Running Head: WATSONS EHR TRANSITION

CASE STUDY: WATSONS AMBULATORY EHR TRANSITION

Ashley Winans
National University
HTM 660
Professor Susan Leonard

November 15, 2015

Case Study18: Watsons Ambulatory EHR Transition

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Overview of WCH
WCH, Watson Community Association, is a not-for-profit corporation in Arizona who is
working towards establishing a base of primary care physicians for their specialists to utilize. At
the present time, they were using the XYZ Data Systems Integrated EHR and Practice
Management System which works well with their Meditech platform. However, for several
reasons, the system had not been updated regularly. Their task is to determine whether they
should stay with the XYZ system or to move on to another EHR platform altogether. The path
of least resistance.. would be to upgrade the XYZ system (Wager, Wickman, & Glaser, 2013, P.
629); however moving to an entirely new platform would also be an option. Either way,
physician support will be instrumental for the success of either IT initiative.
Strengths of the Plan
Conducting a IT project proposal is a cornerstone in examining value Ensuring that all
proposals are well crafted does not ensure value. To achieve value, alignment with organizational
strategies must occur, factors for sustained IT excellence must be managed, budget choices
between investments must exist, and projects must be well-managed (Wager, Wickman, &
Glaser, 2013, P. 565). WCHs plan is strong in that it is clearly organized into distinct sections:
Project organization, Committee Development, Project Scope and Objectives, and
Communication, Plan of Work, Conclusion. It is key that the organization remains objective and
displays the proper discipline, which WCH seems dedicated to doing.
In terms of acquisition, the plan does an excellent job of including criteria for the
potential vendors to submit such as:
vendor qualifications
proposed solutions
criteria doe evaluating proposals

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contractual requirements
pricing and support
The vendor review process seems especially detailed and right on with the necessary guidelines.
Clear tasks which must be completed on the vendor side are laid out and this likewise eliminates
the amount of work which needs to be completed on behalf of the organization. Vendors will also
be thoroughly scrutinized afterwards in order to be specially selected.
The organization is also realistic about the fact that they will be entering a transition
period whether they adopt a new product or upgrade their current XYZ system. However, the
fact they have planned in such detail already is an indications that they are prepared for the
transition as well as the fact that they are dedicated to being objective. In fact, they even go so
far as to plan how to avoid the emotional climate and elements. Communication is also addressed
and that is key! They even go so far as to document the minutes of their meetings and this is an
aspect that I feel is particularly important. The committee plans to communicate with both the
stakeholders and audience of clinic users. Another strength is the fact that the committee is
thoroughly considered and will consist of numerous individuals and each of the 8 clinics will
have representation. There will be 20-25 individuals involved at various levels and a physician
will also be present to provide clinical and work flow insight.
Improvements and Possible Changes
I would most like modify the project timeline as I did not find a timeline mentioned
anywhere in the proposal. This is a huge area for improvement! A good timeline should, for
example, spell out the steps along the way and clearly state when certain tasks should happen,
i.e. Six month timeline. At month one, potential vendors are selected.

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Another aspect that is not clearly addressed in the plan is what to do following
implementation. For example, there are two possible roads that the organization will select:
Adopt a new product or upgrade their current XYZ system. Either one will require follow up and
postimplementation studies, residual costs, and value analysis. These are essential and will let the
organization know of the true value. If I were leading this particular effort, I would ensure that
these aspects were in place.
Leadership Factors
When considering whether to stay with a single vendor for supporting both the hospital
and primary care settings, several factors should be considered. An obvious one will be cost
constraints. Surprisingly, a budget was not explicitly addressed in this scenario so I cannot
comment on which option would be the best in terms of budgeting and what WCHs budgetary
considerations are. Work flow considerations are also key. In which option will patients be better
served? Which one will allow for physicians to have better access to data? Which one will
provide a better work-life balance for providers? These are all key considerations. Physician
support versus resistance will be key as there is little point or value in investing in a system
which providers do not want to use and will not work into their daily work flow. Value tools
should also be selected so that we know how the different areas are being rated and assessed.
IT upgrading the XYZ system is the path of least resistance (Wager, Wickman, &
Glaser, 2013, P. 629) and would be able to be put into place much sooner. However, long term
results should also be considered. Simply because one option is easier and potentially less
expensive does not automatically make it the better choice. Conversely, spending more money
does not automatically mean a system will yield the best return either.
Conclusion

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As identified in the prompt, the IT challenge reviewed in the case [is the] decisionmaking process that optimizes provider support for the new EHR while addressing the strategic
plan requirements of data integration, clinical application, and practice management
functionality (Wager, Wickman, & Glaser, 2013, P. 628). A fully effective EHR plan will take
into plan all of these above aspects and somehow rate them as well as select the best option for
the organization.

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References
Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2013). Health care information systems: A practical
approach for health care management. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.