Downtime events occur much more often than you may think, as one study reveals that of all the hospitals surveyed, 96% had an unplanned downtime event in the last three years. Perhaps even more surprising, most of these hospitals don’t actually have a downtime contingency plan in place.
When EHR downtime occurs, it can disrupt your operations, compromise patient safety, and cause significant strain on your organization. However, having a robust downtime solution in place can ensure patient care continuity and minimize the operational and financial risks associated with electronic health record system interruptions.
Why a Robust Downtime Solution is So Critical
We’ve seen real-life scenarios where a lack of proper downtime procedures led to dire consequences for healthcare organizations. For example, Change Healthcare faced one of the largest cyberattacks in history last year. The downtime events they experienced not only delayed patient procedures but also caused significant financial losses due to penalties and cash flow challenges.
While there are several causes for EHR downtime, such as a data breach or system failure, what truly matters is how your organization handles these incidents until the EHR system is restored.
Your Downtime Solution Should Offer These Seven Features
Downtime events, while stressful, can be managed effectively with the right functionalities, procedures, and capabilities in place. Here are seven essential features that your EHR downtime solution should have:
1. Contingency Plan
A solid contingency plan is essential for EHR downtime best practices. This includes having a backup system for electronic data entry and workflows as well as offline patient record access so critical information can be easily accessed during downtime. Relying solely on paper records can compromise efficiency and patient care. A comprehensive contingency plan enables healthcare providers to continue daily operations, such as admissions and task tracking, even when the EHR system is temporarily unavailable.
2. Disaster Recovery
The best downtime solutions include built-in disaster recovery capabilities. So, your solution should ensure a seamless data transfer and drastically reduce the time it takes to recover and restore critical systems after an incident. Integrating disaster recovery into your downtime plan helps you mitigate both operational and financial risks.
3. Scalability for High Volumes of Data
When large-scale disruptions happen, your solution must handle a high volume of data. A scalable backup system ensures that your operations remain functional, whether you’re dealing with a small clinic or a multi-facility hospital network. As a result, your organization can continue to provide high-quality care without further disruptions.
4. Seamless Patient Registration Processes
Regardless of system outage, one thing must always remain a priority: rendering patient care. To that end, one of the most vital functions during EHR downtime is patient registration. Your downtime solution should enable electronic patient registration workflows by using your facility’s existing registration numbers. This eliminates the need for relying fully on paper records and helps ensure you can continue to help patients as they enter your facility.
5. Robust Security Measures
All of your health information technology systems must include robust security measures to safeguard sensitive patient data during downtime. Things like multi-level authentication and user permission settings can protect your data from breaches when accessing it offline and ensures compliance with healthcare regulations.
6. Scanning and Printing Capabilities
Efficient EHR downtime procedures also include scanning and printing functionalities. You should be able to scan patient documentation into the downtime solution or print essentials like barcode labels, wristbands, and consent forms. These capabilities streamline operations and reduce the likelihood of errors while ensuring care continuity.
7. Comprehensive Staff Training and Education
Even the most advanced EHR downtime solution will struggle if staff members are unprepared to use it effectively. Regular training on your downtime plan is an essential part of EHR downtime best practices, and ensuring all team members understand how to respond in case of a downtime event can make for a smoother recovery process.
dbtech Helps Strengthen Downtime Preparedness
Not all downtime preparedness plans are created equal, which is why your organization should adopt a proven solution for EHR downtime to ensure nothing falls through the cracks when systems go down.
dbtech’s downtime solution ensures the continuity of patient care, the security of your data, and a quick recovery from disruptions. Offering everything from backup systems and disaster recovery to scalable solutions, our platform covers every aspect of downtime preparedness and recovery.
Schedule a demo with dbtech today and receive a free EHR assessment to identify potential areas for improvement in your downtime procedures.