I read a pretty convincing blog from Software Advice, a Web site that provides comparisons of EHRs, on how clinical trial participation could be the tipping point for physicians to implement EHRs. It's not apparent how many physician offices will deploy EHRs as a result of the federal incentives. It's probably safe to say that the numbers could be higher, given the concerns that have been voiced about existing barriers to EHR adoption. One of those concerns is a perceived lack of business case for EHRs. So this topic of clinical trial participation is a promising one, and one that should be discussed widely.
The ability to automatically collect patient data with an EHR for clinical trials is huge. The paper-based documentation has been a major barrier to participation in clinical trials. As the blogger stated, it's a win for all stakeholders - physicians, the patient participants in the clinical trials, the sponsoring companies and the greater population of patients suffering from a particular disease or condition.
The blog didn't address potential roadblocks, so I'll do it here. I think the biggest roadblock is getting identified patients to participate. After all, you may be able to identify easily, thanks to your EHR, but what good is that if the patients refuse to participate. And why would they refuse to participate? Fear of their data being misused or stolen.
Since the Mayo Clinic has participated in thousands of clinical trials, according to the blog. The Mayo Clinic has the medical reputation, experience and critical mass to leverage in getting patient trust. The small physician office obviously does not. While clinical trial participation is a great driver for EHR implementation and presents a great business case, physician offices have to do some work in the area of patient education in the value of their particular participation. This is no automated process, either. It's a high-touch and therefore resource-intensive task.
Not that I'm trying to scare anyone off, but it's a consideration. I think it's worth the effort for all the right reasons stated in the blog. It's just that you need to know what roadblocks you'll be encountering and you need to be prepared. You need to have the right patient education strategy to be successful.
