---
title: Preparing Your Staff for a Successful EHR Implementation
description: Many clinics and healthcare organizations struggle with implementing an EHR. Learn how you can prepare your staff for a successful EHR implementation with these tips.
image: https://www.revelemd.com/hubfs/medical_workers_using_computer.jpg
---

# Preparing Your Staff for a Successful EHR Implementation

By Kaitlyn Houseman on December 17, 2015

- [Facebook Share ](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.revelemd.com%2Fblog%2Fpreparing-your-staff-for-successful-ehr-implementation)
- [Twitter Tweet ](https://twitter.com/home?status=Preparing+Your+Staff+for+a+Successful+EHR+Implementation%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.revelemd.com%2Fblog%2Fpreparing-your-staff-for-successful-ehr-implementation)
- [LinkedIn Share ](https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.revelemd.com%2Fblog%2Fpreparing-your-staff-for-successful-ehr-implementation&title=Preparing%20Your%20Staff%20for%20a%20Successful%20EHR%20Implementation&summary=Many+clinics+and+healthcare+organizations+struggle+with+implementing+an+EHR.+Learn+how+you+can+prepare+your+staff+for+a+successful+EHR+implementation+with+these+tips.&source=)
- [Pinterest Pin ](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.revelemd.com%2Fblog%2Fpreparing-your-staff-for-successful-ehr-implementation)
- [Email Email ](mailto:?subject=Preparing%20Your%20Staff%20for%20a%20Successful%20EHR%20Implementation&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.revelemd.com%2Fblog%2Fpreparing-your-staff-for-successful-ehr-implementation)

Medical staff are sometimes resistant to begin using EHRs, especially when changing from a paper system for the first time, due to a belief that the switch will waste time and interrupt their workflow. And when medical staff aren’t properly trained in the use of EHR software, this can actually be the case.

[In one study,](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dike-drummond/electronic-medical-records_b_4319674.html) nearly one out of five physicians reported wanting to return to paper charts, citing the new systems as an interference to the quality of patient care and their satisfaction at work. Although [EHRs](https://www.revelemd.com/eclinicalworks-overview) are meant to improve care coordination and efficiency, physicians sometimes paint a different picture in reporting their experience with them.

Electronic health records offer a wide range of proven benefits, even if not all medical staff agree that implementing an EHR has improved their practice. This doesn’t reflect an inherent flaw in EHRs, but instead signals that your staff is lacking the tools and resources to understand and effectively use the EHR before going live.

One of the most common oversights in [EHR implementation](https://www.revelemd.com/implementation) is that medical staff aren’t adequately trained on use of the technology. In this post, I’ll cover some considerations in training before going live with your EHR that can also help your practice successfully achieve Meaningful Use.

**Understanding your training needs**

For some staff, the greatest obstacle for adoption will be a lack of general computer literacy. Your employees will need to be assessed on their computer skills, and provided basic computer training when those skills are lacking. Only then will your team be ready to understand how to use an EHR and better grasp the training provided by your vendor.

On the other hand, it can be counterintuitive to over-train employees on each and every function of an EHR if they’re only expected to perform a few basic tasks. This can slow down implementation and affect staffs’ ability to retain necessary information. Instead, each member of your team should receive customized training based on their daily responsibilities.

Separate your team into different groups, such as front desk staff, IT support, billing team, clinical providers, and so forth, and deliver training they’ll need to success in these roles. This approach to training is called [role-based training](https://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/faqs/how-should-i-train-my-staff), and it will best enable your staff to figure out how EHRs will specifically impact their workflow.

During training, you’ll also learn who among your team has the strongest technical skillsets. One of the most effective methods for training an organization is to identify these staff members, [known as super users,](https://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/faqs/how-should-i-train-my-staff) and create a group for them to share their expertise across the team. These individuals can offer valuable peer support to others.

Since training should be seen as an ongoing activity, support from the super users will be useful in facilitating EHR adoption and workflow improvements long after launch. For more information on the training materials available for successful health IT system implementation, check out HRSA’s website [here](http://www.hrsa.gov/healthit/toolbox/RuralHealthITtoolbox/Selection/trainingmaterials.html).

**Implementing Electronic Health Records (EHRs) – An Infographic**

With these tips for training in mind, it is crucial to consider other steps that healthcare organizations must take in order to achieve [Meaningful Use](https://www.revelemd.com/meaningful-use) of their EHR.

In the infographic below, created by [The Ohio University MHA Program](http://healthadmin.ohio.edu/), you’ll find the nine steps for successful EHR implementation as recommended by the Health Resources and Services Administration:

[![Implementing an EHR Research](https://www.revelemd.com/hs-fs/hubfs/OU-MHA-Implementing-EHR-Research_1.png?width=822&name=OU-MHA-Implementing-EHR-Research_1.png "Implementing an EHR Research")](http://healthadmin.ohio.edu/)

 

---

###### cloud-based solution

#### Schedule an eClinicalWorks Demo 

Set up a time for a customized demo with our eClinicalWorks experts to see how we can help you switch to eClinicalWorks with zero productivity or revenue disruptions.

[Get a Demo](https://www.revelemd.com/eclinicalworks/demo-request)

 

- [EHR](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/ehr)

![Our Commitment to Security: The Bedrock of Trust in Healthcare Technology](https://www.revelemd.com/hubfs/Security%20Blog.png)

- [Revenue Cycle](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/revenue-cycle)
- [EHR](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/ehr)
- [Revele](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/revele)
- [Medical Billing](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/medical-billing)
- [eClinicalWorks](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/eclinicalworks)

[Our Commitment to Security: The Bedrock of Trust in Healthcare Technology ](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/our-commitment-to-security-the-bedrock-of-trust-in-healthcare-technology) February 02, 2026

![eCW EHR Ver 12 - A Cheat Sheet by Revele - Part 2](https://www.revelemd.com/hubfs/rpg-ecw-v12-graphic.jpg)

- [EHR](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/ehr)
- [Front Office](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/front-office)
- [eClinicalWorks](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/eclinicalworks)
- [eCW Tech Support](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/ecw-tech-support)

[eCW EHR Ver 12 - A Cheat Sheet by Revele - Part 2 ](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/cheat-sheet-highlighting-the-significant-new-features-of-eclinicalworks-ehr-v12-by-revele-0) May 04, 2023

![Why More Healthcare Providers are Turning to Outsourced Medical Billing and Revenue Cycle Management: Benefits, Challenges, and Trends](https://www.revelemd.com/hubfs/Blog%20Image%20%284%29.png)

- [Revenue Cycle](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/revenue-cycle)
- [EHR](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/ehr)
- [Medical Billing](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/medical-billing)
- [eClinicalWorks](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/eclinicalworks)
- [Financial Analysis](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/financial-analysis)

[Why More Healthcare Providers are Turning to Outsourced Medical Billing and Revenue Cycle Management: Benefits, Challenges, and Trends ](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/why-healthcare-providers-are-turning-to-outsourced-medical-billing-and-revenue-cycle-management-benefits-challenges-and-trends) March 23, 2023

![New Features of eClinicalWorks EHR Version 12: A Cheat Sheet by Revele - Part 1](https://www.revelemd.com/hubfs/rpg-ecw-v12-graphic.jpg)

- [EHR](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/ehr)
- [Front Office](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/front-office)
- [eClinicalWorks](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/eclinicalworks)
- [eCW Tech Support](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/ecw-tech-support)

[New Features of eClinicalWorks EHR Version 12: A Cheat Sheet by Revele - Part 1 ](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/cheat-sheet-highlighting-the-significant-new-features-of-eclinicalworks-ehr-v12-by-revele) March 07, 2023

![COVID-19 and Inflation’s Toll on Physician Practice Collections](https://www.revelemd.com/hubfs/Blog_Images/two%20women%20wearing%20face%20masks%20sitting%20at%20a%20desk%20looking%20at%20a%20laptop.jpg)

- [EHR](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/ehr)
- [Covid-19](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/covid-19)
- [Financial Analysis](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/topic/financial-analysis)

[COVID-19 and Inflation’s Toll on Physician Practice Collections ](https://www.revelemd.com/blog/covid-19-inflation-financial-impact-medical-collections) October 25, 2022

[**** Return to Blog**](https://www.revelemd.com/blog)

## Join the 1,000+ healthcare professionals already receiving updates.

---

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Kaitlyn Houseman",
    "url" : "https://www.revelemd.com/blog/author/kaitlyn-houseman"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2020-04-16T20:03:03.115Z",
  "datePublished" : "2015-12-17T18:00:00.000Z",
  "headline" : "Preparing Your Staff for a Successful EHR Implementation",
  "image" : [ "https://www.revelemd.com/hubfs/medical_workers_using_computer.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://www.revelemd.com/blog/preparing-your-staff-for-successful-ehr-implementation",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://www.revelemd.com/hubfs/Revele%20Logo.png"
    },
    "name" : "Revele"
  }
}
```