How To Handle Reporting Demands After An Epic Launch

Many healthcare facilities experience an Epic reporting backlog shortly after go-live. As we have stated in other blogs, this is not unique or inherent to Epic, but is common with any EHR system.

If your healthcare facility is experiencing a high demand for report requests, it is fair to say you would like to take control as quickly as possible. Expectations of an EHR system are to generate business intelligence that improves operations, decision making and patient care – not to wrestle with an ever-increasing reporting backlog!

With this in mind, below are 7 ways to handle reporting demands after an Epic launch:

1. Think “big picture” by creating a foundation using dashboards and business intelligence (BI) data warehouses, rather than focusing exclusively on creating individual reports-- which can be more resource intensive and lead to backlogs.
   
   
2. Compare the investment in BI versus the labor cost per report. Factor in your current reporting turnaround time. This will provide a clear indication of your best resource allocation and suggest whether additional resources are needed.
   
   
3. Put report generation at your end user’s fingertips by allowing them to drill down and answer their own “what if?” questions. This will empower your users, while it reduces the burden on report writers. 
   
   
4. Fully understand the data needs and workflows of your stakeholders. You’ll be better equipped to create relevant reports, rather than waste valuable resources recreating reports due to inaccurate initial specifications or scope. 
   
   
5. Understand both the business questions and the key performance indicators (KPIs) that need to be monitored and analyzed. Ensure the appropriate data is in place and necessary analytics are being developed. 
   
   
6. Hold inclusive meetings with team leaders to gain consensus on the prioritization of report requests. Determine which ones are mission critical, routine, or potentially unnecessary. 
   
   
7. Educate end users on the new data sets that are available, so they can take full advantage of analytics that will help them perform their job more effectively and efficiently. 
   
   

Learn More

To learn more about how to handle reporting demands after an Epic launch, contact the Syntrix team today. We have been privileged to support healthcare facilities at every stage of Epic deployment -- from pre-go-live to several years after go-live. This experience gives us a unique perspective to deliver Epic reporting solutions that will address your immediate needs, while building a solid foundation for future reporting and analytics success.