The Current Clinical Software With Epic

One of the issues with the electronic systems in health care for MU is the ability to retrieve laboratory results during a patient’s visit. In 2013, Hinrichs and Zarcone reveal that over 70% of medical decisions are determined by laboratory results. In 2007, AU Health implemented Cerner Millennium PowerChart that displays clinical data to improve the point of care for patients. With the PowerChart solution, the patient’s information can be easily verified, vital signs can be entered, and family history can be updated. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) signed by President Obama in 2013 places emphasis on expanding insurance coverage of medical care for everyone. As part of the ACA, the improvements in the way these results are exchanged and transmitted will add value to quality, safety, efficiency of health information (Hinrichs & Zarcone, 2013). The transmission and availability of EHR affect how other health professionals send and receive information at the local, state, and national levels.

The advancement in technology has rapidly transformed the world today, and the increase in the number of web-enabled devices has completely changed peoples ' lives especially the way they communicate. Electronic Health Record system, which is a digital copy of a patient’s medical history is one of the revolutionary ideas that have come with this advancement. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are instantaneously updating records that are patient-centered designed with the aim of providing real-time information to the authorized users (Cohen, 2010). It contains all the patient’s information that is in the hand of the medical providers including their medical history, treatment dates and types, immunizations conducted to the patient and their dates, radiology images and all the laboratory results from the tests conducted in the past. All this information is held in a digital format and can only be updated by authorized users who are stationed in the medical facilities. Electronic records are designed to make it easy for different health providers and organizations to share patients’ information which streamlines their operations since all the necessary information and history can be accessed from any location at any time.

It is no secret that the medical profession deals with some of population’s most valuable records; their health information. Not so long ago there was only one method of keeping medical records and this was utilizing paper charts. These charts, although still used in many practices today, have slowly been replaced by a more advanced method; electronic medical records or EMR’s. “The manner in which information is currently employed in healthcare is highly inefficient, which slows down communication and can, as a result, reduce the emergence and

After decades of paper based medical records, a new type of record keeping has surfaced - the Electronic Health Record (EHR). EHR is an electronic or digital format concept of an individual’s past and present medical history. It is the principle storage place for data and information about the health care services provided to an individual patient. It is maintained by a provider over time and capable of being shared across different healthcare settings by network-connected information systems. Such records may include key administrative and clinical data relevant to that persons care under a particular provider. Examples of such records may include: demographics, physician notes, problems or injuries, medications and allergies, vital

Our one hundred bed hospital is in need of updating from paper charting to computerized health records. In doing this, we will meet our goal of compliance with meaningful use legislation. We assembled a team of members to assist with this task and together we have narrowed the search to two health care systems. Those two systems are EPIC and Meditech and we will now discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each, with a final recommendation for our new healthcare system.

The medical staff has been using “best of breed” systems and has concerns of loss of key functions. However, they agreed to adopt EPIC, an enterprise-wide system designed for maximal integration and continuity of care throughout the continuum. This agreement was reached without any understanding of a potential loss of functionality in the new system, and an assumption the new system will be acceptable to the physicians once installed.

Epic is a single integrated system for the clinical and business functions of health care provision that include registration, scheduling, and billing. The system is owned by Epic Systems, formerly Episodic Care, a large provider of HIT (health information technology) and is mainly utilized by health providers in accessing, systematizing, storing, and distributing EMR’s. Epic Systems is an independent firm in Verona, Wisconsin with a vast campus. Epic is useful in streamlining regulatory compliance, clinical workflow, quality care, the patient experience, and clinical documentation. This is a reflection of the

Patients are taking an aggressive role in their healthcare needs. Patients desire to in touch with their medical records. Medical professionals are utilizing the Electronic Health Records to implement current data into information necessary to provide quality care for the patient. Thereby, managing patients’ current, and past histories. To understand what is occurring today, one must recognize why patients are taking an active approach to their healthcare.

Electronic Health Record (EHR) is an electronic version of a patients medical history, that is maintained by the provider over time, and may include all of the key administrative clinical data relevant to that persons care under a particular provider, including demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports (Ehlke & Morone, 2013). The incentives from both of this articles will result in the delivery of quality care to many individuals in

It has only been within the last five years that health information management (HIM) has experienced exponential changes, due to the healthcare reform. The electronic health record (EHR) is connected to health information exchanges and other systems of interoperability. The timely completion of charts, coding and release of information (ROI) has become much more efficient with the electronic record. Traditional HIM functions will just be transformed and will always be an integral part of successful patient care. Professionals must be flexible and willing to adapt and even generate change. As Health Information Technology continues to evolve, so will the roles

They electronic medical record being evaluated are Cerner and EPIC. The multidisciplinary committee will determine which program meets the needs of the 100 bed hospital.

By evaluating, comparing and calculating the best fit of three different EHR vendors illustrated in Appendix B, Durity, LLC, will purchase the Epic electronic health record system to replace its ancient paper-based system. The essential categories that an EHR enhances are interoperability, safety/security, quality/reliability, efficiency, and communication. According to Pennic (2014), “Epic continues to dominate the EHR market for hospital and health systems with 37% of users…”. Furthermore, Pennic (2014) reported, “For many physicians, “ease of use” determines their overall perception and experience with the EHR, affecting patient interactions and time spent documenting”.

I learned a lot while researching for my topic electronic clinical documentation. As a nurse who has seen many changes in the medical world we live in , I braced myself for the challenges that came when I was informed our clinic would be going live with Epic in 1 year . It seemed like an eternity of classes but the extensive training and time to play in the learning playground of Epic , left me , the providers and the staff prepared for the challenge . Don’t get me wrong, we had some very frustrating days and some very extended hours but the positive aspects of the electronic medical record (EHR) soon out weighted the negative .The long extended hours documenting what we did in the first 3-4 months

According to their website, Epic is a private and employee-owned company that “makes software for mid-size and large medical groups, hospitals and integrated healthcare organizations - working with customers that include community hospitals, academic facilities, children’s organizations, safety net providers and multi-hospital systems.” The core of Epic’s kernel is based off of on an antiquated programming language known as MUMPS (Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-programming system) which was invented by a founder from rival Meditech in 1968. They [EPIC] have developed systems to seamlessly transition the state of medical records from a paper driven environment to a virtual environment. Epic allows

Numerous healthcare organizations are investing in the use of Epic Electronic Record (EHR) solutions to improve quality of patient care and efficiency. With the growing reliance on digital records for everything from patient test results to medical records to billing and HIPPA reporting, high level of availability Epic HER environment has never been more important.