Defining Data Migration Across Multidisciplinary Ambulatory Clinics Using Participatory Design.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Electronic Health Record (EHR) transitions are complex and require careful data migration planning.
• Physician end-user involvement is crucial for successful EHR implementation but often challenging to secure.
• Existing data migration strategies may not adequately capture clinical needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an institutional framework for defining data migration during EHR transitions using participatory design principles.
• To incorporate physician end-user feedback into the data migration process.
• To improve the clinical relevance and success of EHR implementations.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative, participatory design approach was employed at an urban hospital with 20 ambulatory clinics.
• Physician end-users provided feedback to create an institution-specific data migration list.
• Project planning, multidisciplinary governance, and specific methods were reviewed.

Main Results:

• Detailed feedback on data migration was obtained from 90% of physician participants.
• Data migration requests varied significantly by specialty, with requests for historical laboratory values ranging from 2 to 145 unique types.
• Physician-defined lookback periods were assigned to maximize clinical data inclusion, synthesizing institutional migration requests.

Conclusions:

• Healthcare institutions undergoing EHR transitions must actively involve physician end-users and stakeholders.
• Participatory design enhances physician understanding of technical aspects and improves EHR implementation outcomes.
• Clinically relevant EHR environments are best developed through direct physician input on data migration.