EHR Governance: A Practical Guide to User Centric, Consensus Driven Optimization

Organizations spend large amounts of money to purchase, deploy, and optimize their Electronic Health Records (EHRs). They are not plug-n-play systems so a commitment to an ongoing improvement cycle is necessary. When done well, this responds to the people, the process, and the technology. When not done well, complete failure of the system could result in costing the organization thousands of dollars.

Based on the foundational premise that EHR governance done right speeds up change and leads to a positive user experience, this book draws upon more than a decade of work with government, academic, and nonprofit organizations using Epic, Allscripts, McKesson, Meditech, and Cerner. Designed to be practical and pragmatic, it outlines a strategic process that can scale to small and large organizations alike. It begins with how to articulate a clear vision to organizational leaders so they can champion strong EHR governance both theoretically and financially. It then walks through each step required for leading successful change, calling out critical lessons learned to help the reader avoid pitfalls and achieve measurable improvement more rapidly. It concludes with a commitment to ongoing growth and refinement through benchmarked metrics, innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking.

Paula Scariati, DO, MPH, MS, is a Preventive Medicine & Public Health physician specialty trained in informatics who loves using technology to improve patient access and care. With more than 25 years of experience in government, academic, private, and nonprofit organizations, Paula’s approach to digital transformation combines her unique clinical perspective with her expertise in medical informatics, governance, and change management. Throughout her career, she’s partnered with high-performing, multi-functional teams in fast-paced environments to develop innovative apps, lead EHR go lives, optimize workflows, and map improvement processes. Her work is data-driven, and at the heart of everything she does is an unrelenting commitment to user experience. Paula’s informatics repertoire spans the continuum of care using software tools from Allscripts, McKesson, Meditech, Cerner, and Epic, along with ADT, CDI, population health, and best of breed platforms.

A seasoned national speaker, an award-winning medical school instructor, and an ASQ Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Paula has authored over 100 articles including 14 peer review publications. In her free time, she enjoys tackling house remodeling projects and refining her Italian language skills. She can be reached for a curbside consult or a more formal engagement through LinkedIn or by email at Paula.Scariati@fastmail.com.