Ask staff in almost any facility what they think of the electronic health record, and you will hear complaints. It is slow. It takes too many clicks. It does not do what I need. Sometimes those complaints are fair. But often the problem lies elsewhere: in how people were trained, in the way work is organized or in how the system was set up for your facility.
Separating these causes matters. If you blame software for a training problem, you will spend money on features you do not need. If you blame staff for a real software limitation, you will frustrate good people. This post offers a way to tell which is which. It applies to PointClickCare and other systems, and it describes the approach in general terms rather than specific features.
Slowness is real but often has a source outside the software. Possible causes include weak wireless coverage, an overloaded internet connection, aging devices, too many programs running or a shared computer that is shut down and restarted between users.
How to check: Test the same task on different devices, in different locations and at different times. If it is fast in one place and slow in another, the problem is probably the network or the device, not the application. Your IT team can look at connection quality and device health.
Sometimes the system truly requires several steps. Other times staff are taking a long route because they never learned a shortcut, or because the workflow was set up in a way that does not match their tasks.
How to check: Sit with a nurse and watch a real task from start to finish. Compare it with how an experienced user does the same task. If the experienced user is much faster, the gap is training or setup, not software.
Before accepting that, ask whether the feature exists and has been turned on. Many systems offer more than a facility uses, and some features need to be configured or enabled by an administrator. Ask your vendor or an experienced user what is possible.
How to check: Write down the specific task you are trying to accomplish and ask the vendor how it is meant to be done. Sometimes the answer is a setting. Sometimes it is a limitation, and you will need a workaround or a different tool.
Resistance is sometimes real, but dismissing every complaint as resistance misses useful information. Staff are closest to the work and often detect problems first.
How to check: Listen for specifics. "I cannot find the order" is a navigation or training issue. "The screen freezes when I save" is more likely technical. Group the complaints and look for themes.
Replacing software is expensive, disruptive and rarely a cure for process problems. If the old workflow was confusing, it will likely be confusing in the new system too, unless it is redesigned.
How to check: Ask what would be different in a new system for the specific problems you have. If you cannot name it, the root cause may be in process or training.
Collect complaints for a few weeks and sort each into one of five groups.
Training or knowledge. People do not know how to do something that the system supports.
Process or workflow. The way work is organized creates the friction, such as duplicate documentation or unclear responsibilities.
Configuration or setup. The system could do it, but it is set up in a way that does not fit your needs.
Technology or infrastructure. Devices, networks or access are slowing things down.
True software limitation. The system cannot do it, even when used correctly.
Then address each group differently. Training gaps call for short, focused teaching and job aids. Process problems call for redesign with the people who do the work. Configuration issues go to your system administrator or vendor. Infrastructure issues go to IT. Real limitations go to your vendor as feature requests, and you plan workarounds.
Create a simple way to log complaints with details: what task, which device, what time, what happened.
Observe actual work at the point of care.
Offer short refresher sessions based on common issues.
Identify super users on each shift who can coach peers.
Review settings periodically with a knowledgeable administrator.
Escalate genuine software limits to the vendor with clear examples.
Software has real flaws, and staff are right to say so when it fails them. But a careful look often shows that the biggest improvements come from training, workflow and reliable technology around the software. UnityCare IT helps long-term care organizations evaluate the technology layer, such as devices, wireless and access, so you can tell what the software is doing and what it is not.
Keeping PointClickCare and other EHR systems fast, connected and available.
Call or text: 405-285-3845
New customers: start@unitycareit.com
Existing customers: support@unitycareit.com
Address: UnityCare Technologies, 2524 N Broadway Ste 554, PMB 947974, Edmond, Oklahoma 73034-4172