EHR Goal Setting and Impact on Quality of Care Chapter 5 EHR Goal Setting and Impact on Quality of Care

EHR and Quality of Care Despite not a lot of scientific evidence, there is strong belief that EHRs: Improve productivity Save time; reduce cost Reduce hassles Improve patient safety Improve quality of care

Difficulty Proving Value Not a lot of “complete” EHRs Definition of “complete” is elusive EHRs are increasingly becoming more sophisticated, so landscape is changing Too few organizations have the ability to conduct scientific studies to prove value But, once an EHR is implemented, few organizations want to turn back!

Quantitative Vs. Qualitative Benefits

“Pure Research” is Difficult Confounding values Multiple factors can contribute to benefits Evaluating processes before implementing EHR leads to benefits EHRs take a long time to implement, so many other factors may take place during that time Strictly controlled studies are very difficult to conduct Even act of studying benefits of EHR may contribute to improvements

Vs. Meta-analysis that integrates findings from many similar organizations using similar systems may improve the value of anecdotal results

Cost-Benefit Feasibility Study Done before a decision to acquire EHR is made Determines if initiative is appropriate at this time Highlights broken processes to be repaired Measures the costs of acquisition of hardware and software, installation, implementation, and ongoing maintenance against anticipated financial benefits Estimates return on investment May be estimated and not detailed; or based on process assessment and detailed Success factors include: Clear vision Management support Realistic expectations

Goal Setting for EHR Benefits Goals help achieve the intended result of a strategy Goals must be Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Timely Example Within six months of acquiring an EHR, we will achieve 90% compliance with cervical cancer screening guidelines through a patient-specific reminder

What does Goal Setting do?

Goal Setting and Education Stakeholders must understand what an EHR can do and what is feasible in order to set appropriate goals Too moderate goals will not yield sufficient benefit to return investment Too great expectations will result in disappointment Education is needed to set realistic goals

Goal Setting and Change Management Identifying goals can lead to stakeholder buy-in Goal setting is a part of change management It must allow participation to achieve goal ownership It allows for anticipation of change Goals must be expressed as benefits that are real

Benefits Requirements Nature of benefits must relate to type of organization Should support organization’s strategic goals and objectives Must reflect vision and migration path of EHR defined by organization Need to be proposed within context – perceptions or formal study Need to be supported by resources and commitment of senior management

Benefits Vary Along Migration Path Access to data Interaction with data Documentation Decision support Data outreach Continuum of care Longitudinal data Operational improvements Cost savings Basic patient safety Improve service and productivity Improved outcomes and quality Quality of care and biosurveillance Quality of life; economic benefits

Economic Benefits Cost savings Cost avoidance Revenue increases Example: reduction in forms production Cost avoidance Example: avoiding staff recruitment costs Revenue increases Example: Accurate E&M coding Contribution to profit Example: Reduce complications from adverse drug events Productivity improvements Example: See two more patients in a day

Clinical Benefits Better access to clinical information Improvement in clinical decision-making Improvement in disease management Enhanced documentation and accuracy More patient education tailored to the patient’s needs More physician and nursing time with patients Improved overall care and outcomes Improved quality of life

Quantifying Clinical Benefits

Benefits Realization Study Done both before a decision to implement an EHR and after EHR implementation To determine if anticipated benefits are realized Before, may highlight processes to be fixed and contribute to system build; after, will identify areas not meeting expected benefits in order to take corrective action Needed success factors are: Clear vision Management support Realistic expectations Valid metrics Process assessment skills

Benefits Realization Study Steps Commit to study upfront Identify potential benefits Decide on study design Create metrics for measurement Measure base line data before implementation Measure after implementation Take appropriate action(s) Celebrate Correct course Adjust metrics and re-measure

Creating Metrics Metrics must truly measure what they are intended to measure The same metric must be used both before and after Obtain agreement as to a metric’s applicability and the processes involved in their use Include representatives who would be affected by the metrics Test the metrics Implement the metrics

Evaluating the Measurements The final step in the benefits realization study is to analyze the results The same metric must be used before and after the study Before measuring the benefit, it is important to describe the level of improvement or benefit desired Anticipate time period in which improvements are desired

Conclusion Benefits from EHR should be celebrated, Along the various milestones in an implementation project Along the migration path Setting goals and conducting benefits realization studies are often more difficult to do than implementing an EHR, But help recognize the value of EHR Provides motivation for continued improvement in adoption