Many healthcare providers know the feeling: the EHR system is down and there is no way to access patient data, much less continue typical electronic workflows. Such events can occur one of two ways – either planned or unplanned – and, at the very least, disrupt patient care.
As for the worst case scenario? Patients suffer, fines pile up, and your healthcare organization’s reputation hangs in the balance. Fortunately, EHR downtime solutions offer a viable alternative to the error-ridden paper-based processes that follow a downtime event.
Below, we discuss how EHR downtime happens, the impact it has on organizations, and why it’s so important to have a downtime solution in place should your system or network ever falter.
How EHR Downtime Happens
EHR downtime occurs when healthcare systems are unable to access or utilize their EHR platforms. Here are two common types of EHR downtime:
Planned Downtime
Planned downtime happens when healthcare organizations schedule temporary system unavailability for routine updates, system upgrades, or security patches. These events are coordinated in advance to minimize disruptions to patient care and hospital workflows. Doing so allows hospitals to prepare ahead of time, allowing them to mitigate challenges and maintain patient safety.
Unplanned Downtime
Unplanned downtime, on the other hand, arises unexpectedly from system failures, cyberattacks, hardware issues, natural disasters, or power outages. Unpredictable and often prolonged, unplanned EHR downtime significantly impacts care continuity, increases security risks, and creates financial and reputational challenges for healthcare organizations.
With healthcare data breaches affecting 14 million patients last year, unplanned downtimes expose sensitive information to unauthorized access, further compounding the risks.
The Impact of EHR Downtime on Hospitals
Beyond being a technical issue, downtime can have far-reaching consequences for hospitals, affecting everything from patient care to revenue. Below are the key areas where downtime can cause significant damage:
1. Patient Care Continuity
When EHR systems are down, vital patient information such as medical histories or medication information becomes unavailable. In fact, studies show that without a functional EHR system the risk of medication errors increases by 30%, seriously jeopardizing patient safety.
2. Financial Loss
The cost of downtime can approach up to $9,000 per minute for larger organizations, resulting in substantial revenue loss. When downtime events last longer than eight hours, it can result in over $3.7 million in losses in just one day due to canceled appointments, delayed procedures, and operational inefficiencies.
3. Workflow Disruption
Switching from digital systems to manual processes creates inefficiencies and raises the likelihood of human error. Labor-intensive paper-based workflows slow down clinical and administrative operations, further compounding the strain on hospital staff.
4. Compliance Risks
Unsecured networks and the inability to safeguard sensitive patient data during downtimes expose hospitals to compliance violations. This increases the risk of unauthorized access to patient data, leading to potential legal repercussions.
5. Reputational Damage
Patients expect healthcare organizations to operate at peak performance, regardless of disruptions. Frequent or prolonged EHR downtime can erode trust, making patients question the hospital’s ability to deliver adequate care.
Why Hospitals Need an EHR Downtime Solution
A practical and reliable EHR downtime solution enables hospitals to minimize these risks by ensuring continuous access to critical patient data and workflows, even during outages. Here are some key benefits of downtime solutions:
1. Real-time Access to Critical Information
Downtime solutions provide immediate access to patient data and allow healthcare staff to collect and document information electronically. This minimizes disruptions to clinical workflows and helps maintain patient care quality.
2. Accelerated Recovery
A robust EHR downtime solution reduces recovery time from days to mere hours, ensuring healthcare systems can resume full functionality quickly.
3. Elimination of Paper-based Processes
With tools to maintain electronic workflows during downtime, hospitals can avoid labor-intensive processes. Administrative staff can electronically register patients, generate barcoded wristbands, print consent forms, and more, enhancing operational efficiency.
4. Enhanced Patient Safety
Patient information and medication data remain accessible, reducing the risk of medical errors. Documents can also be scanned into downtime applications to maintain accuracy and eliminate the need for photocopying.
5. Improved Security Measures
Downtime solutions safeguard sensitive data with role-based access controls and secure systems, significantly reducing the risk of security breaches and unauthorized access. Paper-based processes, on the other hand, can open up organizations to a host of liabilities as documents can be lost, damaged, misplaced, or fall into the wrong hands.
6. Cost and Time Savings
Downtime solutions help to maintain operational continuity, minimizing errors, and protecting against lost revenue, resulting in significant time and money savings for healthcare organizations.
Boost Patient Care and Operational Resilience with Downtime Solutions
The cost of EHR downtime in terms of patient safety, lost revenue, and reputational damage is too high for hospitals to ignore. Given that 70% of downtime events last longer than eight hours, a robust EHR downtime solution is no longer optional but essential.
These solutions help healthcare organizations maintain continuity of care, ensure secure patient data management, and reduce disruptions to critical workflows. Most importantly, they provide the tools healthcare professionals need to continue delivering uninterrupted patient care.
Partner with dbtech for a Comprehensive EHR Downtime Solution
dbtech specializes in providing comprehensive EHR downtime solutions designed to safeguard patient data, minimize workflow disruptions, and enhance hospital resilience during planned and unplanned outages. Contact us today for more information or schedule a consultation to get started on implementing a reliable EHR downtime solution.