The 3 Biggest Risks in a Cerner-to-Epic Migration

A Cerner to Epic transition can radically improve your healthcare operations. But like all large projects, there are healthcare IT project risks to account for. By considering the most common challenges and proactively creating measures to both reduce those risks and quickly resolve any problems, you can de-risk your EHR migration and have a smoother transition that helps your company, staff, and patients see improved outcomes faster.

Navigating the Most Complex Move in Healthcare IT

There are numerous risks that can plague EHR migrations, and rip-and-replace transitions are one of the riskiest changes an organization can make. At HPG, we have a long history of creating smooth migration plans, proactively addressing and resolving risks, and giving our clients a solid start to improved operations with Epic. Here are the three biggest risks we frequently see in a Cerner to Epic transition and the steps we take to de-risk EHR migration efforts.

Risk #1: Catastrophic Data Migration Failure

The biggest risk is that the data fails to migrate properly. It may refuse to connect, data may go missing, or data may go to the wrong fields or show up as information full of errors. Data is complex, and healthcare professionals can’t operate safely in an environment where data is wrong, missing, or untrustworthy.

Resolution and Proof: Ensuring Data Integrity at Boston Children’s Hospital

HPG has developed a detailed, thoroughly tested data integrity methodology that’s specifically designed for managing and preserving complex medical data. During our Cerner to Epic transition project for Boston Children’s Hospital, our team protected large volumes of pediatric data. Our methodology ensured a reliable continuity of care, so there was no interruption to services. The data was preserved in the prior system and cleanly duplicated and migrated to the new ecosystem for seamless operations during Boston Children’s Epic implementation.

Risk #2: Physician Revolt and Poor System Adoption

Technical data complications aren’t the only challenge in large-scale Cerner to Epic transition projects. Your staff may also be uncomfortable with the new platform, reluctant to make the switch when it leads to delays, frustration, and added tasks for their teams.

Resolution and Proof: Clinician-Led Change at the Hospital of Central Connecticut

At the Hospital of Central Connecticut, HPG put together a plan to encourage proactive support and adoption, making sure the human element saw excellent results. We started by engaging physicians early, giving clinicians leadership roles in developing change management strategies that authentically accounted for their concerns and expected challenges. By involving clinicians early in the project, all stakeholders could work together to resolve anticipated difficulties and provide resources where clinicians needed them. Physicians were also able to see the clear benefits their organization was striving for through the Cerner to Epic transition, further improving engagement and adoption, so productivity stayed more consistent and there was much less frustration.

Risk #3: Massive Business and Clinical Disruption

Any change causes disruption, and the bigger the change, the bigger the potential disruption. Staff won’t be able to reflexively navigate the platform as easily as one they are familiar with. Your IT teams may also be overwhelmed with managing aspects of the migration, causing delays in responding to typical IT needs. Even when the data is secure and accurate, users often struggle to complete tasks and keep clinical operations on track with their usual speed and confidence.

Resolution and Proof: The HPG “Command Center” and Hypercare Model

HPG manages business and clinical disruption by knowing how it commonly manifests and what responses keep the chaos contained to manageable levels. For every hospital project, we organize a Command Center and implement a hypercare support model, so support is instantaneously available for the ED, OR, and revenue cycle systems. We stay active before, during, and after the cutover so each disruption is handled quickly and efficiently.

Proven Expertise for Your Most Critical IT Initiative

HPG manages Cerner to Epic transitions, Oracle Health to Epic transitions, and other major data transfer projects. Our team is committed to de-risking EHR migration, and that starts by developing plans that address common and organization-specific healthcare IT project risks. Learn more about why healthcare organizations trust HPG by reviewing our EHR replacement case studies, or reach out today to start planning your migration project.

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