EHR Satisfaction Hinges on Good Training

There are a lot of factors to consider when exploring buying a new Electronic Health Records system for your medical practice. While vendors may offer similar features and benefits, the key differentiator lies in the training philosophy and program that accompanies your EHR investment.

The quality of training and support has a “profound and lasting impact” on a medical practice’s satisfaction with an EHR system. According to a study of 40,000 end-users conducted by KLAS Research, “EHR satisfaction begins with initial training, and providers are more satisfied in the long run when they start off with a good experience. In fact, how clinicians rate the quality of their initial EHR training explains nearly 50 percent of the variation in their EHR satisfaction.” 

The study found that when your EHR vendor provided poor training, only 36 percent of end users were satisfied; conversely, with good training, the satisfaction rate jumped to a whopping 83 percent.

EHR Implementation and Training

It pays to spend a considerable amount of time understanding the initial implementation support and training that your vendor partner provides, as well as the ongoing support they offer when additional spot training is necessary or systems modules are upgraded in the future.

A physician should not have to preoccupy themselves with developing a training program. Your vendor partner should provide a comprehensive program that systematically guides users through the process so that modules or items are not missed.

Once you and your team have the basics locked down, your vendor partner should also set realistic timelines for when you and your staff should become more proficient in certain areas, and roll out new functionality as you see fit for your practice. 

Full staff training should take place prior to the go-live date and continue over the first several months as snags and workflow issues are addressed.