Before the actual go-live day for EMR (electronic medical records) at your practice, you would be wise to perform a soft launch of the whole process. This sort of simulation should mimic half a day of operating the clinic, from patient check-in to check-out. If your practice is using an electronic practice management system, a test day can also demonstrate the proper integration between the EMR and EPM, including the billing process.
At our practice we set aside a November Saturday, listened to the groaning objections, then laid out the plan while others surveyed for weaknesses.
All Hands On Deck
Next, all hands were called to the table. With just a few exceptions, all physicians and clinical staff were expected to be present. Some of our other employees volunteered to act out the role of patients in this simulation, along with office personnel helping with check-in procedures. All the doctors and the staff members were sent to the place where they would normally be located on a Monday morning to begin work, including the surgery area.
Test Different Patient Scenarios
Our pretend patients were each given a clinical history and diagnosis, in order to recreate the electronic medical records process. Some would represent a new patient needing surgery, another someone with an acute condition, one in for a follow-up, or a check-up, for example. The variety would let us measure the effectiveness of using the different templates, all in real time.
The Entire System
All of the different satellite locations should access the EMR software simultaneously, from somewhere in a central location. With this, we looked for any system deficiencies. Would the network handle the work load? Was there enough bandwidth to keep accesses smooth? Did any machines crash or freeze?
Work Flow
The mock patients should simply act out the same routine that an actual patient would. This includes signings, requests for medical assistants, and movement through the examinations and check-out. This process will cause any work flow problems to surface, even if undetected during planning. On simulation day, many practices learn that the work flow in EMR will change in unexpected ways. The simulation day is the day to learn how so - not the live day.
Remember the ASC
Our surgery location must be able to access all patient records. These functions were included in the simulation. The nurses entered the medical histories using laptops, as patients were each checked in. Surgeons used the EMR to look at the patients' charts before selecting the interocular lens. This test should also include a time out in the operation room, also checking the same records on a monitor.
After the Fact
At our practice, clinical supervisors met with the administration team at the end of the simulation. The purpose was to evaluated the performance of the system and the staff. Aside from a few minor glitches, the entire practice earned a passing grade. The doctors agreed that the few weekend hours spent at the practice were worth it, especially when considering the relief of stress which had been building as the launch date neared.
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