Required upgrades coming to EHR systems

September 6, 2022

Physician practices should be prepared for substantial upgrades to occur to their electronic health record (EHR) systems between now and December 31, 2022. EHR vendors must conduct these upgrades to meet federal requirements under the 21st Century Cures Act.

The upgrades will allow EHRs to communicate securely with other medical practices, improve security for e-prescribing, and allow patients to access medical information through the application of their choice. (1)

Because EHR system upgrades often cause disruption in physician practices, please consider the following to help ease the transition.

Each vendor will handle the upgrades differently. If they haven’t already contacted you about the upgrade, it may be helpful to reach out now (well before the December 31 deadline) to learn about your upgrade.
If the vendor allows it, try to schedule the upgrade for a time when staff can identify and eliminate any problems with the upgrade without disrupting clinic schedules.
Review the EHR vendor’s release notes. Though these notes primarily discuss technical improvements, they may include information about upgrades that must be activated by the practice.
Be mindful of the December 31 deadline and do not delay the upgrade beyond that date. Otherwise you may be out of compliance with federal regulations.