EHR Case Study Loudoun Pediatric Associates Pulse Systems Complete EHR Improves Documentation and Accessibility at Loudoun Pediatric Associates pulseinc.com
Pulse Complete EHR Three offices. 14 Providers. Over 44,000 patients annually. And one big-bang go-live. The Challenge: Loudoun Pediatric Associates (LPA) search for a new EHR was part of a larger strategy initiated by Loudoun Medical Group (LMG). Before 2012, all LMG practices were using the same EHR. However, the practices were experiencing significant functionality limitations, and the previous EHR couldn t support Meaningful Use requirements without a costly upgrade and substantial user training. Although LPA s pediatric patient base made it ineligible for Meaningful Use financial incentives, the majority of other practices within LMG intended to attest for Meaningful Use. Considering the low level of customer service they were receiving from the previous EHR vendor some trouble tickets had remained open for years the decision was made to replace the previous EHRs in all of LMG s practices, including LPA. LMG s search for a new EHR solution primarily focused on two issues. First, the EHR needed the flexibility to accommodate the workflow of the many medical and surgical specialties within LMG, yet be manageable by LMG s EHR staff. Second, the EHR needed to integrate with the PulsePro Practice Management solution that LMG s practices had used successfully and happily for years. Rebecca Fox, M.D. Physcian Loudoun Pediatric Associates
Loudoun Pediatric Associates LPA s three offices in Lansdowne, Purcellville, and Berryville, VA., have nine Physicians and five Mid-Level Providers who handle more than 44,000 patient visits per year. LPA is a member of a managing services organization that is one of the largest and most diverse physician-owned, multispecialty group practices in the mid-atlantic region with more than 175 Providers that represent 23 medical and surgical specialties. Challenge After struggling with functionality limitations and experiencing support-related issues with its previous electronic health record (EHR) system, Loudoun Pediatric Associates (LPA) and its managing services organization Loudoun Medical Group (LMG) began searching for a new EHR. Solutions LPA and LMG didn t have to look far to find their new EHR solution, since they had already been successfully using the PulsePro Practice Management system for years. After evaluating EHR s from three vendors, LPA selected the Pulse Complete EHR, which shares an integrated database with PulsePro to allow for greater information sharing and an improved user experience. Full implementation of the Pulse Complete EHR took place in July 2012, after a comprehensive conversion of electronic patient history data from the previous system. Results Chart views within Pulse s Complete EHR are customized by specialty, so Loudoun Pediatric Physicians can quickly view growth charts, immunization histories and much more within their normal workflows. Documentation from specialists within the Loudoun network can also be accessed within the EHR by LPA Physicians. The successful use of the Pulse Complete EHR has eliminated most paper usage, enabling LPA to open its third office without dedicated chart storage space. To learn how Pulse can benefit your practice, call 1.800.444.0882 x3 or email Info@pulseinc.com
The Solution: Pulse Complete EHR Demonstrations Won Over Physicians LPA and LMG had been using the PulsePro Practice Management solution for years, and Pulse maintained a strong relationship with the practices. LMG approached Pulse about implementing its Complete EHR to replace the other previously installed solution. To ensure Pulse s Complete EHR truly could meet the diverse needs and workflows of each of LMG s specialties, Pulse conducted 15 demonstrations at various offices within the LMG network. Persuaded by the impressive results of the demonstrations, LMG purchased the Pulse Complete EHR in 2011. Key factors in the EHR selection were Pulse s attention to detail and high level of service. One of the great things about Pulse is that they listen to us, said Rebecca Fox, M.D., a Physician at Loudoun Pediatric Associates, and a member of LMG s EHR selection committee. We had some enhancements we wanted Pulse to address in the EHR, and they went back and completed the work we needed. LMG set a go-live date for the week of July 4th, 2012 to take advantage of the days off during the holiday. The implementation process started with a conversion of the patient history data stored in the previous EHR. We started the conversion process months in advance of the EHR go-live date, said Lesha Malam, the EHR Implementation Project Manager at LMG. We did it piece by piece, and tested our results against a test database to make sure all the data ended up in the right place. Customizing Templates Another component that LMG addressed before the go-live was the customization of the templates used by the specialists. Pulse and LMG s teams met with various specialists to determine how their dashboards within the EHR would look, and what types of information each would contain. The dashboard for a Pediatrician needs to contain different information than the dashboard for a Family Practitioner, a Urologist or other specialists, Malam said. We worked to address many of these issues before go-live, but still had changes to make after the Physicians began using the EHR, and Pulse worked with our team to make each change happen. Pulse helped us through every step of the process. Big-Bang Go-Live The go-live was planned as a big bang, meaning that all practices on the previous EHR system would make the transition and go-live on the Pulse Complete EHR at the same time. Coordinating all of this took a lot of effort, Malam said. We created what we called a war room at the main office, which had eight computers, all with double monitors and white boards on all the walls. We determined that we had approximately 1,400 tasks to accomplish before the go-live, which was one of the largest ever performed in the nation. Pulse helped us through every step of the process. Training Our EHR staff separated training into four, two-hour sessions, Malam said. The first session was a general overview of the system. The second session was directed toward our Nursing Staff. The third was specifically for the providers, and the fourth session was to recap training and to work through several real-world scenarios. Since LMG Physicians were already accustomed to using an EHR, initial use of the Pulse Complete EHR following the go-live went relatively smoothly. The conversion and go-live went really well, Dr. Fox said. Results Pediatric Customizations Soon after the go-live, Physicians began appreciating the new dashboards and templates within the Pulse Complete EHR. As a Pediatrician, Dr. Fox worked with Malam s team to customize the dashboard to her specialty. I ve set up my dashboard so my schedule always appears on the left, and the top right of my screen shows my task list, Dr. Fox said. Office notes, documents and results also show on my dashboard. The task list is one feature that Dr. Fox uses religiously. Every message that is sent to me comes up as a task in my dashboard, including unsigned notes, she said. This allows me to stay on top of things and get my work done quicker. Another customization that LPA Physicians requested, and Pulse created, was a banner on top of patient charts. I wanted to be able to see the most important information right away when reviewing a chart, such as allergies, whether they used immunization To learn how Pulse can benefit your practice, call 1.800.444.0882 x3 or email Info@pulseinc.com
combo A or B, or whether the child s parents are divorcing and I should only contact the mother via her cell phone, Dr. Fox said. These are things that make a difference to us and our patients, and Pulse listened to us and added the functionality. Improved Documentation and Access to Information Our patient care and documentation have improved by using the Pulse Complete EHR, Dr. Fox said. There s no more faxing of records, and we can log into the EHR from home to view patient histories when we receive after-hours calls. We can even view the documentation from LMG specialists when we have referred a patient to them. Practice Management Integration With our EHR and practice management systems being from Pulse, everything is much more seamless, Dr. Fox said. There s no need to translate between systems for billing, scheduling or charting. Charting at the Point-of-Care The majority of Physicians at LPA use the EHR to enter clinical documentation at the point of care, which has reduced transcription costs across the multiple offices of the practices. Some LPA Physicians, however, prefer to enter clinical documentation into the EHR from their offices following the patient visit. I ve gotten really efficient at using the Pulse Complete EHR, so I try to get all of my documentation and billing completed while the patient is still at our office, Dr. Fox said. There are times when I have to wait for a Nurse to input some information before I can complete the chart, but as soon as I can, I validate the Nurse s entry and route the chart to billing. Pulse listens to us, takes our input, and makes the changes we need. Paper Usage Greatly Reduced With the Pulse Complete EHR, LPA Physicians have taken great strides toward eliminating paper. When two LPA offices expanded and moved to larger offices, they eliminated the use of paper-based charts and chart storage all due to the committed use of the EHR. A new LPA office recently opened without any chart storage space, given that all documentation is performed in the EHR. Improved Customer Service With our previous EHR vendor, we had trouble tickets that were years old and never addressed. That simply doesn t happen with Pulse, Dr. Fox said. Our committee meets with them regularly and we give them input on how the EHR can be improved, or tell them about issues that we ve encountered. Pulse listens to us, takes our input, and makes the changes we need. It s a wonderful relationship. pulseinc.com
To learn how Pulse s Complete EHR, PulsePro Practice Management, Pulse Revenue Cycle Management or eprescribing solutions can benefit your practice, call 1.800.444.0882 x3 or email us at Info@pulseinc.com. Pulse cares for your practice, as if it were our own. Wichita, KS Kansas City, MO Dallas, TX Boston, MA Fort Lauderdale, FL Pulse is consistently in the Top 1% of HIT developers nationwide! Here are some of our accomplishments: 3020 North Cypress Drive, Suite 200 Wichita, KS 67226 800.444.0882 x3 Pulse Complete EHR, version 4.2 #CC-2014-946110-1 http://www.pulseehr.com/solutions/ehr/ CCHIT is a registered trademark of the Certification Commission for Health Information Technology. Surescripts Gold is a registered trademark of Surescripts. pulseinc.com 1.800.444.0882 x3