EMR Implementation : Lessons Learned from ERP Americas Conference on Information Systems

The adoption of electronic medical records is a strategy for improving health care in the United States, and there are national efforts to provide funding for the initial purchase of EMR systems. The use of IT in making clinical health care more efficient and effective is well known (Dick and Steen, 1991). But recent articles in the healthcare domain indicate that 20 to 30% of electronic medical record (EMR) systems fail within a year of implementation (Chin, 2006). This study examines the implementation of EMR systems and compares these practices, issues, lessons learned, and critical success factors with what we have learned from implementing ERP systems. The findings identify the similarities between ERP and EMR systems projects and offer insights into applying the lessons learned in the past to the current challenges in EMR implementation.