Hospital downtime is an unavoidable reality, but its impact can be significantly mitigated with a well-chosen solution. When selecting a downtime solution, several critical factors must be considered to ensure minimal disruption to patient care and operational efficiency. And most importantly, having a trusted advisor relationship with your vendor ensures you’re working in tandem to navigate challenges and collaborate on future innovation
Familiar Look and Feel: A solution that mimics the existing EHR interface reduces training time and minimizes errors during stressful downtime periods. Intuitive operation further enhances efficiency and user satisfaction.
Emulate Existing Workflows: The solution should seamlessly integrate into existing workflows, allowing staff to continue tasks without significant adjustments. This minimizes disruption and maintains productivity.
Flexibility: A versatile solution can adapt to various downtime scenarios, whether it’s a planned system upgrade or an unexpected outage. Flexibility ensures that the solution remains effective in diverse circumstances.
Reliability: A downtime solution must be dependable and accessible when needed. It should have robust redundancy and failover mechanisms to prevent service interruptions.
Sustainability: Consider the long-term costs and maintenance requirements of the solution. A sustainable option will provide value over time and avoid unexpected expenses.
Isolation: The solution should be isolated from the primary EHR system to prevent data corruption and ensure data integrity during downtime.
Integration: Seamless integration with other hospital systems, such as lab and radiology, is crucial for comprehensive patient information access.
Communications: Effective communication tools within the downtime solution are essential for coordinating care and sharing critical patient information among staff.
Built-in Testing & QC: Regular testing and quality control measures are vital to ensure the solution’s reliability and accuracy.
Not an EMR: The solution should be a dedicated downtime tool, not a full-fledged EMR. This prevents unnecessary complexity and ensures focus on essential functions during downtime.
Support and Service: It’s critical to ensure that the vendor is knowledgeable, accessible, and have the resources to provide support and service as you might require.
Trusted Advisor: This is a critical collaboration. Make sure you are working with someone you trust to understand your business & have your interests in mind.
By carefully evaluating these factors, healthcare organizations can select a downtime solution that effectively supports patient care and operational continuity during system outages. We invite you to download this checklist to use as a tool for yourself.
