Pediatric Associates of Richmond Improves Practice Management, Patient Records

Doctors need all the critical information they can obtain when treating a patient, but too often data is trapped in filing cabinets and disparate systems that can’t easily be accessed when needed the most. Pediatric Associates of Richmond, Inc. (PAR), with 13 doctors, four nurse practitioners, two office locations and thousands of documents, was looking for an electronic health record (EHR) management solution for its pediatric practice that would do just that — help to improve the quality of patient care and safety.

PAR’s management wanted to adopt an EHR platform not only because they believed it would decrease inefficiencies within the practice, but they also knew this type of information technology (IT) was gaining traction in helping to improve care and reduce costs.

“Our document management process was completely manual. Our staff had to copy handwritten patient information, and then store it in each patient’s personal file, as well as manually update the information,” said Matthew Andrako, an in-house IT support team member at PAR. “This process was time-consuming and created increased labor costs.”

The goal of any EHR system is to provide doctors with comprehensive information for each patient at the point of care. Traditionally, PAR stored patient records in a family chart in which staff recorded information by hand. The charts were only loosely organized and often got lost while the chart was in transit to the provider. PAR set out to avoid these discrepancies by digitizing all patient information to save time and money related to filing and storing paper records, allowing doctors to share and access patient charts remotely.

The right team

PAR started its IT search when its practice management system became obsolete. What started as a practice management upgrade turned into a full EHR implementation.

PAR hired a consultant to define the needs for the project and determine the requirements to take the practice from its current manual filing system to an EHR management program. The selection criteria in choosing the appropriate vendors were cost and workflow capability.

Based on those requirements, PAR selected Pulse Systems’ Patient Relationship Management system for tracking and managing the processes involved in providing patient clinical services, keeping an accurate EHR and ensuring efficient billing and collections. PAR went live with the practice management system (PulsePro), enhancing clerical and billing office administration and providing a new scheduling and billing module. PAR then implemented the Pulse EHR software, integrating patient flow, workflow and cash flow into a single solution, providing PAR with productivity and organizational improvements.

Providing paper-based chart information to clinical users in an electronic format is important, so as part of the implementation process, Pulse, also a reseller for Fujitsu Computer Products of America, introduced document-imaging scanners, the Fujitsu fi-5120C and fi-5650C color duplex scanners, to convert the existing paper-based file system into the new EHR system. The implementation of these scanners helped with managing the documents and saved on operation costs by scanning paper-based files into electronic format for easy accessibility and electronic filing. The Fujitsu fi-5120C and fi-5650C scanners offered PAR a balance of speed and versatility, scanning in color, grayscale or monochrome at fast duplex speeds.

“Once we learned about the Fujitsu fi-5120C and fi-5650C scanner benefits and viewed the demonstrations, we knew it was the right option for us,” Andrako said. “The device’s small footprint, fast scanning speeds and the ability to handle a variety of paper types was what sealed the deal for us. Also, the installation was painless and, thus far, management of the scanners has not been an issue. We have installed 10 fi-5120Cs and two fi-5650Cs, even hosting scanning parties with our team to get over 24,000 patient records online. We had college students who were home for the summer scanning our chart room and turning our manual system into a digital workflow.”

PAR also wanted a device that would allow appropriate personnel to access patient information and that provided the option of typing notes or using a stylus with digitized forms. The Fujitsu LifeBook T4215 Series tablet PC helped by putting patient information at the staff’s fingertips. This technology, along with the Pulse User and Patient Dashboard’s software, allows PAR doctors and nurse practitioners to use the Fujitsu tablet PC as a conventional notebook with a keyboard and display. Alternatively, the clinicians can convert the notebook into a slate by swiveling the display 180 degrees and laying it flat on the keyboard. Using a stylus, they can check off digital forms, take notes in their own handwriting or convert their handwriting into typed text. Today, PAR has 38 Fujitsu LifeBook T4215 Series tablet PCs as part of its EHR deployment.

Benefits

Since the completion of PAR’s EHR installment, PAR staff members have accelerated their workflow and have added assurances that scanned documents are in a secure location. PAR is confident its systems comply with HIPAA, as well. PAR achieved this transition within a 12-month period — an accomplishment less than 5 percent of EHR installations achieve.

“After years of manually processing information, we knew there had to be a better way to process critical patient information that would allow us to instantly capture any document in its original form,” said Andrako. “With the Pulse software and Fujitsu scanners and tablet PCs, PAR has experienced a dramatic increase in employee productivity with the reduced time it now takes to manage health care documentation.”

“Our practice recently realized a dream by migrating to a fully electronic platform with tablet computers that run an electronic health record system,” Andrako added. “In the process of moving from a paper-based office to a paperless one, we have become more conscious of the workflows involved in such a transition. Much more goes into this process than initially meets the eye. PAR made the conscious decision to work with experienced partners, exceptional technology and an internal staff that was dedicated to training.”

This article first appeared on Advance for Health Information Executives website.

For more information: www.advanceweb.com

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