22.08.2023

The Value of Experience Centres in EPR Deployments

Experience centres help raise awareness and contribute significantly to successful implementation of Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems in the NHS. Integrating these centers throughout the lifecycle of an EPR implementation delivers measurable benefits.

Accelerating User Adoption

Establishing experience centres well in advance of go-live is an excellent strategic move. These centres provide a safe and controlled environment for clinical and administrative staff to explore the new EPR system at their own pace. Early exposure mitigates fear and uncertainty while promoting user adoption. Moreover, these centres enable users to offer invaluable feedback that could influence future system enhancements and requests for change.

Impacting Training and Practice

Serving as training hub, experience centres provide a realistic platform for clinicians and administrators to navigate and understand the EPR system’s features and functionalities. Regular hands-on experience shrinks the learning curve, enhances competence, and paves the way for a smoother transition to the new system. Furthermore, by providing targeted training for departments with high footfall and potential bottlenecks, staff can familiarise themselves with new workflows well in advance of the system going live.

Boosting Confidence and Productivity

Experience centres instil confidence in staff by offering hands-on experience within a secure setting. As staff become more comfortable with the system, productivity naturally improves. This leads to better patient outcomes and overall user experiences.

Nurturing Super Users and Champions

These centres also provide an optimal environment for super users and champions to hone their skills. Regular exposure and practice make them proficient and confident, empowering them to provide better support to their peers during the transition.

Fostering Collaboration

Experience centres also serve as an excellent venue for team meetings. They encourage interaction and discussion among different teams across the organisation, fostering a collaborative spirit and a shared sense of ownership towards the new system.

Conclusion

Incorporating experience centres in EPR implementations is a forward-thinking approach that accelerates user adoption, enhances training, and increases user confidence. By replicating real-world scenarios and enabling staff to familiarise themselves with the new EPR system, experience centres contribute to a more successful EPR implementation. Ultimately, the early establishment of these centres will help to significantly improve patient care and outcomes in the NHS, something that should be at the very core of digital transformation within large scale clinical system implementations.

Latest insights

Whatever you do, don’t wait, instead seize the moment!

Embracing the moment can be tricky for the public sector. With business-as-usual firefighting, multiple change projects on the go at any point in time, and major infrastructure programmes taking place all under the same organisation, navigating all of this is no small feat. So how do clients make sense of it all in a coherent…

Leadership Update at Keystream

[London, 07/04/2025] – Keystream today announces that Andrew Jukes, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, will be stepping down from the business. Since co-founding Keystream, Andrew has played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s growth and operational strategy, helping to build a people-first culture and driving performance across both the recruitment and consulting divisions. Johnny…

On the Frontline of Change: My Role as Cutover Manager in an EPR Go-Live

In healthcare, change doesn’t happen in the background. It happens in real time, where patients are being treated, clinicians are making decisions, and every second counts. So, when we implemented a new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, it wasn’t just a digital upgrade. It was a major transformation in how care is delivered. As the…

Reflections from Rewired 2025

If there’s one message that echoed across Rewired 2025, it’s this: before digital transformation can succeed, the basics need to be right. That might sound simple, but in a climate of shifting structures, tighter budgets, and growing demand, it’s anything but. Across panels, keynotes, and informal conversations, it was clear the digital health community is…

Keeping NHS Care on Track: Why Improving Access is a Logistics Challenge, Not Just a Clinical One

The NHS 2025/26 Planning Guidance sets clear targets for improving elective, emergency, and cancer care. But if we’re serious about reducing waiting times and improving access, we need to shift our perspective. Right now, the focus is on clinical capacity – do we have enough doctors, nurses, beds, or scanners? While this is important, it…

Integrated Care: Bridging the Digital Disconnect 

Recent discussions around NHS England’s digital transformation efforts have highlighted a growing challenge: while integrated care is the goal, the digital infrastructure supporting it remains fragmented. Interoperability issues, inconsistent adoption of technology, and a lack of cohesive strategy have resulted in a system that struggles to deliver on its promise of seamless, joined-up services.  Integrated…

January Reflections: Resolutions, Data, and the Art of Structuring Chaos

Every January, I start the year with a plan. A structured, well-thought-out roadmap for the year ahead. It begins with data collection—pulling information from different sources, categorising it, scaling options, and arranging them neatly into a structured list. I analyse, prioritise, refine. And then? Well, just like most well-intentioned plans, it all gets reshuffled, adjusted,…

Go Live Is Just the Beginning: Why Digital Success Depends on People

When it comes to digital transformation in healthcare, go live is often celebrated as a milestone, sometimes the milestone. But as we explored in our recent webinar, go live is far from the finish line. It is just the beginning of a much bigger journey. The real work starts after the switch is flipped, and…

Benefits are like Pokemon – you’ve got to catch them all!

I’ll be the first to admit, I may have over done it on the title. But there is a seriousness to the point I raise. In my experience, I have conversations with client teams who can tell me about all the “fantastic” work they are currently doing or plan to deliver but lack either all…

Go-Live is Just the Beginning: Realising the Full Potential of Digital Transformation in the Public Sector

For many organisations in the public sector, the go-live of a new digital solution is celebrated as the end of a long and complex journey. But in reality, reaching this milestone is only halfway. For a digital solution to deliver its true potential, it must be continually refined to align with the daily workflows of…