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Moving to MEDITECH Expanse? Five Key Support Considerations for Post-Implementation
Moving to MEDITECH Expanse is a big lift for any organization, but the rewards are well worth the effort. Strategic planning at every stage is the key to a smooth implementation that maximizes your investment. This means early-stage planning through Go-LIVE and beyond, but too often many fail to thoroughly consider the “beyond.” Don’t fall into this trap. MEDITECH Expanse provides a host of new features, tools, and capabilities, making post-implementation support essential for an optimized experience and value.
To help you plan, we’ve compiled the Top 5 Post-Implementation Support Considerations for MEDITECH Expanse.
1. Tier 1 support is not offered with a READY implementation or MaaS
Our Recommendation: Readily available Tier 1 support is essential for achieving buy-in among providers and staff and ensuring a positive patient experience. Be ready out of the gate with third-party support that provides reliable and timely responses to providers, staff, and patients. This includes password resets, general help desk support, and the management of ticket queues. Choose a vendor with MEDITECH-specific expertise and a track record for:
- Speedy first-contact resolution.
- Improving analyst efficiency.
- Containing costs.
By allowing a third party to handle routine support tasks, you free up your internal teams for more challenging tasks and projects. You also ensure that your stakeholders receive consistent, timely support that meets your evolving needs.
2. MEDITECH Expanse may require more up-front and ongoing training
Our Recommendation: Whether you choose a READY implementation or MaaS, your ongoing training needs should be evaluated early in the process. MEDITECH Expanse is loaded with new features and functionality, and users will need effective training before launch and as new features are added. Your organization is continuously evolving with new hires and role changes, so ongoing education should encompass these end users, system updates, and periodic training to address workflow inefficiencies or underutilized functionality.
3. Newer patient access applications may require increased support
Our Recommendation: MEDITECH Expanse offers interactive, patient-facing applications that empower patients with digital tools and encourage communication with providers. Interactive tools may require higher levels of support as patients navigate new environments and capabilities. As with any new tool, your care teams may have their own set of challenges and questions post-implementation. These scenarios should prompt organizations to evaluate their own resources and bandwidth prior to Go-LIVE, as outside expertise may be necessary to fill support gaps.
4. MEDITECH Expanse may accelerate workflows and shift support needs
Our Recommendation: MEDITECH Expanse’s intuitive, web-based platform can improve efficiency and effectiveness, but additional support may be necessary to facilitate a smooth transition and ensure that workflows meet the day-to-day needs of your providers and staff. A transitional period is expected after Go-LIVE as end users need time to adjust to changes with the new system. They may need additional support to help them learn new processes, become proficient with new features and functionalities, and adjust to new and accelerated workflows. These workflows may also need optimization or customization over time to ensure they meet departmental needs and organizational objectives.
5. An increased focus on interoperability may drive support related to data exchange
Our Recommendation: MEDITECH Expanse i supports safe data exchange for improved care coordination and case management. However, these capabilities require advanced reporting and data analytics to track the accuracy of data, how consistently it’s exchanged, and the impact on patient care and outcomes. It’s important to ask yourself if your organization is equipped to manage these additional tasks. Outside expertise may be required to harness new analytical capabilities for data exchange but also for general performance monitoring, reporting, and business and clinical optimization. A MEDITECH-experienced vendor who provides Data Analytics as a Service and regulatory guidance for data exchange is your best bet.
Conclusion
The move to MEDITECH Expanse is much more than an EHR migration. It’s a digital transformation. A successful transition requires in-depth planning at every stage, insightful change management, and comprehensive support after Go-LIVE. It’s essential to consider ongoing support during planning, because it impacts the perception of end users and patients in the early days following implementation. These are your true stakeholders, and it’s vital they feel supported with the new system every step of the way to maximize adoption, benefits, and value.
As a MEDITECH Alliance partner with extensive MEDITECH experience, Tegria can support your Expanse implementation at any stage, from planning to Go-LIVE and beyond.
