Application: Adoption of Electronic Health Records

EHRs are an important focus of the HITECH Act. To comply with this legislation and to make the best use of their organization's resources, health care managers should develop a clear understanding of the nature of EHRs and of factors that promote or mitigate against their adoption.

Prepare for this Application Assignment as follows:

Select a particular functional area within a health care setting. This must be an area that makes use of the types of patient data found in EHRs. Examples include: a hospital's admissions department, emergency room, pharmacy, or nursing unit; or the billing department or outpatient treatment department at a clinic or physicians' office.

Review this week's Learning Resources and conduct a literature search to determine factors that promote and hinder adoption of an EHR system across this type of organization and within this area in particular. Look not only for technological, but also human factors that impact the adoption of EHRs.

Then write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

What are key problems related to the adoption of EHRs in your selected functional area?

What factors promote the adoption of EHRs in this particular setting?

Describe solutions that have been found to promoting adoption of EHRs and to overcoming barriers. Include specific examples, and be sure to address technological as well as human factors.

What are specific steps management can take to facilitate the adoption of EHRs?