MDNews - Cleveland-Akron-Canton

“I have been very impressed with how easy it was for my staff to learn to use the EHR. They had absolutely no problem. The training we received from the MyPractice Community team was excellent.” —Edward Rosenthal, MD, FACP Practice, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and Pediatric physicians, as well as Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives who have prescription privileges in group practices with 10 or less providers per location, ambulatory clinics associated with public or critical access hospitals, community health centers, rural clinics, and other ambulatory settings servicing uninsured, underinsured or medically underserved populations. Under the auspices of the Ohio Health Information Partnership, seven Ohio RECs were selected, based on merit, to provide eligible PPCP physicians the education and technical assistance they need as they select and successfully implement meaningful use-capable EHR technologies in their practices. An eighth REC, which receives separate funding, also serves portions of southern Ohio and the surrounding tri-state area (see map). Arranged geographically to cover the entire state, Ohio’s Regional Extension Centers are available to help PPCPs prepare for the adoption of a certifi ed EHR system through practice workfl ow assessments, assistance in selecting an EHR, and guidance in achieving “meaningful use” compliance. To locate the Ohio Regional Extension Center near you, visit the OHIP Website at www. ohioonline.org, click on “Physicians and Healthcare Professionals,” and then select “Locate Your REC.” Important Considerations As physicians in private practice utilize the various resources available to help inform a fi nal EHR selection, there are a number of questions/considerations that may be helpful in assessing each product option. These include: + DATA SECURITY/BACKUP. The data contained in your practice’s EHR system will become increasingly com- prehensive, and therefore increasingly important with each passing day. Be sure that the EHR you choose provides adequate data security, redundancy and disaster recovery capabilities to protect the privacy of your patients, and the integrity of your practice. + SYSTEM UPGRADES. Like any soft- ware company, the vendors of most quality EHR systems upgrade their products on a regular basis in order to stay current on functional, security, and user requirements. Be sure to ask if system upgrades (and upgrade-related training) are included when you purchase an EHR, or if you will be required to pay for each upgrade made to the system over time. + TRAINING AND SUPPORT. The EHR you select will take its place as a pri- mary clinical and administrative tool that will be used by your entire practice team. A thorough working knowledge of the system is imperative if you are to derive maximum benefi t, and encoun- ter minimum workflow disruption, as you transition to an EHR-enabled practice environment. As you discuss 52 | Cleveland-Akron-Canton MD NEWS  MDNEWS.COM  JULY-AUGUST 2011 your needs and expectations with each EHR vendor you consider, make sure to ask about the availability and cost of training for yourself and your staff; also remember to inquire about the availability of “help desk” support after you implement your new EHR system. With the various resources that are now available to physicians in private practice, much of the guess work has been removed from the EHR selection process. But as with any important decision, clinicians should be prepared to ask detailed, meaningful questions, and to listen carefully, and critically, to the answers they receive because those answers will ultimately affect both their patients, and their practice. As part of Ohio’s REC initiative, the MyPractice Community electronic medical record system for physicians in private practice was selected as a vendor in both the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and Northeast Central Ohio (NCO) RECs. Over the past fi ve years, MyPractice Community representatives have worked with hundreds of small and large practices, from primary care to specialties, conducting detailed practice workflow assessments that help privately practicing physicians make more informed EHR decisions. For more information about MyPractice Community, please call 216.738.4617, or visit www.clevelandclinig.org/mpc. MyPractice Community is powered by EPIC systems, an ONC-ATCB-certifi ed solution. n PHOTO COURTESY OF CLEVELAND CLINIC

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