Benefiting from ambulatory EHR implementation: solidarity, six sigma, and willingness to strive

Ambulatory electronic health record systems have the potential to improve healthcare quality. Optimizing the value of EHR implementation requires that providers and staff become effective and efficient EHR users so paper charts are no longer required or desired. Transitioning from paper charts to EHR systems requires new learning, significant effort, and workflow changes associated with an initial adverse effect on provider efficiency. This case study describes how timely EHR implementation and regular use in a large academic internal medicine clinic was encouraged, achieved, and demonstrated. Critical success factors included readiness to change, solidarity in EHR use, a commitment to striving, and process improvement strategies that used the EHR system to repair suboptimal clinic workflows. Observed benefits include improvements in patient access, workflow efficiency, communication, decision support use, and financial performance. These success factors and implementation strategies may help others seeking to encourage greater adoption and use of EHRs.