Implementing an EMR System in a Small Psychiatric Practice

Author

Brandy McCruddenFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-5-2023

Document Type

DNP Project

Project Team Faculty Member

Laurie Hopper

Project Team Faculty Member

Frank Lyerla

Keywords

EMR, electronic medical records, psychiatry, mental health, implementation, paper charts

Abstract

Electronic medical records (EMRs) can aid in improving surveillance, monitoring, adherence to practice guidelines, improving communication, and reducing medical errors. The adoption of EMRs in psychiatry and mental health settings has been slow despite the offered benefits. This project aimed to develop an implementation and training plan to successfully transition from paper charts to EMRs in a psychiatry practice. An extensive literature review was conducted on the adoption of EMRs in mental health settings, and a guideline for implementation was created to overcome identified barriers. Implementation guidelines included a planning phase, staff training plan, and rollout using a phase-in approach. The planning phase consisted of assessing the staff's awareness and understanding, organizational needs, and training needs to minimize errors. The staff training plan was created based on the user skills assessment and practice needs to support workflow procedures to be done as intended. The phase-in rollout approach was selected to allow for a more focused area of implementation and reduce strain on the support time. A recovery plan was developed for system failure or power outages. Successful EMR implementation in mental health settings requires a proper implementation plan. Pre-implementation testing was conducted to minimize errors before go-live. Post-implementation feedback was collected and used to continue to improve workflows, efficiency, and user satisfaction. The clinic continues making improvements to increase acceptance and adoption of the EMR.

Recommended Citation

McCrudden, Brandy, "Implementing an EMR System in a Small Psychiatric Practice" (2023). Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects. 244.
https://spark.siue.edu/dnpprojects/244

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