Electronic Medical Records System Implementation at Stanford Hospital and Clinics

In 2005, Stanford Hospital and Clinics (SHC) was internationally recognized as a leading medical institution in terms of its clinical capabilities and specialty expertise. However, the organization was lagging many of its competitors in terms of its operations and information technology (IT). While other major health care providers of a similar caliber had begun to transition to integrated electronic medical records (EMR) systems, SHC was using a patchwork of disjointed and outdated software programs to manage inpatient and outpatient care, as well as its back office functions. Dr. Kevin Tabb, who was the chief quality and medical information officer at the time, along with other executives within the organization, recognized the importance of adopting an EMR system. Yet the implementation of such a system would require a sizable investment over multiple years and would necessitate a major organizational disruption. In parallel with building a business case to justify the cost of the new system. Tabb and his colleagues had to think carefully about the implementation strategy that would lead to the successful adoption of the EMR system. This case explains EMR systems, describes SHC’s vendor selection process, introduces Epic System Corporation’s EMR offering, and explores the key issues that SHC considered in developing its implementation strategy, including the appropriate rollout approach and timing, how to manage system configuration and customization, and how to most effectively staff the project.