There are a variety of reasons that cause an EMR/EHR implementation to fail.  We have researched these and present them here to you as a guideline while investigating, selecting and implementing a new system.

10. Templates Are Inadequate
9. Changing To Many Items At Once
8. Workflow is incompatible
7. Staff Not On Board With Change
6. Technical Knowledge Required
5. Poor Training
4. Poor Support
3. Integration With Other Systems
2. Doctor Not On Board
1. Lack Of Time

Let's explore these issues in further detail.

10. Templates Are Inadequate
In this situation, the software package does not contain the necessary form needed for the doctor to complete their work.  Either the system has not been designed for the speciality the doctor does or it simply is not complete enough and requires considerable configuration.

9. Changing To Many Items At Once
Some offices try to change to many items at once.  Implement a new billing system and notes system at the same time.  Some even switch locations to a new office and want to start with all brand new software and procedures.  It's best to introduce new items into the practice in phases.

8. Workflow is incompatible
Some software packages have no concept of a workflow and force the doctor in one direction only.  Systems that do not have some level of customization leave the doctor having to either change how they work or abandon the system outright.

7. Staff Not On Board With Change
It is very important that all members of the staff are in sync with the doctor and the changes they are trying to make.  If the doctor announces new procedures to the staff that they have not had any input into, they are not going to be happy and can make implementing a new system difficult at best.

6. Technical Knowledge Required
If the system requires a high degree of technical expertise, then the doctor needs to be sure they can support it or they have the staff to support it.  Most offices do not have network experts or software programmers as part of their staff.  The system should be easy to install and configure.

5. Poor Training
Poor training can happen for a variety of reasons.  Sometimes the trainer is not as knowledgeable with the product and cannot guide the doctor and staff through customization for their office.  Other times the doctor or staff do not dedicate themselves to training.  Either seeing patients while they train or allowing many interruptions.  The doctor and staff must have dedicated time without interruptions to give the training a chance to work.

4. Poor Support
How long does it take for someone to respond?  Are the support people knowledgeable?  These are critical questions to know.  If the support staff cannot answer questions and in a somewhat timely manner then it's up to the doctor and staff to figure it out...if that's even feasible given the situation.

3. Integration With Other Systems
If the software needs to integrate with other systems then that integration must be usable and understandable by the doctor and staff.  Some integration between systems is so complex that even technical support has problems putting it together.

2. Doctor Not On Board
In some instances, the doctor has not been involved in the selection process and is forced to use a system they did not research and pick themselves.  This usually happens because the doctor fears technology or considers themselves beyond this task.  In some situations with multiple doctors, the selection is delegated to one and the others don't get involved till it's installed.  These are sure fire ways to guarantee failure.

1. Lack Of Time
Lack of time is the main reason cited for an EMR/EHR failure.  Either doctors don't have time to train or staff don't have time to train.  In other situations, once the new system is installed and everyone is trained, no one starts to use it because there is no time to slow down and give it a try.  All systems come with a learning curve and not accepting that leads to unsuccessful implementations.