4 Ways to Leverage Clinical Informatics for EHR Implementation Success

Implementing a new electronic health record (EHR) system impacts every corner of a healthcare organization. While technical execution is critical, long-term success ultimately depends on how effectively clinical teams adopt and integrate the system into daily patient care. Without early communication, guidance, and training for providers, the implementation process can quickly become challenging—which is why it’s so important for hospitals and health systems to leverage clinical informaticists to bridge this gap and ensure a seamless transition that maximizes both clinician satisfaction and patient care outcomes.

The Clinical-Technical Gap in EHR Implementations

During EHR implementations, healthcare organizations tend to prioritize the technical aspects—from software installation to data migration to overall infrastructure—while clinical workflows often go overlooked.

However, frontline staff interact with these systems every day, which means poorly aligned workflows can create frustration, inefficiencies, and even patient safety risks. Furthermore, a lack of alignment between an organization’s EHR and clinical workflows can cause adoption rates to invariably suffer, making it hard for organizations to unlock the true value of their EHR implementations.

RELATED: EHR Implementation Challenges: Strategies for Success

4 Ways Informaticists Drive Successful EHR Transitions

For organizations looking to maximize their EHR investment, clinical informaticists add immense value during implementation projects. With both clinical and technological expertise, their contributions span four key areas that help ensure both operational efficiency and clinical adoption:

1. Bridging Knowledge Gaps Between Legacy and New Systems

Over years of use, legacy systems are often customized to fit local workflows. As a result, migrating to a new system requires a deep understanding of both systems—on a clinical and technical level—so these workflows can be transferred in a way that leverages the new technology without posing a significant disruption to clinical workflows.

Experienced informaticists can help bridge the gap between legacy systems and new ones, ensuring continuity while enabling improvement—which is particularly important when it comes to managing critical systems.

2. Incorporating Clinical Workflows into Technical Design

In addition to filling knowledge gaps, informaticists also play an important role in making sure that existing clinical workflows are properly considered during design sessions, testing, and training—which helps prevent the common problem of workflows being retrofitted after technical decisions are made. Part of their role in the implementation process is to advocate for these workflows so providers can continue to feel supported and heard in what they need from an EHR system.

By being present during the design process, informaticists can ensure the new system supports all necessary processes, such as medication administration and discharge planning. A review of workflow alignment from the beginning of the process also reduces the potential need for any reworking of the new system, which can be costly depending on the requests.

RELATED: Involve Providers Early and Often for EHR Implementation Success

3. Supporting Resource-Constrained Clinical Teams

Healthcare teams are stretched thin, making it nearly impossible for clinicians to dedicate their time to technology initiatives, such as EHR implementation or optimization projects. Leveraged correctly, informaticists can make this process easier by providing specialized support that allows clinical teams to maintain daily operations while still contributing meaningfully to EHR projects.

As the implementation process continues, informaticists continue to play an important role in supporting clinical staff. As go-live approaches, they can help support training initiatives while providing hands-on support to ease clinicians’ burdens as they transition to a new system.

4. Driving Adoption Through Specialized Workflow Expertise

When it comes to EHR adoption, it’s not just whether or not the technology functions—it’s also about whether or not clinical staff will want to use it.

With specialty-specific experience, informaticists can help drive end-user adoption and system functionality by using data-driven approaches to measure and improve user engagement. Tracking user behavior metrics—such as low usage of certain features, high error rates, and frequent overrides—allows informaticists to identify gaps in understanding that may interfere with adoption rates. Targeted workshops and additional training sessions can then address these challenges before go-live, building user confidence and driving higher engagement from the start.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re preparing for a full-scale EHR rollout or optimizing an existing system, clinical informaticists play a crucial role in ensuring that your technology investments deliver measurable results both now and in the future. Their experience in both clinical and technical requirements can shorten stabilization time post-go-live, increase clinician satisfaction, and increase adoption rates—all of which play a critical role in improving patient safety and care quality.

With expertise in Epic, Oracle Health (Cerner), MEDITECH, and more, Healthcare IT Leaders can help ensure your technology investments deliver maximum value for clinicians and patients alike. Want to learn more about how to leverage clinical informaticists during your EHR journey? Contact us today to get started.

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