Facilitating the Adoption of Electronic Health Recording Technology Systems

This means that it is very difficult for clinicians to find answers to clinical questions. The Electronic Health Records have proven to be a useful tool in assisting clinicians in answering clinical questions. However, the implementation of the EHR technology-assisted care has faced resistance in some fronts (Geibert, R. C. This paper reviews the application of Rogers’ diffusion of innovation research by a nursing facilitator in an effort to use these concepts in enhancing the implementation of an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system in a small hospital in upstate New York and ensuring that the system gains the approval of all the nurses. As a nursing facilitator, you could explain to the nurses that the new system will facilitate efficient clinical information to help clinicians in answering and responding to patient clinical situations thus improving the quality of patient care and treatment.

The additional revenue generated due to increased efficiency could also mean an increased pay for the nurses. Compatibility with existing values and practices With many of the clinician and nurses having been part of a failed electronic healthcare systems implementation process either as participants or as reported by their peers, as a nursing facilitator you must be prepared to deal with perceptions of “here we go again” which may derail the implementation process (Geibert, R. C. The nursing facilitator must convince the nurses that the EHR system is consistent with their values and needs and that their past experiences do not define the future (Langhan, M. The complexity of the EHR system is a factor that may have a negative effect on the rate of adoption of this technology in the hospital.

The nursing facilitator must explain to the nurses the benefit of the new skills that they will acquire as they learn how to use the new system. In addition, he or she must express the hospital’s willingness to extend training to all the nurses to ensure that they are all versed with the use of the EHR system. You could also promise to issue each nurse who successfully completes the training with a certificate of experience which will motivate them to put in more efforts in understanding and accepting the new system. Trialability In a healthcare environment or setting, it is not possible to implement EHR on a trial basis and thus as the nursing facilitator, it is important to come up with an approach that is viable and allows for easy learning.

Through listening to their counterparts expressing positivity over the benefits of the EHR system, the nurses may be convinced that “if they did it, so can we. ” This will enhance the acceptance of the innovation and thus increase the chances of successful adoption. Conclusion Nurses play a very crucial role in supporting the diffusion of innovation within a healthcare facility or organization. They are responsible for the documentation that is very important to the entire healthcare team. The nursing staff forms the linchpins that hold everything together in the process of change management and overlooking their significance is tantamount to a failed adoption process. L. , Riera, A. , Kurtz, J. C. , Schaeffer, P. Overcoming Barriers to Implementing Electronic Health Records in Rural Primary Care Clinics.