St. Edward, Sparks rolling out electronic health record systems

Nurses, doctors and other key staff at St. Edward Mercy Medical Center are prepping to go live on Sept. 26 with a comprehensive new electronic health record system.

The EPIC program is part of a $450 million systemwide install the St. Louis-based Sisters of Mercy Health System began to push in 2005. The Catholic healthcare company employs more than 29,000 and about 4,000 doctors in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas.

FEDERAL MANDATE
U.S. hospitals and doctors are under a federal mandate to install and use electronic health record (EHR) systems by 2015. Also, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is managing a program to partially reimburse hospitals and doctors for EHR installation costs. That program, funded with $36 billion from the federal stimulus bill, will also penalize — up to a 1% annual Medicare/Medicaid reimbursement reduction — doctors and hospitals not adopting approved EHR systems.

Officials at Fort Smith-based St. Edward reported today (Aug. 17) that employees working in clinical roles in the emergency department, medical center or one of the clinics are training to use the EPIC system. Physicians are taking 12-16 hours of training, nurses and LPN’s 24 to 27 hours, CNA’s 6 hours and schedulers 4-28 hours.

“Mercy co-workers are learning how to navigate the new Epic system. They have an opportunity to actually use the software and ask questions of trainers instead of just reading about it in a manual,” Robbie Rust of Mercy Education and Organizational Development, said in a statement. “After they’ve completed their class, they are also able to go to a ‘computer playground’ and continue to practice what they’ve learned.”
  
SYSTEM ADVANTAGES
Advantages of EPIC include more reliable and timelier lab and x-ray results, reduced duplication of expensive imaging and other tests, improved drug interaction alerts, doctor and nurse notes that are easier to read and understand, and ability for multiple medical personnel to access a patient’s chart simultaneously.

“A complete picture of a patient’s health and healthcare is all in one place and instantly available to the patient’s healthcare providers – in a Mercy doctor’s office, emergency department or hospital on the system,” noted the Mercy statement. “Nearly everything that was once written and communicated using paper, pen and bulky charts will soon be completed electronically using a keyboard, mouse and computer.”

Sparks Health System, now owned by Naples, Fla.-based Health Management Associates (NYSE: HMA), is installing an EHR system in stages, according to Sparks Marketing & Communications Director Donna Bragg.

“The first stage includes our Adult Medicine Specialists, Alma Medical Clinic, Fort Smith Internal Medicine, Southpointe Family Practice, Sparks Preferred Clinic South and Sparks Family/Occupational Medicine South,” Bragg said. “They all should be going live Aug. 30th. By the end of September, our goal is to have all clinics and physician offices using the EHR system.”

The NexGen system is being installed in all HMA facilities.

Neither St. Edward or Sparks provided information on local costs to install EHR systems.

SYSTEM CONCERNS
Concerns about the broad national implementation of EHR systems center primarily on privacy issues — especially as the federal government mandates expedited EHR adoption.

Coincidentally, two surveys were released Tuesday (Aug. 17) that reveal concerns among patients and EHR system managers.

Practice Fusion reported that 28% of survey respondents are concerned they won’t be able to access the records when needed, with 19% worried that the electronic records will “contain inaccurate or outdated information.” Only 16% were concerned that the records will be stolen or “used fraudulently.” (Practice Fusion surveyed 1,002 adults.)

Imprivata surveyed 600 healthcare information-technology “decision-makers” and found that 80% said “securing patient information from unauthorized access and data breaches is a top priority.” To that issue, 76% said breach of confidential information or unauthorized access is their greatest concern.

However, only 38% said they are unable to track inappropriate access mandated by federal regulations.

“Clearly healthcare organizations are worried about unauthorized access to patient health information, data breaches and meeting HITECH Act disclosure mandates,” Imprivata noted in the release. “Therefore it is imperative that they safeguard patient information while maintaining a simple, yet robust system that helps them simplify compliance reporting and minimize negative public exposure.”