Data Conversions, What You Probably Do Not Know

What you may not know about a data conversion is critical when you consider if and by whom you will do a conversion. Presented here are some items that could make a significant difference in the immediate and long-term outcome of that decision.

You probably have heard there are issues to deal with when transferring data from a legacy system electronically. There also things that can be done electronically which can never be accomplished manually. One example is the contamination of 1.2 million note records with.5 million invalid note records. Removal of those records electronically might require an hour programming time and some computer run time.

Consider:

• Large files make manual data entry impractical

• Leaving clinical data behind is generally not acceptable

• Inaccuracies in clinical data create an unacceptable level of risk

• Elapsed time for implementation is much shorter with an electronic data migration

• Options and changes are more readily available electronically

• Data conversions can be outsourced freeing staff time for more important clinic duties

Clinical data files are huge. Even when you put the image files in a category by themselves the remaining EMR data is many times larger than the data associated with an average billing system. Data integrity becomes exponentially more problematic when reentering large volumes of data manually. Not so electronically.

You can't leave data behind. It has to be available for physicians to do their work. Reporting requirements of various agencies make it necessary to have the data available. Any form of data retention other than maintaining it in the current EMR system significantly increases the cost of using it.

What are the risks to a physician when medical outcomes depend upon questionably accurate data? The risk is unacceptable so the physician will likely resort to a back up paper chart or the legacy EMR system with their associated maintenance and retrieval costs.

Use a phased implementation to get live sooner and with less disruptive down time and almost no duplicate data entry. If your vendor can't do this, ask why.

It is unlikely the data entry scheme will be tested with any significant number of records. Yet testing with volumes is unquestionably the most effective way to prove conversion methodology and evaluate decisions regarding what data will be and won't be converted. Electronic migrations lend themselves to large volume testing and change orders. The latter will likely incur additional costs. They will be relative and therefore somewhat predictable. The key is having the option, which manual data entry does not offer.

Data migration work can and probably should be outsourced. While you might be tempted to outsource data entry work, doing so will increase the rate of inaccuracies. Temps you hire won't know your office, procedures or patients. They'll be more prone to small errors that are important but hard to detect.

A good data conversion is hard. A bad one is downright painful and unnecessary. This is not about technology. It is about business. Your business. Ask questions up front then make an informed business decision

KW Norris is an IT professional, consultant and Sales Executive. KW works with medical clinics and medical software vendors to provide the best technology solutions available to improve quality and efficiency in the medical office. If you need a technology solution, KW can help you find it.

KW Norris
Technology Consultants, Inc.
4125 SW 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006
503-356-4105 ext 11, 503-939-9223 cell phone, 503-356-4109 fax
kw@tech-consultants.com at http://www.tech-consultants.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kwnorris

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=KW_Norris



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6246491 >