One common misconception is that the transition to electronic documentation is something that a vendor or consulting group comes in and does to an organization. A more healthy perspective is that this is a change that the organization decides to do with some outside help from vendors or consultants. By acknowledging ownership of the transition, you stand the best chances of not only achieving the goals of the transition, but more importantly, of sustaining and growing those gains in the years after the initial transition. There are several key preparation steps that can help maximize success:

• Define and document goals (sound familiar, therapists?). Similar to the relationship between interventions and goals in your plans of care for your patients, transitioning from paper to electronic records is not an end in and of itself – it is the means to an end. Many prospective clients begin shopping for electronic medical records before they define their goals and their measures for success for the transition. Those goals need to be carefully chosen and defined first; they will be your guiding light for the selection of the best products and vendors, for the implementation itself, and for your measurement of success after implementation.
• Recognize that the key to success is managing the human elements of change. For the most part, the therapists moving from paper to electronic health records are doing it for the first time in their professional career. This can lead to a misconception that the key to success is technology (ie computers, software, networking). It’s not – the key to a smooth and successful transition is understanding and managing the human elements of change, and in planning for and dealing with the inherent fear that most participants experience. When goals are clearly defined and communicated, and all parties recognize that every participant has an active role in the transition and that their job isn’t at risk, the disruption of change can be minimized.
• Assign a strong clinical leader to the role of Project Lead. Leadership from within the organization is key to achieving the smoothest possible transition. Plans will need to be made, and changes in work flow, process, and even job descriptions will need to be carried through with confidence. All participants will require frequent encouragement and clear communication on progress toward the organization’s goals. The vendor’s project lead should help with all of this to a significant degree, but when the client’s Project Leader is the public ‘owner’ of the change and they are well respected, vested with the authority to initiate change, and backed by the organization’s leadership team, the transition is set up for sustained success after the vendor’s staff are long gone.