EMR Training

Whereas in the olden days patient records were written down and kept in manila folders, the health care industry now prefers to use EMR, or electronic medical records. These are kept on computer databases that allow medical staff to access a patient's record quickly.

Computer Literacy

• Before medical technicians, nurses and doctors can be trained to use EMR, their computer-literacy levels must be determined. Your staff needs to be familiar with how to use computers and whichever electronic devices they will be using before learning how to access EMR.

Training Plan

• If the training is conducted at the medical facility, rather than in a classroom, a training plan should be created to keep track of how quickly (or slowly) employees learn to use EMR. Once some of the employees have finished the training, they can become trainers themselves, helping newer staff members with the system.

Work Flow

• Although the idea of EMR is to reduce paper records, there may still be tasks that require paper while others are shifted to the computer. Employees need to comprehend the new work flow, that is, how different aspects of their working day will change, to accommodate using EMR.

Software

• All EMR are implemented with the installation of appropriate software and, depending on the manufacturer, range in difficulty and comprehension. Some software programs come with instructional booklets that can be shared by employees and referenced when there is a glitch or an error.