The Research Findings on EHR Replacement A recent KLAS research study, that included 400 c-suite and IT leaders from community hospitals of 200 beds or fewer, reports that 32 percent are replacing EHR systems and 68 percent are considering a change. This study aligns with the 2018 Black Book Research report that states: Thirty percent of ambulatory practices with over 11 clinicians expect to replace their current system by 2021 for customization issues. The report notes that highly functional, highly customizable integrated EHR, Practice Management, Revenue Cycle Management and ICD10/ Coding products are proving to be the sought after technology solution of choice for groups and clinics with 12 or more practitioners according to the nearly 19,000 total EHR users responding to the six month client satisfaction poll released on April 16 of this year. In a related study, Black Book’s 2018 survey of healthcare consumers identified that 91 percent of patients under 50 years old gravitated toward digitally based practices, particularly those with advanced features, connectivity with other providers and comprehensive portals which give them easy access to managing their health via phones and devices. Creating a Health Data Life Cycle Management Strategy when Replacing an EHR There are regulatory, consumer and advancing technology-related reasons behind the decisions to replace a current EHR. We work with physician practices, hospitals and large health systems every day to help determine what to do with the legacy data during a system replacement. In most cases, it is cost prohibitive to migrate all records from a legacy EHR into a new go-forward EHR. That means a strategy must be put in place to manage the records that don’t get converted. The benefits of creating a strong legacy data management strategy include cost reduction risk mitigation compliance with both security standards and record retention mandates simplified access to data consolidation of decade’s worth of data from disparate software applications into a secure long-term storage and retrieval center. Harmony Healthcare IT‘s HealthData Archiver® is a leading solution for hospitals and medical practices faced with system replacement, acquisition or migration. Is your team ready to create a legacy data management strategy? Our team of data experts at Harmony Healthcare IT developed a process that has helped hundreds of ambulatory and acute care organizations evaluate their legacy clinical, financial, human resources and ERP system portfolio to create a Health Data Life Cycle Management Strategy that works. The process guides providers through a system inventory, financial forecast and system prioritization for decommissioning legacy systems enterprise-wide. It provides details to outline a five point strategy that is customized for each organization and rounded out with a commitment for collaborative execution. Perhaps the best part of the strategy is that it identifies significant areas to mitigate risks and provide cost savings. Regardless of where your organization stands in terms of keeping your current EHR or replacing some or all of its systems, it is important to include a strategy for the complete life cycle of the data in your care — from creation to archival to destruction — all according to your record retention policy. We’re here. We’re ready. Contact a consultant from Harmony Healthcare IT.