Case study analysis of the challenges faced with implementation of EHR system

Implementation of the electronic health record (EHR) among hospitals has increased substantially within the recent years, but concerns still remain regarding the unique challenges that hospitals face in adopting and achieving meaningful use (MU) of EHRs. EHR implementation initiatives tend to be driven by the promise of enhanced integration and availability of patient information, which can improve efficiency and cost-effectiveness, through changing the physician-patient relationship into a shared care team approach to deal with the rapidly changing environment. The challenges in implementing a system wide EHR system mainly include a range of factors from the organizational and technological standpoint such as organizational structure, human skills, culture, technical infrastructure, financial restraints and synchronization. This essay is a case study analysis of a real time EHR implementation to identify the challenges and increase understanding of the technical and behavioral management difficulties faced. The public health relevance is that successful EHR implementation is a moving target and so having strong individual and organizational commitment, end-user engagement, desire to improve, resources and knowledge will help provide excellent quality of care to patients and in turn improve the community’s overall health status