Education Center

REACH’s goals are to provide assistance to providers for implementation and meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). REACH aims to assist providers utilize health information technology (HIT) as a tool for improved quality and performance. As part of its technical assistance services, REACH offers action-oriented educational programs to health care providers on a variety of topics to support them to plan for, implement and effectively use HIT, particularly EHRs.

Reaching EHR Meaningful Use - Tap into the HIT Regional Extension Center

Pre-Summit Workshop
June 16, 2010

REACH Workshop at Minnesota e-Health Pre-Summit, download a PDF of the PowerPoint:
eHealth Pre Summit REACH Slides [PDF - 2658KB]

How will education be delivered during technical assistance?

The meaningful use requirements are highly complex. To ensure the technical assistance being offered to health care providers is accessible to the broadest number of health care providers across the region, REACH will provide educational programs through multiple mediums, including: on-site technical assistance; live and pre-recorded webinars; individual and group conference calls; regional workshops; online learning collaboratives; resource guides; and other HIT planning and utilization tools. Providers focused on similar HIT goals will participate in facilitated education groups, e.g., meaningful use of electronic prescribing or quality reporting.

• Training/Events: REACH provides training and educational events on a variety of topics related to HIT implementation and use.
• EHR Resources: In addition to formal technical assistance from the REACH program, participants will have access to updated resources to assist with HIT implementations and meeting meaningful use. Resources will include project management tools, EHR best practices, meaningful use policy analysis, implementation guides, among others. 

What educational topics will be covered during technical assistance?

Educational programs will cover a variety of topics in five different areas.

Assessment
The success of an EHR implementation is reliant on multiple factors, but the readiness of the organization to adopt technology is critical. Among other topics, REACH will provide organizations a general overview of what an EHR implementation entails, educate them regarding how to obtain buy-in and commitment from clinical and administrative leadership, assess current information technology readiness, and develop an organizational communication plan.

Planning
Oftentimes, the lack of preparation for an EHR implementation is the reason for failure. REACH will instruct organizations about how to adequately construct goals and objectives related to EHR implementation. Additionally, REACH will provide organizations education regarding methods for managing projects, constructing steering committees, recruiting organizational champions and super users, mapping workflow, and managing change.

Selection
Selecting an EHR vendor requires a provider to define goals, functionality, technical needs, and cost parameters for their organization. REACH has tools and resources that have proven effective for hundreds of organizations in planning and selecting an EHR. REACH education will provide guidance to organizations about  developing EHR requirements and a request for proposal, performing a cost-benefit analysis, negotiating contracts, and developing vendor relationships.

Implementation and Optimization
At the core of successful EHR implementations are redesigned processes and practices, including both data flow and workflow. Process mapping assists providers and their practices/organizations in identifying inefficiencies, developing improvement plans, and identifying and establishing best practices to prepare for or fully leverage their EHR implementation. In addition to assisting providers redesign workflow, REACH will guide providers with IT technical and staffing infrastructure evaluation, staff education/training planning, tracking/monitoring implementation timelines, privacy and security guidelines, and meaningful use criteria.

Meaningful Use/System Improvement
Starting in 2015, providers are expected to have adopted and be actively utilizing a certified EHR in compliance with the "meaningful use" definition or they will be subject to financial penalties under Medicare. The focus on meaningful use is a recognition that better health care does not come solely from the adoption of technology itself but through the exchange and use of health information to best inform clinical decisions at the point of care.

Adoption and meaningful use of an EHR are important steps in working toward statewide, and ultimately national, interoperability. REACH will monitor the definition and requirements for meaningful use and will ensure providers understand all requirements and receive the necessary tools and education to achieve it. Educational programs will include, but not limited to, meaningful use requirements related to quality reporting, clinical decision support, order entry and e-prescribing, and health information exchange.