Committed to supporting an Epic EHR that satisfies patients and providers, but not sure where to start? It’s a common situation complicated by variables ranging from the service offerings of your system to the preferences of your users and the size of your budget. Implementing Epic is the first of many steps to ensure long term success in all the facets of patient care it enables. Fortunately, Epic can be customized in meaningful ways that yield measurable improvements. What follows are signs that your EHR and related processes can work harder for you.
Upgrades are disruptive and/or your team is overwhelmed.
Options for quarterly Epic version upgrades and routine maintenance management:
- Hire more FTEs with experience that is hard to find.
- Involve short-term, contracted experts to help perform the upgrade and maintenance steps.
- Partner with an outside Epic expert for programmatic options that streamline workflows and improve operations.
Potential impact: minimized downtime, focused quality assurance, predictable resource needs, improved employee engagement
Success Story: Modern IT Help Desk Management
Your organization is adding new practices or outpatient departments.
Options for Epic project and implementation planning:
- Involve solution planning assistance for key initiatives or overall planning of timeline and resources.
- Conduct a formal assessment of your Epic implementation to inform strategy decisions and long-term planning.
- Involve temporary skilled staff to support some of the work such as single application installation, a new practice install, or addition of an outpatient department.
- Partner with an advisor to share the burden of accomplishing your organization’s goals for Epic.
Potential impact: integrated technologies, trained resources, higher adoption/engagement
Success Story: Pediatric Facility Integration at the Speed of Healthcare
Users report dissatisfaction with the system, your hospital IT team, or both.
Options for satisfying Epic users:
- Adjust system configuration for patient, analyst, operator, and user engagement.
- Analyze current workflows to prioritize and assign resources to work that improves experiences.
- Manage change with internal communication, training, and leadership messaging to support functionality and workflow differences, to clarify roles, and to generate confidence.
Potential impact: prepared users, effective dress rehearsals, seamless cutovers, improved testing, more positive reputation for your team, lower cost, newfound capacity for critical incident mitigation, managed leadership expectations.
Success Story: Budget-friendly Implementation Staffing
Your organization has implemented Epic but hasn’t customized it for your organization.
Options for operationalizing Epic improvements:
- Incorporate best practices from other organizations into your strategic plans for Epic and supportive technologies/resources.
- Configure Epic to work for your service mix, budget, and other specifics that differentiate your organization.
- Supplement your staff with experts to execute plans aimed at moving to the next level in Epic’s Gold Star Program.
- Take advantage of the various evaluation and continuous improvement programs Epic offers to assist with your system's operationalization.
Potential impact: higher provider engagement, advanced printing solutions, integrated third part solutions, customized roadmaps
Blog: Achieving Epic Gold Star Levels: The Journey from an Analyst’s Perspective
The Power of Perspective
Epic is a brilliant and complicated system. Combining your team’s knowledge with the perspective of seasoned experts with Epic certifications, industry awareness, hospital operations know-how, and clinical experience could be just what your organization needs to deliver new capabilities and transform more efficiently.
