​Less than 1 percent of health systems achieved mature use of EMRs in 2009 and roughly 50 percent of U.S. hospitals are at risk of not meeting the demands of the federal requirements and incurring penalties by 2015, according to the company.

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According to Beth Frazier, Director for ASOCIA Healthcare,”Alot of organizations underestimate the human component in an EMR/EHR implementation. Making the transition to an EHR requires individual behavior changes that many organizations do not take the time to address. Technology projects fall short of their goals because organizations failed to grasp this reality. In the great majority of cases, the critical problems weren’t technical. The hardware was capable, the software was adequate, and the network capacity was sufficient. However, the EHR systems failed largely because leaders introduced major change, and those who were affected rejected that change and the systems that went with it.The most common reasons employees resist change are concerns about learning something new, concerns about their ability to adapt to a new system, and fear that the EMR requires more effort than the old system.

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Some individuals have a low tolerance for change, even when they agree with the concept.”

“It’s important to note that it’s not a manager’s role to try to alter an employee’s outlook” says Frazier.” What an organization can provide is a thoughtful strategy for change management that fits the work culture and environment. Commitment to change must include the budget and resources to make it work. Communication is important throughout the process because without a formal system. The communication cannot be intranet-based if all employees do not have computer access. Training must be convenient and regularly scheduled to include everyone. During training and other group meetings, it is important for management to diffuse negative comments without being defensive or it will prevent further discussion even if others have positive comments.”