EMR training
Training clinicians to effectively utilize all the features of an electronic medical record system (EMR) is difficult. Various methods include: classroom sessions, computer-based training modules, and one-on-one training. There is no clear cut best solution to this problem. Physicians are usually not willing to take classes outside of their usual work schedule. Physicians tend not to retain classroom training or understand the significance of what they are taught until they have a chance to try it out.
Physician Help Desks
A "physician help desk hotline" operates differently than a regular help desk line. First, a physician help desk line always gets a human being, never a bot or voice mailbox. Second, the "service level" for the help desk personnel is immediate. When it rings, the responders answer STAT.
The challenges of optimizing first call resolution is at 60%. There is also physician resistance because they neither want to troubleshoot with the Help Desk staff, nor be provided a post-call follow up if the issue cannot be resolved immediately.
People also often create a special team specifically dedicated to providing more direct, face-to-face issue resolution for physicians....which may be analogous to the solution you're considering. What my docs would LOVE is to always have someone "right there" when they have a problem, i.e. someone sitting on every unit just waiting to help. But obviously this is not realistic (except possibly for some areas like Radiology.)
Post-live Physician Training & Support
"Super users" are clinical staff who are experts at using the electronic system and can help their colleagues in an ongoing way. Super users can teach the physicians more advanced techniques ("tips, tricks, etc"). The immediate, one-to-one assistance of super users works better than vendor resources for post go-live support. Housestaff pick things up very quickly!
Additional resources
- Landauer, T. K. (1995). The Trouble with Computers; Usefulness, Usability, and Productivity. Cambridge, MA; London, England, The MIT Press.
- Karat, C.-M. (1994). A business case approach to usability. Cost-Justifying Usability. R. Bias and D. Mayhew. New York, Academic Press: 45-70.
- Chapanis, A. (1991). The business case for human factors in informatics. Human Factors for Informatics Usability. Shackel, Brian and Richardson. Cambridge, U.K., Cambridge University: 39-71.
- Zhang (1999). Usability Problems with electronic medical record. AMIA Fall Conference, Washington, DC.
