An electronic health record (EHR) is software that's used to securely document, store, retrieve, share, and analyze information about individual patient care. EHRs are hosted on computers either locally (in the practice office) or remotely. Remote EHR systems are described as “cloud-based” or “internet-based.”
With over 75% of office-based clinicians and 96% of hospitals in the United States using an EHR system, nearly all practices have an immediate, practical interest in improving the efficiency and use of their EHRs. Some practices may be considering a replacement acquisition of an EHR to better care for their patients and reduce the burden on clinicians who need to use the EHR.
As part of the 21st Century Cures Act, ONC is helping healthcare practices improve the quality of care for patients, which includes optimizing EHRs and increasing data interoperability.
This Playbook is a source for clinicians and practice administrators who are adopting, optimizing, upgrading, or changing an EHR system. The tools you’ll find here are intended to make your EHR experience more efficient, less burdensome, and more effective.
Most clinicians agree that implementing an EHR is an ongoing journey. There is no single destination or end, as there’s always the opportunity to optimize workflows or improve the use of data. This section provides resources to guide you through the many stops along the road to EHR adoption, implementation, and improvement. These include:
After you spend time using and getting familiar with your EHR, it’s time to think about how you can use your workflows to improve and optimize the way you use your EHR. This part of the ongoing EHR journey starts each time you adopt additional health IT solutions, such as:
The information in this Playbook reflects lessons learned from years of implementation experience across a wide variety of clinical settings. Navigate the Playbook and select the tools appropriate for your EHR adoption journey.