By James T. Ingram, MD, FACS
Chief Medical Officer, Greenway Health
Reprinted from the September 2015 issue of Healthcare Innovation News

CARROLLTON, Georgia, Sept. 10, 2015 — Healthcare technology is rapidly evolving to be better connected, more intuitive and more accessible than ever. This evolution opens the door for medical practices to innovate the way they approach care, interact with patients and manage their businesses. I’ve seen practices succeed and fail in implementing innovative technologies and have identified three factors to help ensure success:

Organizational acceptance of the coming changes and cross-practice understanding of how these new technologies, procedures or processes will impact practices’ day-to-day jobs. An effective transformation begins at the top; leadership must believe in the mission and have a plan for rollout. When installing a new technology, such as an EHR program, practices need to work with vendors to train staff and identify how changes could improve clinical outcomes for patients.

Identify the right timing for the change. This decision can be difficult as it never feels like a good time to disrupt the practice. Leadership’s rollout plan should include a detailed timeline created in partnership with vendors. This deployment timeline should allow adequate time to prepare and a systematic process to avoid major hurdles.

Avoid creating silos between your practice and new technologies. When practices and health IT advances don’t grow together in functionality, innovation gets lost in the disconnect. Organizations need to understand how tools such as EHRs and patient portals could be integrated into their workflow and ultimately enable patients to take a more active role in managing their healthcare.

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About Greenway Health

Improving health is at the heart of Greenway Health’s work. We connect providers to the right information and insights, at the right place and time, so they can make patient-driven care a reality while navigating the ever-changing healthcare system. Greenway delivers exceptional service through a deep team of clinical, financial, and technology experts committed to innovations that keep people healthier and happier. We partner with over 10,000 organizations and 75,000 progressive providers across more than 40 specialties, which translates into more than 100 million lives that are touched by our solutions. All of Greenway Health’s solutions and services are designed to meet our company-wide goals of serving physicians, connecting the industry, and empowering better care. Whether as a customer, strategic partner, or staff member, we invite you to partner with us to create a smarter healthcare system. For more details, visit www.greenwayhealth.com, call (866) 242-3805 or follow Greenway on FacebookTwitterYoutube and LinkedIn.

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