EHR Success: 4 Change Management Process Tips

Implementing a successful EHR system depends on first developing an efficient change management plan. Here's how to do it.

Barry Chamberland, Consultant, Galen Healthcare Solutions

September 18, 2014

2 Min Read

the live environment. It is also important to involve any users who requested the enhancement to provide additional details when needed and test the changes as well.

Here's who should be involved:

  • Build-team managers and at least one analyst

  • Support-team managers and at least one end-user support specialist

  • End-user requesting the change

  • Leadership involved in approving changes

3. Know the details
Another essential aspect of the change process is to understand the details of the change and inform the affected parties when that change will be implemented. Documenting and maintaining a well-organized change management form will help track key elements.

Here are some details to include in a change management document:

  • Who is making the request

  • What change is being requested

  • What specific build or configuration work is required to accomplish the request

  • When it is scheduled to be implemented in the test/QA system

  • How the change will be validated

  • When it is scheduled to be implemented in the live system

  • The rollback plan, if applicable.

4. Know what happened
Most importantly, establishing a process to track changes will provide a detailed log of who made what change when and why.

It is beneficial to document the following information in a change process tracking system:

  • When the change was implemented in the test/QA and live systems

  • Details from the build analyst, complete with before-and-after screenshots if applicable

  • Who completed the testing and when it was completed

  • When end-users were notified

  • How the change affects the system's users a month or so after the change is implemented

These are just a few of the many factors to consider when implementing a change management process. Every organization is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. Even the most efficient organizations can benefit from ongoing reassessments of how their processes are functioning for their staff and, most importantly, their end-users.

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About the Author

Barry Chamberland

Consultant, Galen Healthcare Solutions

Barry Chamberland is Galen-certified on Allscripts TouchWorks electronic health record Advanced Notes. He is a consultant at Galen Healthcare Solutions.

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