may have unique challenges and limitations when it comes to staffing and the skill sets and bandwidth of your current in-house IT team. So, how you’ll need to augment your IT staff will also be unique. When you’re ready to choose and implement a new EMR consulting application, you’ll be focusing on those needs—which can be further broken down into more specific requirements.
You may need, for example, someone to compare and help you select the best software to meet patient, physician, and regulatory needs. If so, we can help. You may need an experienced project manager for the software you choose. Again, we have just the right experts in our deep and wide network, available as EMR consultants, contract to hire professionals, and permanent placements in these capacities, among others:
- EMR trainers: Today’s robust applications can be customized in ways that mesh with your processes and workflows. To help your teams use the application with confidence once it’s live, EMR trainers create engaging, interactive programs that dovetail with your requirements.
- Process documentation: Technical writers can capture processes and present them so they are easy to understand and digest. This can complement the work of EMR trainers and be used in other ways, too: to onboard new employees, provide resources at workstations, and as refresher programs by EMR trainers.
- EMR implementation: This starts with the establishment of goals and deadlines, tasks and timelines. Experts from our network can assist in this foundational endeavor, doing so within your budget and guidelines. They can help you to address implementation challenges, devise workarounds, and so much more.
- Integration and optimization: Maximize the effectiveness of your new software by having experienced consultants efficiently integrate it into your healthcare organization’s current technology. Reach ROI goals more quickly while meeting regulations at a pace that’s neither too slow nor too fast.
- Cutover to go live: You’ll want everything optimally complete before it happens. EMR consulting pros from our network will text the setup and ensure that all items on your list are complete. They’ll check in with key people in your organization in a diverse set of roles and more.
- Data cleaning and migration: Data integrity is vital. Our consultants will assess what you currently have and take steps towards cleaning, de-duping, archiving, and more.
Choose HealthTECH Resources for Your EMR Consulting
Benefit from our deep industry connections and in-depth network of experienced EMR consultants when your healthcare facility is ready to implement, upgrade, or otherwise enhance your EMR system. Our boutique-style agency has more than twenty years of experience and we rapidly fulfill requests even when requirements are stringent and timelines are tight.
Contact HealthTech Resources to learn more about expanding electronic medical records use within the medical industry. Or call (602) 903-7961.
PRESIDENT/CEO AT HEALTHTECH RESOURCES
Larry has specialized in building strategic healthcare relationships for over 25 years, helping the nation’s top payors and providers solve some of their most pressing business challenges through an intelligent mix of staffing services, training, and consulting.