The Health IT Playbook suggests leveraging the following support mechanisms on electronic health record (EHR) implementation go-live day:
- Discuss Go-Live With Your Vendor: Your vendor will normally provide some support during go-live and this should be outlined during the contract negotiation phase. If vendor representatives will not be onsite during go-live, make sure they are aware of your schedule so they can provide virtual support if needed.
- Consider Adding Additional Staff: You may require staff to assist with training issues such as unexpected technical glitches. This may mean you need to hire temporary staff or temporarily re-assign existing staff to assist with go-live.
- Engage Leadership: Engaged staff leadership (e.g., physician champion, nurse champion) can be an essential component of a successful go-live, so be sure to engage your staff leadership early and often.
The go-live plan should include a schedule for ensuring that all the above resources are available throughout the initial EHR implementation go-live period. Additionally, a go-live issue resolution plan and support structure can help users determine who to contact when they need help and eliminate any one person from becoming overloaded with issues.