WGU S240 Task 2 – Performance Assessment
Submission
Part A
The world of healthcare is becoming increasingly digital with each passing year. With the
advent of new technologies and increasing data in healthcare maintaining patients’ records on
paper is no longer feasible and practical. Because of this a lot of aspects of healthcare are being
digitalized and revolutionized. One such area is patient health records which are shifting from
paper based filing to digital storage and digital records. For this paper I am choosing the
technology - Electronic medical records system.
A lot of studies have been done to assess the importance and benefits of storing the
medical records in digital format. Below are 5 scholarly references pertaining to studies done on
usage and implementation of electronic medical records or more commonly known as electronic
health records:
First Literature Source:
Zandieh, S. O., Yoon-Flannery, K., Kuperman, G. J., Langsam, D. J., Hyman, D., & Kaushal, R.
(2008). Challenges to EHR implementation in electronic-versus paper-based office
practices. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(6), 755-761.
This study focuses on the challenges that a healthcare organization might face when
transitioning from a legacy EHR system to newer EHR system. In this study author highlights
that there are many references to the challenges of implementing the EHR for the first time but
there are very few sources which deal with the challenges which come when transitioning from a
legacy to new EHR system. This study was a qualitative study. The study compared the
difference in practices in ambulatory care services related to the implementation of EHR from
paper based vs. implementation of EHR from existing legacy systems. The paper concluded with
,the results that the priorities and challenges faced during upgrade of existing system was very
different from what were faced when implementing a new EHR altogether.
Second Literature Source:
Yoon-Flannery, K., Zandieh, S. O., Kuperman, G. J., Langsam, D. J., Hyman, D., & Kaushal, R.
(2008). A qualitative analysis of an electronic health record (EHR) implementation in an
academic ambulatory setting. Informatics in primary care, 16(4), 277-284.
In this study a for an analysis for perceived benefits of EHR implementation for two
ambulatory care services was performed to understand what kind of help and ease of work an
EHR implementation bring. For this study qualitative data was collected with the help of semi-
structured interviews with medical directors, system leadership, vendors and practice managers.
The interviews were conducted before the EHR implementation. A lot of perceived benefits or
the benefits that end users believed should get after the implementation of EHR. After the
collation and analysis of collected qualitative data six distinct perceived stood out:
• Data Quality
• Data accessibility
• Data safety
• Data improvement
• Data measurement
• Data reporting
From the study a lot of best practices for EHR implementation came out. They are listed
down as below:
• Sufficient hardware
• Effective communication
• Technical equipment
• Successful system migration
• Measures for patient privacy
• Training and support
• Sustainable business plan
• Improved efficiency
, The conclusion of the study was that, in order to reap financial benefits of an EHR
implementation it was important that best practices for the implementation be identified in order
to avoid financial consequences of a poor implementation.
Third Literature Source:
Cooper, J. D. (2003). Organization, management, implementation and value of ehr
implementation in a solo pediatric practice. Journal of healthcare information
management: JHIM, 18(3), 51-55.
This study describes the implementation of EHR in a solo practice. The study talks about
the 15 business objectives that the business owner has prior to the EHR implementation and how
each and everyone of them was met after the EHR implementation. To understand to what degree
each of the objectives was met the author also present the financial data to augment the
conclusions. The study clearly concludes that a lot of benefits, and especially financial benefits
in the form or ROI, can be reaped from the EHR implementation in a small solo practice.
Fourth Literature Source:
McGowan, J. J., Cusack, C. M., & Poon, E. G. (2008). Formative evaluation: a critical
component in EHR implementation. Journal of the American Medical Informatics
Association, 15(3), 297-301.
This study deals with the importance of using statistical research in any kind of EHR
implementation. The article specifically focuses on the need of formative evaluation for a
successful EHR implementation. The study stresses the fact that a lot of healthcare organization
go for EHR implementation without proper formative evaluation resulting in botched up EHR
implementation which has severe financial consequences. Therefore, the study focuses on the
growing need of formative evaluation assistance.
Submission
Part A
The world of healthcare is becoming increasingly digital with each passing year. With the
advent of new technologies and increasing data in healthcare maintaining patients’ records on
paper is no longer feasible and practical. Because of this a lot of aspects of healthcare are being
digitalized and revolutionized. One such area is patient health records which are shifting from
paper based filing to digital storage and digital records. For this paper I am choosing the
technology - Electronic medical records system.
A lot of studies have been done to assess the importance and benefits of storing the
medical records in digital format. Below are 5 scholarly references pertaining to studies done on
usage and implementation of electronic medical records or more commonly known as electronic
health records:
First Literature Source:
Zandieh, S. O., Yoon-Flannery, K., Kuperman, G. J., Langsam, D. J., Hyman, D., & Kaushal, R.
(2008). Challenges to EHR implementation in electronic-versus paper-based office
practices. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23(6), 755-761.
This study focuses on the challenges that a healthcare organization might face when
transitioning from a legacy EHR system to newer EHR system. In this study author highlights
that there are many references to the challenges of implementing the EHR for the first time but
there are very few sources which deal with the challenges which come when transitioning from a
legacy to new EHR system. This study was a qualitative study. The study compared the
difference in practices in ambulatory care services related to the implementation of EHR from
paper based vs. implementation of EHR from existing legacy systems. The paper concluded with
,the results that the priorities and challenges faced during upgrade of existing system was very
different from what were faced when implementing a new EHR altogether.
Second Literature Source:
Yoon-Flannery, K., Zandieh, S. O., Kuperman, G. J., Langsam, D. J., Hyman, D., & Kaushal, R.
(2008). A qualitative analysis of an electronic health record (EHR) implementation in an
academic ambulatory setting. Informatics in primary care, 16(4), 277-284.
In this study a for an analysis for perceived benefits of EHR implementation for two
ambulatory care services was performed to understand what kind of help and ease of work an
EHR implementation bring. For this study qualitative data was collected with the help of semi-
structured interviews with medical directors, system leadership, vendors and practice managers.
The interviews were conducted before the EHR implementation. A lot of perceived benefits or
the benefits that end users believed should get after the implementation of EHR. After the
collation and analysis of collected qualitative data six distinct perceived stood out:
• Data Quality
• Data accessibility
• Data safety
• Data improvement
• Data measurement
• Data reporting
From the study a lot of best practices for EHR implementation came out. They are listed
down as below:
• Sufficient hardware
• Effective communication
• Technical equipment
• Successful system migration
• Measures for patient privacy
• Training and support
• Sustainable business plan
• Improved efficiency
, The conclusion of the study was that, in order to reap financial benefits of an EHR
implementation it was important that best practices for the implementation be identified in order
to avoid financial consequences of a poor implementation.
Third Literature Source:
Cooper, J. D. (2003). Organization, management, implementation and value of ehr
implementation in a solo pediatric practice. Journal of healthcare information
management: JHIM, 18(3), 51-55.
This study describes the implementation of EHR in a solo practice. The study talks about
the 15 business objectives that the business owner has prior to the EHR implementation and how
each and everyone of them was met after the EHR implementation. To understand to what degree
each of the objectives was met the author also present the financial data to augment the
conclusions. The study clearly concludes that a lot of benefits, and especially financial benefits
in the form or ROI, can be reaped from the EHR implementation in a small solo practice.
Fourth Literature Source:
McGowan, J. J., Cusack, C. M., & Poon, E. G. (2008). Formative evaluation: a critical
component in EHR implementation. Journal of the American Medical Informatics
Association, 15(3), 297-301.
This study deals with the importance of using statistical research in any kind of EHR
implementation. The article specifically focuses on the need of formative evaluation for a
successful EHR implementation. The study stresses the fact that a lot of healthcare organization
go for EHR implementation without proper formative evaluation resulting in botched up EHR
implementation which has severe financial consequences. Therefore, the study focuses on the
growing need of formative evaluation assistance.
