As well being techniques look to automate as a lot as attainable to scale back administrative burden, Lisa Bragg, R.N., B.S.N., a managing director at consulting agency Impression Advisors, spoke with Healthcare Innovation concerning the concept of doing an EHR “tune-up,” which she described as evaluating and optimizing present EHR techniques to enhance effectivity and cut back handbook workarounds.
Impression Advisors works with well being techniques on EHR implementations, post-implementation optimization, and main system migrations, making certain seamless integration and operational effectivity. Additionally they assist shoppers with EHR vendor evaluations and transitions.
Bragg, who has expertise as a vital care nurse, stated well being system shoppers immediately are asking for assist with three fundamental issues with regards to automation, The primary is with ambient listening and documentation, good rooms which might be voice-enabled, and digital care. They need assist evaluating what’s purposeful, significant and secure, Bragg stated. “There’s lots of noise within the business about AI, they usually’re not likely positive the place to go,” she stated, including that they need assist in deciding what to prioritize. “As soon as they implement and undertake AI, if they don’t seem to be getting the profit they anticipated, we accomplice with them to attempt to discover out why — and lots of occasions it is the combination of this expertise. Your apply and efficiency have to enhance to align with it. And we shut that hole between how you employ the expertise and the way that folds into that day by day workflow of the top person.”
Plenty of occasions, if the well being system is utilizing a third-party vendor, they start with a return on funding that they are hoping to get, however then if they don’t seem to be reaching that, Impression Advisors is introduced in to assist them get to that time. “Once you’re fascinated about including expertise or augmenting your workforce, we’d like to ensure the common processes are working,” Bragg famous. “In any other case the expertise simply sits on high of one thing that is not working, and also you’re automating a course of that does not work.”
Bragg suggests well being techniques think about doing one thing referred to as an EHR tune-up.
Because you first deployed the EHR 5 years in the past, there is likely to be varieties of automation that you simply’re not profiting from, or there’s been two or three totally different options added to make one thing much more seamless and higher to your groups.
She stated this comes right down to that frontline person who’s most accountable for a particular module inside their EHR. Generally they’ve developed handbook work-arounds which might be pointless. Or it could possibly be a third-party software that is built-in together with your EHR. You might need exterior software that you simply assume goes that can assist you get someplace, however perhaps it’s pointless. Do an evaluation and discover out what what items of the EHR you are utilizing and what latest improvements you’ve put in place. “The tune-up includes actually working with the people who find themselves closest to the product or software that is getting used to decipher if what they’re utilizing is basically wanted,” Bragg stated.
The stress to do these EHR tune-ups can come from the popularity that the well being system shouldn’t be reaching the objectives it anticipated. As an example, they’re nonetheless having a length-of-stay subject, despite the fact that they applied a affected person throughput answer two years in the past. Ahead-thinking organizations wish to do higher, Bragg stated. “Shoppers ask us to try how we’re utilizing purposes or the EHR or their workflow or processes.”
Impression Advisors additionally helps well being techniques which might be deciding to modify EHR distributors if they’ve a legacy system, and it additionally helps through the transition to a brand new EHR. “We don’t make that call for them, however we’re serving to them take that journey,” Bragg stated. This work additionally occurs when well being techniques undergo a merger or acquisition they usually wish to unify on a single EHR platform. Bragg stated the agency is at present working with an 11-hospital well being system as they transition to a brand new EHR.
After implementation, Impression Advisors could also be requested to remain on for the optimization section. “It’s actually difficult to attempt to optimize as you go in, as a result of through the implementation there are lots of shifting items,” she stated.
