EHR-to-EHR Conversions: There’s a Lot to Know!

So you’ve outgrown your Electronic Health Records (EHR) system, or your software vendor can no longer keep up with quality requirements, or worse, your healthcare organization is merging with a larger system. An EHR-to-EHR conversion may be in your future for a variety of reasons. In any case, EHR conversions are becoming commonplace with the advancement of technologies and the market consolidations over the past few years.Converting EHR systems is more than merely moving data from one system to another. Several variables must be considered even before the conversion starts. Further, the selection of the new EHR is one of the most important steps. In the instances where mergers are the reason for a conversion, deciding on which system to keep is the primary issue to resolve. Following are the criteria to explore: Which EHR...

• Is the most modern?
• Is the most cost-effective?
• Is the most physician-friendly?
• Has the most advanced integration (PM, Devices, LIS, PACS)?
• Can support data migrations?
• Is the most compliant? ICD10/MIPS/MACRA/HIEs/Security
• Has the best roadmap to meet the future needs of the practice/hospitals?
• ACO
• Pop-Health
• Analytics
• Care Coordination
• Patient Portal/Communications

Human capital and resource allocation are just as valuable while testing and validating any conversion. How well your functional groups will adapt to a new system will be determined by how well resourced the project team is and how early those resources were engaged. Even when vendors or other circumstances drive the decision to move to a new EHR, always consider the Coker Group’s staff of EHR conversion experts to assist in areas such as vendor vetting or remediation, EHR Program Management, Data Conversions, and Training and Implementation Specialists to make your EHR-to-EHR conversion go smoothly! There’s a lot to know for a successful outcome!