Next Steps After An Epic Reporting Implementation

While there are many healthcare facilities that have experienced a relatively successful and efficient Epic reporting implementation, there are other organizations that have encountered obstacles or challenges.  

One such facility is Portland, Oregon’s Multnomah County Health Department (MCHD), which serves 45,000 patients and averages 170,000 visits annually. MCHD’s Epic implementation experience was profiled as a case study by the Federally run website Healthit.gov.

From their experience, MCHD urges other healthcare organizations to approach an EHR implementation as an aspect of a larger process -- one that must embrace and improve quality across three areas: the EHR itself, clinical operations, and reporting.

If you’re looking for the next step after implementing Epic reporting, here are 3 lessons MCHD learned that could benefit you:

1. Implementing EHR reporting is not a static one-time event. Rather, it is an ongoing process that must be supported by a comprehensive roll-out and follow-up plan. Otherwise, issues such as an Epic reporting backlog, and inaccurate or missing data can become an issue.
   
   
2. EHR's are designed to empower healthcare facilities with rich, accurate intelligence to support clinical, operational and financial workflows. However, this does not happen immediately. It takes substantial planning, design and support for clinicians and other team members to have access to the information they desire and expect from their EHR system.
3. While the learning curve for an EHR is not excessively steep, there is a training and orientation process necessary to familiarize users with system attributes. This training requirement is particularly important for report writers, who may not have the familiarity or expertise they need with Epic or Clarity.

At Syntrix, our Epic certified consultants have in-depth experience supporting healthcare facilities in all facets of implementation. Based on our experience and knowledge, we believe that the lessons learned, and insights shared by the MCHD team, are on target. In particular, we emphasize that an EHR system -- whether Epic or another vendor -- requires customization and cannot be fully utilized “out-of-the-box,” as each healthcare organization is unique.

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If your healthcare facility is facing any EHR implementation challenges -- including an Epic reporting backlog -- then contact us today. Your consultation with us is complimentary and our goal is the same as yours: to help you get the most out of Epic reporting, so your organization can continuously improve efficiency, quality and patient care.