Although healthcare is centred on people, technology should be prioritised as a vital part of supporting high-quality service. When health IT systems fall short of expectations, the inefficiencies created can cause frustrations among patients and healthcare providers.
In the U.K. for example, the Royal College of Physicians found that the single thing that would most improve the working lives of consultant physicians is well designed IT systems. They are also found that clinical digital systems are less than half as usable as the digital tools we use in our everyday lives.
Electronic patient records (EPRs) have the potential to change this. By improving quality measures for healthcare organisations—such as reducing errors, improving efficiency, and enhancing patient outcomes—EPRs can transform the day-to-day workflow of healthcare providers and improve care experiences for patients.
But many healthcare workers aren’t using EPRs to their full potential, resulting in slower documentation, inaccurate patient tracking, and disjointed communication across teams.
Here are seven tips to help you optimise your EPR strategy and drive efficiencies across your organisation.
Start at the top
Your clinical, operational, and digital leadership teams play a critical role in optimising your EPR systems. These leaders set the tone and establish the vision for EPR use across the organisation, ensuring it aligns with both clinical priorities and organisational goals. By engaging these teams early and frequently, you can use their insights to tailor the EPR to meet the specific needs of various departments, identify potential obstacles and streamline workflows.
Get regular feedback from clinical teams
Facilitate regular feedback sessions between clinical and digital teams to help bridge any gaps, give clinical staff an opportunity to provide input, and ensure your EPR systems can adapt to the changing needs of your clinical workforce.
Identify and nurture your specialty champions
Specialty champions are essential to driving EPR optimisation within specific departments or clinical areas. These individuals are typically experienced clinicians who have a strong understanding of their specialty’s workflows and can act as advocates for effective EPR use. By identifying and empowering these champions, healthcare organisations can create a bridge between the EPR system and the day-to-day needs of the clinical team.
Never stop learning
Ongoing, role-specific education is key to unlocking the full potential of your EPR system. Make training a priority with continuous programs that focus on eliminating workarounds and improving efficiency. Offer annual training sessions and use online resources to upskill your staff. Knowledge sharing through digital tools and platforms is important to promote a culture of collaboration and expertise.
Additionally, work with your EPR vendor to ensure you are using the functionality and features in your EPR to it’s full potential. Learn about new capabilities that may be released in upcoming product updates that may improve the clinician and patient experience.
Collaborate to spot inefficiencies early
Understanding workflows is essential to boosting organisational efficiency. Encourage clinicians and operational staff to share their insights with the EPR team to ensure the system aligns with real-world needs. Again, collaboration is crucial—multidisciplinary teamwork can uncover best practices and streamline processes, driving smoother, faster workflows across the board.
Treat data as your superpower
EPR data management is everyone’s responsibility. Empower all staff to take ownership of data quality by ensuring they understand the critical role they play in accurate data entry. Use training sessions to emphasise how data directly impacts patient care and outcomes. And use data analytics to drive smarter optimisation decisions by pinpointing areas for improvement.
Prioritise seamless integrations
Everyone across the enterprise should understand how the EPR connects with other key applications and systems used by frontline staff. Start by identifying the most frequently used technologies and their functions to uncover integration opportunities. To streamline communication and eliminate silos, develop a clear integration roadmap that prioritises data sharing and enhances collaboration among multidisciplinary teams.
Enabling a more efficient future for healthcare technology
By taking these steps, you’re not just improving workflows—you're empowering your teams to provide better, more efficient care for patients. In doing so, you’re creating a future where technology works in harmony with health workers to create a more efficient, effective, and patient-centred care system.
If you would like to find out how Nordic can help optimise your EPR, contact us today!