Supporting the patient experience during EHR implementation
EHR implementation can improve the patient experience by consolidating multiple systems and enhancing access to personal health data through a single portal.
EHR implementation is a significant undertaking, especially when moving from multiple systems to an enterprise EHR.
However, careful planning and clear communication can make the transition smoother for both patients and providers, according to Will Johnson, vice president and chief information officer of Tidelands Health, an affiliate of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Health.
Earlier this year, Tidelands Health replaced multiple health IT systems with an Epic EHR. The $40 million investment aims to drive interoperability across the health system's four hospitals and over 60 outpatient locations.
The system also integrates with the MUSC Health EHR, allowing clinicians to see a complete history of patient care across both organizations.
"Getting to a more robust EHR and reducing the number of EHRs in our organization for our clinical staff provides a lot of efficiencies and effectiveness," Johnson said.
Reducing the number of EHRs within the health system also brings convenience for patients, Johnson noted. The EHR system includes a patient portal where patients can schedule appointments, pay bills and message their providers all in one place.
"We saw it as a win-win for not only clinical staff but also for our patients and our consumers in our community," Johnson said.
Planning for smooth data transfer
When migrating patient health data from multiple health IT systems, careful planning is key to avoid data loss and inaccuracies.
According to Johnson, understanding where all patient data, including protected health information, resides within existing systems is crucial.
"You almost walk through to make sure that you have the historical context of all the patient records as you start to process and move them over," Johnson said.
Getting to a more robust EHR and reducing the number of EHRs in our organization for our clinical staff provides a lot of efficiencies and effectiveness.
Will JohnsonVice president and chief information officer, Tidelands Health
After that, Tidelands completed a validation quality check to ensure that patient data was seamlessly moving over and to protect against data duplication.
"Our goal is to ensure that even though we move to a different EHR, the patient information is still there," Johnson said. "It may look different because it's in a new portal, but all the information is there and accessible."
Johnson explained that Tidelands completed its transition by setting a point in time to convert all information over to the new system. The health system also made sure to catalog and categorize access to all historical data.
He pointed out that while Tidelands reduced the number of EHR systems it was operating upon go-live, the health system is working to eliminate a few other systems still in use.
However, from the patient's perspective, the transition to Epic has been seamless, as all patient data from the various systems is currently available in their patient portal.
"It doesn't matter if we're using a specific EHR for a particular focus area or medical condition," Johnson said. "What matters is that patients can see all their information in one place, and that's the real win. We don't want you to go to three different places to get your information."
"Our goal is to continually drive everybody to a one-stop shop to get their services in," he underscored.
Encouraging patient portal access
Tidelands encouraged patients to sign up for their new patient portal accounts well before go-live to ease the EHR transition and minimize disruptions.
"We started early through marketing campaigns out to the patients," Johnson said. "When patients were going to see their provider, they saw posters that said we were moving over to a new EHR, and they would have a new portal."
Early messaging about the patient portal has paid off, according to Johnson.
"Way before go-live, we saw a huge push of patients signing up and moving over to the MyChart patient portal, and that helped ease the bumps in the road," he said.
This meant that patients were able to see their data in the patient portal and learn how to navigate through the app prior to go-live.
"Of course, they couldn't do too much before go-live, but they could definitely validate and see their information," Johnson noted.
Now that Tidelands Health has gone live with its Epic EHR, patients have access to appointment scheduling features, including Fast Pass. The tool allows patients to join a waitlist for an earlier appointment in case an opening comes up.
"Our area is the third fastest growing in the country, and we are a premier health provider here," Johnson said. "Sometimes, patients may have a follow-up appointment scheduled for 21 days or 14 days later, or even just seven days later."
With the Fast Pass tool, patients receive an automated notification via email or text message if an earlier appointment slot becomes available. They can then log onto their portal to claim the open slot or keep their original appointment.
Johnson pointed out that Fast Pass does not allow patients to reschedule every appointment. For instance, some follow-ups, like those for medication adjustments, require a specific timeframe.
"But when it's possible to come in early, why not?" he explained.
Johnson noted that Tidelands has received positive feedback from patients about the new patient portal, particularly praising the convenience of messaging their providers instead of making phone calls.
However, he emphasized that driving patient engagement through the portal is a marathon, not a sprint.
"We're still looking at new ways that we can engage our patients through that single panel," he said.
By prioritizing seamless data transfer, clear communication and robust patient portal features, Tidelands Health has set a strong foundation for driving patient care and engagement through its enterprise EHR.
Hannah Nelson has been covering news related to health information technology and health data interoperability since 2020.
