LESSON 17 / FINAL Final Project: Putting It All Together – Converting to Electronic LEARNING OUTCOMES ______________________________________________________________________________ In this lesson, you will do the following: Create a document that demonstrates an understanding of the elements needed to convert from a paper-based health record to an electronic health record. READINGS Gartee Text: Chapter 12, pp. 283 - 301 Additional Sources - TBD Case Studies in the Gartee Text: pp. 28, 68, 65, 122, 142, 178, 194, 232 ACTIVITIES / ASSESSMENTS 1. Read the assigned pages from the Gartee text, Case Studies, Unit 5 PowerPoint, and Lecture Notes. 2. Discuss current issues on the course discussion board with instructors and students. 3. Complete the written assignment. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS You are the administrative manager of a health care organization and have been given the assignment to convert the practice from a paper-based system to an electronic health information system in the next three years. This assignment will be to write a plan that includes a vision, timeline, systems to be converted, metrics, training, support, and other areas to make the conversion a success. You should be creative in your thinking and use the information you have learned during this course. You may assume a budget that is reasonable, but limited. PLEASE NOTE: All graded assignments for the lessons in this unit should be grouped together and submitted as ONE document using the Assignment Submission form accessed from your course homepage or http://www.sjcme.edu/gps/assignments. All activities/assignments for this unit should be as follows: 1. Should include a cover sheet for each assignment stating the following:  Course (HA 214)  Your Name  Unit and Lesson Number  Date Submitted 2. Each individual assignment number and copy of the assignment directions should be included in the submission as the starting header of each lesson. 3. Carefully check grammar and spelling. 4. Use APA format for any research or sources that are being used or quoted. 5. Email the instructor if you have questions regarding the assignments. http://www.sjcme.edu/gps/assignments LESSON 17 / FINAL Final Project: Putting It All Together – Converting to Electronic LECTURE NOTES ______________________________________________________________________________________ This course has been designed as an introduction to the elements of the health care record, both in paper-based systems and in the electronic format. Many of the key requirements, such as security, storage, access, content, retention, etc., are similar to both forms of the records. Certainly, each system for record keeping has its advantages and disadvantages. This course has attempted to balance the content so that the lessons allow you to understand both systems. It is this instructor’s opinio ...

1. LESSON 17 / FINAL
Final Project: Putting It All Together – Converting to
Electronic
LEARNING OUTCOMES
_____________________________________________________
_________________________
In this lesson, you will do the following:
Create a document that demonstrates an understanding of the
elements needed to convert from a
paper-based health record to an electronic health record.
READINGS
Gartee Text:
Chapter 12, pp. 283 - 301
Additional Sources - TBD

2. Case Studies in the Gartee Text: pp. 28, 68, 65, 122, 142, 178,
194, 232
ACTIVITIES / ASSESSMENTS
1. Read the assigned pages from the Gartee text, Case Studies,
Unit 5 PowerPoint, and
Lecture Notes.
2. Discuss current issues on the course discussion board with
instructors and students.
3. Complete the written assignment.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
You are the administrative manager of a health care
organization and have been given the
assignment to convert the practice from a paper-based system to
an electronic health information
system in the next three years. This assignment will be to write
a plan that includes a vision,
timeline, systems to be converted, metrics, training, support,
and other areas to make the

3. conversion a success. You should be creative in your thinking
and use the information you have
learned during this course. You may assume a budget that is
reasonable, but limited.
PLEASE NOTE: All graded assignments for the lessons in this
unit should be grouped together
and submitted as ONE document using the Assignment
Submission form accessed from your
course homepage or http://www.sjcme.edu/gps/assignments.
All activities/assignments for this unit should be as follows:
1. Should include a cover sheet for each assignment stating the
following:
2. Each individual assignment number and copy of the
assignment directions should be
included in the submission as the starting header of each lesson.

4. 3. Carefully check grammar and spelling.
4. Use APA format for any research or sources that are being
used or quoted.
5. Email the instructor if you have questions regarding the
assignments.
http://www.sjcme.edu/gps/assignments
LESSON 17 / FINAL
Final Project: Putting It All Together – Converting to
Electronic
LECTURE NOTES
_____________________________________________________
_________________________________
This course has been designed as an introduction to the
elements of the health care record, both
in paper-based systems and in the electronic format. Many of
the key requirements, such as
security, storage, access, content, retention, etc., are similar to
both forms of the records.
Certainly, each system for record keeping has its advantages
and disadvantages. This course has

5. attempted to balance the content so that the lessons allow you to
understand both systems.
It is this instructor’s opinion that the paper-based record will be
phased out from the majority of
health care providers in the next few years, perhaps as few as
three or four years. This does not
assume that paper-based records will be eliminated since there
are requirements for storage,
retention, and future access of the archived records. The actual
historical paper-based record will
be headed for storage rooms or other forms of archive storage,
such as being scanned into a read-
only electronic format. While some providers will resist the
move to this new technology,
ultimately the organizations that pay for the cost of health care
will mandate the change (i.e.,
insurance carriers, HMOs, and governmental payers).
As students, many of you have seen or used the electronic
version of the health record. Some
organizations were early converts to the technology and have
benefited from the conversion, or
at least learned lessons on how a conversion project occurs
effectively. Many students who are

6. employed by health care organizations will be exposed to
massive conversion and change
processes in the coming years. While a change in systems may
seem to be a monumental
process, it can be done with adequate focus, planning,
conviction to the goal, access to resources,
and implementation strategies that engage the major
stakeholders in the project.
The conversion process for health records is similar to any
process of change that an
organization wants to make in their operations. It requires a
leader who can take the desired
outcome for the project and lead a group of employees into a
process that achieves the stated
outcome to be accomplished. While that seems to be a simple
means of identifying the process,
the challenge is getting the stakeholders or employees to a point
of wanting to make the change
and to make the change a successful process.
Some people believe that change will only occur when the
“pain” is sufficiently high enough that
the reluctance to change is overridden by the need to stop the

7. “pain.” In this context, “pain” can
be identified as frustration with the duties or other emotional
factors that cause the individual to
want to change. While the tactic of using a “threat” of some
sanction or action by a supervisor
may appear to be a means of inflicting the “pain,” it rarely
works on a long-term basis. The
stakeholders need to come to the conclusion that the change will
be beneficial.
There are essentially two issues that seem to be the reaction by
some when a change project is
pursued:
uestioning how this change impacts them
The key tactics for addressing these reactions are as follows:
– The project must have a communication
strategy that provides answers
to issues or questions that are raised by the stakeholders.

8. Providing information on how a
plan impacts each stakeholder addresses the fear of the
unknown and how it will impact
them. In this instance, more communication is better.
– Successful projects will have spent a considerable
amount of time planning out
the project. Planning also allows for input during the process,
and adjustments can be
made during the process.
– Nothing will harm a change project as much
as secrecy and the lack of
transparency. If stakeholders feel that something is being kept
from them, it will enhance
their “fear of the unknown.”
– This provides the
stakeholders and leadership with an
understanding of how success will be measured by goals and
how the timeline will
proceed.
– This will reinforce the value of
the project and recognize
contributions.

9. – The project must have a respected
leader for the project who
has the ability and skills to be successful. Additionally, there
are critical influencers who
can and will support and champion the project. They can
influence others in the process.
– When a tactic, milestone, or goal is not
achieved, adjustments are to be made
as necessary. This demonstrates to stakeholders that a
successful outcome is the goal.
What follows is a broad outline of a conversion plan for this
assignment. You may use any or all
of the elements for your work. Feel free to add items that you
feel are essential to your
conversion project. Limit your plan for this assignment to ten
(10) pages.
Suggested plan elements for the conversion project:
– What do you intend to
do?
ject – What is the expected
outcome of the project?

10. – How will you know if you are
successful with the project? What
will you use to measure success? Does it include a calculation
for return on investment?
– Who will lead the team? Do they have the
skills? Do they have the respect
of the stakeholders?
– How will the process engage and secure
feedback from stakeholders?
– Who needs to be on the team? Is it
diverse?
– What will be the timeline to complete the
conversion?
– How will the process be communicated to
stakeholders and others?
– If the conversion is being done with a
vendor, what will the Request
for Proposal process be, including the timelines?
-House Process – If the conversion is being down with in-

11. house staff, what are the
elements needed to make it a success?
– What is the proposed budget? Is it ongoing
capital, staffing, licensing, etc.
– Who will make the final decision for the
project plan?
– Once the vendor is selected, how
will the conversion be phased
or rolled out?