In addition to you, the team should include delegates authorized by you to send messages on your behalf (e.g., your nurse, the manager of the referral process).
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Assemble a Project Team
Time to Complete: 4 to 6 weeks
Difficulty: Easy -- needs dedicated time for meetings
Outcome: A decision about electronic data-sharing
Steps
Choose team members and schedule meetings
Educate team members, then determine current workload
- At the first team meeting, bring everyone up to speed about electronic data-sharing. Discuss these frequently asked questions (FAQs) (3-page Word document; About Downloading Files), and answer any questions or concerns.
- Consider using AAFP Physicians Direct as an example of how secure electronic data sharing could be done.
- Next, assess the current workload devoted to sharing clinical information by fax, phone and mail. Ask everyone to come up with a "gut check" estimate of the volume of work they perform and the resources they expend on this work. Have them review these logs (4-page Word document; About Downloading Files) for information to include in the estimate.
- If you want specific data instead of an estimate, ask everyone to use the logs to record the needed information (4-page Word document; About Downloading Files), or create your own logs.
- After the first meeting, establish the team's work plan using this form (1-page Word document; About Downloading Files) or one you develop. Get feedback from the team before finalizing.
Approach other practices
- At the team's second meeting, ask everyone to think about the kinds of clinical data they share -- referrals, patient summaries, discharge summaries, etc. -- and then to list the practices they share each kind of data with the most.
- Approach those practices about sharing clinical data electronically. Use these letters (2-page Word document; About Downloading Files) or ones you create. Your practice may have to follow up with a second letter or phone call.
- Keep track of responses so you know how many practices are willing to move to electronic messaging with you.
Analyze collected information and decide
- Does the current workload and expense help justify the time and money involved in moving to electronic sharing of clinical information?
- Will making this move free up time for other meaningful work in the practice?
- Have enough other practices agreed to share data electronically to make the switch worthwhile?
- Are there other compelling reasons for moving to electronic communication of clinical information? For example, it can support achievement of Meaningful Use.
- Are you and your practice team ready and willing to make this change?
If you and your team answered "yes" to these questions, then your practice is ready to move ahead with sharing clinical data electronically. Next, establish new workflows for sharing data electronically.
What You Will Need
- Decision-making authority
- Time to select the team, prepare for and hold meetings, and create the work plan
- Time to develop "gut check" estimates or to collect data on faxes, calls and mail
- Logs to collect the data, if needed
- Time to approach other practices about electronic data sharing
- Letters to send to the practices
- Time for analysis, discussion and decision-making
Resources
These frequently asked questions will educate the team about electronic data sharing (3-page Word document; About Downloading Files).
Use AAFP Physicians Direct as an example of how secure electronic data sharing could be done.
If needed, logs can record data on sharing clinical information by fax, phone and mail (4-page Word document; About Downloading Files).
Prepare the team's work plan on this form (1-page Word document; About Downloading Files) or one you develop.
Use these letters (2-page Word document; About Downloading Files) to approach other practices about sharing data electronically, or create your own letters.
Use AAFP Physicians Direct as an example of how secure electronic data sharing could be done.
If needed, logs can record data on sharing clinical information by fax, phone and mail (4-page Word document; About Downloading Files).
Prepare the team's work plan on this form (1-page Word document; About Downloading Files) or one you develop.
Use these letters (2-page Word document; About Downloading Files) to approach other practices about sharing data electronically, or create your own letters.
Where to Go for Help
Family Practice Management's "Implementing Change: From Ideas to Reality" is good background reading on fostering change in your practice. The article's change-management guideline about increasing the sense of urgency may also help as you encourage other practices to move to electronic messaging.
TransforMED's article "Making Meetings Effective" (3-page PDF file; About PDFs) has ideas for running a good meeting.
The following may provide useful background reading about exchanging information electronically:
TransforMED's article "Making Meetings Effective" (3-page PDF file; About PDFs) has ideas for running a good meeting.
The following may provide useful background reading about exchanging information electronically:
- "Systemic Review of Health Information Exchange in Primary Care Practices," J Am Board Fam Med Fontaine et al. 23 (5): 655 (2010) (16-page PDF file; About PDFs) The review found that improved access to test results was the clearest early benefit of health information exchanges (HIEs), with good evidence that HIEs can improve the efficiency with which practices process test results.
- "Health Information Exchange," Hospitals & Health Networks, February 2011
Join a free collaborative online network committed to practice transformation. Learn more about Delta-Exchange.
This Patient-Centered Medical Home section of the AAFP web site was supported in part by a grant from Merck & Co.
This Patient-Centered Medical Home section of the AAFP web site was supported in part by a grant from Merck & Co.
Share Clinical Data Electronically
Assemble a Project Team
