A local internal medicine and cardiology practice has recently implemented their new EHR system from Allscripts. Some relatively minor building renovations were required, and additional hardware was installed. Extensive training sessions and onsite support staff spent several months meeting with all users. Superusers and managers were identified and given additional training. During the testing phases, there were several glitches that needed to be addressed. Because of the practice’s long-standing relationship with a local hospital, they had to electronically communicate seamlessly to coordinate ongoing patient care throughout the healthcare continuum. The EHR from Cerner is used by the hospital. Technology and software issues had to be addressed to ensure interoperability so that complete patient information was transmitted securely. The application of the HL7 messaging standards were evaluated for each system and then the firewall and encryption software were adapted to meet data integrity and secure transmission requirements per the required standards. The patient portal for the physician practice had to be coordinated with the hospital’s EHR so that patients were able to see information generated from their hospital admission. The cardiologists and internal medicine physicians were incorporating this information into their outpatient treatment plan. These issues have been addressed and care coordination has become more efficient thanks in part to the new electronic processes incorporated into both EHR system
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Introduction:
The implementation of a new electronic health record (EHR) system from Allscripts in a local internal medicine and cardiology practice, as well as its coordination with the Cerner EHR system used by a local hospital, required extensive planning, preparation, and training to ensure proper interoperability and secure transmission of patient information. In this context, several questions have been raised regarding the processes and procedures involved in this implementation.
1. What steps were taken to ensure that the EHR systems from Allscripts and Cerner could communicate seamlessly and coordinate ongoing patient care throughout the healthcare continuum?
To ensure that the EHR systems from Allscripts and Cerner could communicate seamlessly, the practice had to evaluate the application of the HL7 messaging standards for each system and then adapt its firewall and encryption software to meet data integrity and secure transmission requirements per the required standards. Additionally, the patient portal for the physician practice had to be coordinated with the hospital’s EHR to ensure that patients were able to see information generated from their hospital admission, which could then be incorporated into their outpatient treatment plan by the cardiologists and internal medicine physicians.
2. What kind of training and support did the users receive during the implementation process, and how did the practice identify and train its superusers and managers?
During the implementation process, extensive training sessions and onsite support staff spent several months meeting with all users to ensure they were familiar with the new EHR system from Allscripts. Superusers and managers were identified and given additional training to ensure they could effectively troubleshoot any issues that arose during the testing phases.
3. Were there any challenges or glitches during the testing phases, and how were these addressed?
During the testing phases, there were several glitches that needed to be addressed to ensure the EHR systems from Allscripts and Cerner could seamlessly transmit patient information. These issues were addressed by evaluating the application of HL7 messaging standards for each system and adapting firewall and encryption software to meet data integrity and secure transmission requirements per the required standards.
4. How has the implementation of these new electronic processes improved care coordination and efficiency in the physician practice?
The implementation of these new electronic processes has improved care coordination and efficiency in the physician practice by ensuring that patient information is transmitted securely across the healthcare continuum. Patients are also able to see information generated from their hospital admission, which can then be incorporated into their outpatient treatment plan. Overall, this has facilitated better communication and enhanced patient care.
