Electronic Health Records (EHR, EMR)

Association says the update is more global in scope and fit specifically for the healthcare ecosystem. 

The industry must put patients at the center, use standards like HL7 FHIR and get the entire ecosystem working together, say Kari Hedges, SVP at Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, and Laurent Rotival, SVP at Cambia Health Solutions.

SA Health, the public health agency of South Australia, has made improvements to its troubled electronic medical record (EMR) system, in an attempt to lay the foundation for progressive implementation of new features and functionality. The move is an upgrade from the version the healthcare organisation was using since 2014, and follows an independent review of the program that found its Enterprise Patient Administration System (EPAS) failed, as it “contrasts with other successful EMR implementations in Australia”. The review identified that SA Health’s billing module was “not fit-for-purpose”; and the EPAS has a “flawed governance model” that didn’t empower clinicians to be key decision-makers or allow the system to be tracked, measured or managed, amongst other findings. Following the review, SA Health was expected to scrap and reconstruct its beleaguered electronic patient records.  The upgraded EMR version installed at SA Health’s facilities now consists of Allscripts Sunrise EMR and paperless administration system (PAS), which was a key recommendation in the EPAS Review. Recommendation 13 of the review identified that “the existing Sunrise EMR/Allscripts PAS 14.3 software version be upgraded to 17.3, with the progressive implementation of its new features (not ‘like with like’), and that subsequently there be a regular upgrade path”. Allscripts ANZ General Manager Todd Haebich said the upgrade provides SA Health with a more contemporary, versatile and risk-resilient EMR platform. “The latest version of the Sunrise EMR 17.3 offers many functional benefits, but from an interoperability perspective, it enables SA Health and third-party vendors to extend the EMR with new apps and initiatives, including products from the global Allscripts Application Store,” Haebich said. “The upgrade also brings increased security and resilience, as it provides administrators with greater and more effective capabilities to keep the platform functioning when servers and networks fail.” The upgrade also allows SA Health to introduce the following: Timeline: A patient-centered graphical view of the continuum of care, where the clinician receives a visual view of the patient’s visit history across all settings of care. For a more detailed view of a specific encounter, the clinician can open the desired block to launch the new visit record web portal.   Sunrise Compass: A solution that enables it to build upon and combine the workflow management tool and tasking infrastructure into a single new UI. A new Smart Engine analyses patient conditions such as results, vital signs, problems and observations to dynamically suggest tasks, workflows and actions. Compass aims to increase the quality of care and decrease time to treatment and diagnosis by decreasing manual interventions in the EMR.   Sunrise Mobile: A solution that lets clinicians manage their daily activities. “The upgrade is the first step in ultimately providing SA Health with a system to rival what we have achieved in other geographies like the US, UK and Singapore,” Haebich said. “We welcome the EPAS Review’s recommendation that we play a much greater role in delivering SA Health’s EMR, and we look forward to working more closely with SA Health to fulfil what it has set out to achieve.” This article first appeared on Healthcare IT News Australia.

SA Health has made improvements to its troubled electronic medical record (EMR) system, in an attempt to lay the foundation for progressive implementation of new features and functionality. The move is an upgrade from the version the healthcare organisation was using since 2014, and follows an independent review of the program that found its Enterprise Patient Administration System (EPAS) failed, as it “contrasts with other successful EMR implementations in Australia”. The review identified that SA Health’s billing module was “not fit-for-purpose”; and the EPAS has a “flawed governance model” that didn’t empower clinicians to be key decision-makers or allow the system to be tracked, measured or managed, amongst other findings. Following the review, SA Health was expected to scrap and reconstruct its beleaguered electronic patient records. The upgraded EMR version installed at SA Health’s facilities now consists of Allscripts Sunrise EMR and paperless administration system (PAS), which was a key recommendation in the EPAS Review. Recommendation 13 of the review identified that “the existing Sunrise EMR/Allscripts PAS 14.3 software version be upgraded to 17.3, with the progressive implementation of its new features (not ‘like with like’), and that subsequently there be a regular upgrade path”. Allscripts ANZ General Manager Todd Haebich said the upgrade provides SA Health with a more contemporary, versatile and risk-resilient EMR platform. “The latest version of the Sunrise EMR 17.3 offers many functional benefits, but from an interoperability perspective, it enables SA Health and third-party vendors to extend the EMR with new apps and initiatives, including products from the global Allscripts Application Store,” Haebich said. “The upgrade also brings increased security and resilience, as it provides administrators with greater and more effective capabilities to keep the platform functioning when servers and networks fail.” The upgrade also allows SA Health to introduce the following: • Timeline: A patient-centered graphical view of the continuum of care, where the clinician receives a visual view of the patient’s visit history across all settings of care. For a more detailed view of a specific encounter, the clinician can open the desired block to launch the new visit record web portal. • Sunrise Compass: A solution that enables it to build upon and combine the workflow management tool and tasking infrastructure into a single new UI. A new Smart Engine analyses patient conditions such as results, vital signs, problems and observations to dynamically suggest tasks, workflows and actions. Compass aims to increase the quality of care and decrease time to treatment and diagnosis by decreasing manual interventions in the EMR. • Sunrise Mobile: A solution that lets clinicians manage their daily activities. [Read more: Fremantle Hospital deploys EMR system for better support of care in WA | University Hospital Geelong improves ED clinical workflows] “The upgrade is the first step in ultimately providing SA Health with a system to rival what we have achieved in other geographies like the US, UK and Singapore,” Haebich said. “We welcome the EPAS Review’s recommendation that we play a much greater role in delivering SA Health’s EMR, and we look forward to working more closely with SA Health to fulfil what it has set out to achieve.”

The CEO of the Alliance for Better Health and former deputy national coordinator talks EHR and interoperability challenges, the need for ROI, physicians' changing roles and why "social determinants" might not be the right term.

Using the Massachusetts Prescription Awareness Tool will create better access to prescription data for clinicians at Partners.  

Mental health records at the Black Dog Institute’s clinical services arm will soon go digital. The Australian institute for research and services in mental health will deploy Global Health’s MasterCare EMR solution across clinical services, using the clinical and practice management software to transition processes. Black Dog Institute joins a number of other healthcare providers that have recently transitioned over to MasterCare EMR, such as Justice Health Victoria and Bass Coast Health. MasterCare EMR General Manager Kye Cherian said the solution was chosen for being a team-based, client-centric record that supports multiple programs and services. As Black Dog Institute has a number of clinical services – such as a child and adolescent health unit, psychology clinic, and depression and bipolar unit – he said the solution can be configured to suit different workflows within these individual organisations, enhancing workflow functionality across the multi-program community. Specifically, according to Cherian, MasterCare EMR’s mental health modules, such as risk assessments and assessment wizards, would benefit the organisation. “[The] platform can be implemented either as is, or adapted easily for specific client needs and requests,” he said. “The area of mental health is one that requires continuous research, innovation and investment to meet growing demand. the Black Dog Institute clinical services arm’s use of MasterCare EMR will support their research-based approach to delivering and improving mental health services. “Often people with a mental health condition have lifelong needs, and it is essential these services are coordinated and tracked for optimum outcomes and continuous improvement,” he said. [Read more: Fremantle Hospital deploys EMR system for better support of care in WA | University Hospital Geelong improves ED clinical workflows] MasterCare EMR also allows for customised program support across minimum data sets, streamlined data collection, support for more than 25 common federal and state-funded programs, and has an inbuilt practice management system for clinic appointments, billing, online claiming, staff rostering, client management and secure messaging.

Analysts see a best-of-breed strategy finding favor, with companies such as Xenex, Ecolab and VigiLanz preferred over Epic and Cerner for their innovative approaches to patient safety surveillance.

Eastern Health has rolled out a new trial across its Box Hill Hospital to help patients better manage their medication after they leave hospital. DC MedsRec, the community pharmacy-based service for patients discharged from Box Hill Hospital with four or more medicines, aims to reduce the risk of harm from dangerous drug interactions. The trial, conducted in collaboration with the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) and Monash University, will enable eligible patients to meet with trained community pharmacists, who will look at their hospital discharge summary via My Health Record (MHR), along with a range of other medication information on their Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). The pharmacist will then check the patient’s understanding of the drugs they are taking, resolve any potential medicine safety problems and ensure any medication-related recommendations from the hospital are followed up. The pharmacist will also offer to dispose of any discontinued medications and prescriptions for the patient, with their consent. The move follows Eastern Health’s successful EMR implementation at Box Hill Hospital In October 2017, in partnership with Cerner, as part of its Great Digital Information Strategy 2015-2020. ADHA CEO Tim Kelsey said the service was part of a $8.5 million program that trials innovative and new approaches to post-hospital support, palliative care and the management of chronic health conditions using digital technology. “Pharmacists involved in the Box Hill project will be able to access their patients’ hospital discharge summaries quickly and easily using My Health Record,” he said. “The ultimate aim is to ensure patients with complicated medication regimens don’t end up back in hospital after taking a bad combination of medicines.” Monash University Project Lead Greg Duncan said the trial was initiated as a result of poor medication management during or immediately after a hospital stay, which becomes a risk factor in 28 per cent of potentially avoidable hospital readmissions within 30 days. “We know medication errors often occur when patients leave hospital and can mean patients end up being readmitted – so we will assess the impact of this new service on 30-day unplanned readmission rates to hospital,” he said. [Read more: Inability to meet patient engagement demand is “hobbling” Australian healthcare providers: study | NSW’s hospitals enroute to state-wide Electronic Record for Intensive Care (eRIC) implementation] Eastern Health Chief Executive Adjunct Professor David Plunkett said the trial positions the organisation to “provide both excellent clinical care and research”, with real-world benefits. “Community pharmacies from the Eastern Health area will take part in the pilot, with up to 5000 patients potentially involved,” he said. The success of the service will be evaluated after 12 months, with Kelsey adding that the results could potentially shape future projects, helping patients throughout Australia better manage their medicines.

Surescripts’ product allows doctors to tell the patient at the point of care the price of prescriptions along with alternatives, says CEO Tom Skelton.