Stakeholders in Electronic Health Records (EHR) project implementation

Running head: ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS 1
Electronic Health Records
Student Name
Institution

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS 2
Introduction
Electronic health record system has been part of health reforms aiming at improving the
health care sector of the country. Electronic Health Records (EHR) refers to the digital version of
the patient’s medical paper chart containing treatment plans, medication, medical history,
diagnosis and other medical health records that assist in treatment and monitoring of patient’s
health. The EHR system, therefore, contains broad information about the patient that gives real-
time information necessary to ensure medication is effective. Moreover, the EHR system
contains decision support information that is important for developing a patient's medical care.
The EHR system provides a real-time workflow that is automated for effective monitoring of the
patient’s medical health. Development and implementation of an effective EHR system is an
important health care project involving a number of stakeholders. The following paper, therefore,
examines various stakeholders and the role each stakeholder plays in the implementation of
Electronic Health Record project.
Stakeholders in Electronic Health Records (EHR) project implementation
There are many stakeholders within the EHR project implementation system and each of
these stakeholders play a specific role. The stakeholder framework involves many different
stakeholders that each is engaged at a specific level of the project implementation (Cebul, Love,
Jain & Hebert, 2011). Proper coordination of these stakeholders and the role each play result in
good project implementation and success. Some of the key stakeholders within the EHR project
implementation include hospital management team, clinicians, clients, office staff, EHR project
team, accounting officer and EHR developer.

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1. Hospital management or administration
Hospital management and the health department play an important role in the adoption
and implementation of the EHR within the health care system. Firstly, the hospital management
team finances the EHR project and ensures that the project comes to success during the
implementation. Secondly, the hospital management team also evaluates the project’s success
upon implementation and this ensures the quality of services offered by the EHR system (Yao,
Zhang, Sanseau & Agarwal, 2011). Thirdly, the goodwill of the hospital management team offer
in the course implementation means success in the implementation of the project. Fourthly, the
hospital management plays an important role in the management of the project since the project
falls within its management jurisdiction. Lastly, the hospital management also offers an advisory
role in the selection of the EHR system used. This is in line with the health care organization’s
vision and mission since the record system should be part of the organization’s vision (Herwehe
et al., 2011).
2. Health policy makers
Health care policymakers are important stakeholders within the EHR project
implementation system since policymakers play a number of roles in implementation. Firstly, the
policymakers assist in the selection and adoption of the EHR system that will help improve the
health care sector in general. Moreover, it is the role of the policymakers to ensure that the
selected system improves the quality of the health care service (Thygesen, Daasnes, Thaulow &
Bronnum-Hansen, 2011). Secondly, it's the role of the policymakers to design the policies that
promote the use and implementation of the EHR system within the health sector. Thirdly, the
government being an important policy maker provides a good political environment that

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enhances the implementation of EHR within the health department. As part of the health care
policy, the system will help the policymakers to realize their objective of improving health sector
(Ohno-Machado, 2011).
3. Health practitioners
Health caregivers or practitioners are at the center of the EHR system and has many
different roles to play in the implementation. Firstly, health caregivers provide the technical
knowledge on the interaction between the system, hospital, and clients that are important for
planning and designing of the system (Fernández-Alemán et al., 2015). Secondly, during the
selection process of the EHR system health practitioners provides the knowledge on the system
requirement that will assist the hospital. These clinicians and other health caregivers provide the
input that includes designing, live support, and workflow within the system. Thirdly, health
practitioners also take part in testing of the system before the system officially commence its
operation to ascertain that their need is met within the EHR system. Lastly, health care
practitioners also take part in the implementation of the EHR system since they largely interact
with clients within the system. Health care practitioners are key users of the system that will
always form part of the project implementation (Colligan, Potts, Finn & Sinkin, 2015).
4. Clients and patients
Clients or patients are key stakeholders since they form part of the system that is used to
monitor their health records. Firstly, patients play an important role in providing true information
that is captured within the system and health of other stakeholders in the implementation of the
system. This leaves no doubt that patients are key stakeholders that will be used for the EHR