If you've decided to purchase an EHR software for your eyecare practice, you can expect a lot of change coming your way for you and your staff. An EHR software is going to provide unlimited benefits for your practice in the long run, but in order to get there you might have to endure a little resistance to the change and a few bumps in the road.
And if you're an office manager, then it will be your responsibility to lead your pack of staff and get them successfully through the implementation stage. Adjusting to a change like this is going to require a team leader that everyone can count on, and the first thing you need to do is get yourself prepared for the change.
4 Steps to Prepare Yourself for EHR Software Change Management
1. Lead the Project
One of the best ways to be a leader is to lead by example. So get yourself excited for the change and hopefully that will rub off on the rest of your staff as well! Keeping a positive attitude and re-enforcing that the EHR will help your staff better manage the practice, see more patients, provide better care, and increase daily inefficiencies will help get everyone excited. And, you'll be involved every step of the way from working with the EHR vendor to coordinating staff training to making sure that everyone is following best practices after the system is live!
2. Understand Your Staff's Concerns
You will probably face some resistance from your staff when it comes to change. After all, humans are creatures of habit. Before you can expect to get your staff on board, you should understand their perspective and their concerns on the situation. Here's a list of some of the common feelings your staff might have when it comes to change:
- Fear of learning something new
- Not understanding the new process
- Seeing change as a top down approach
- Management failing to create and demonstrate benefits
These concerns could result in a negative attitude that you, as the leader, will have to reign in. Before the implementation becomes a big pity party among your staff, show them how the change will be a good thing. Usually, the things you're worried about end up being not as bad as you originally thought!
3. Understand How it will Impact Your Workflow
Your workflow is important...it's really important. So make sure that you understand how the new software will impact your workflow. And everyone in the practice will be impacted differently depending on their role. Make sure you fully understand everyone's day-to-day tasks. In order to help them through the change you need to know how exactly their roles will affect the workflow. Start by thinking about your office in terms of different areas of focus like front office, exam lane, and back office. How will each of those areas change when the new EHR arrives?
4. Communicate the Benefits
Once you understand your staff's feelings and how the workflow will be impacted, it's time to address the concerns and help everyone understand how rewarding the change will be in the end. If your staff has specific concerns make sure they understand the benefits directly associated with that concern and just how their work-life will improve if they embrace the process. If your team just goes through the motions of training and implementation they won't be learning, and they won't be happy. Keep everyone excited along the way. Everyone will feel better about the change if they see it happening as a team effort, and if they understand that everyone is in on it together!
Want to learn more about adjusting to change in your practice? Download our eBook!
