Effective and efficient data management practices are important for any organization, but the need for secure, up-to-date, accurate information only increases when you step foot into the world of healthcare.
It’s one thing to lose track of pricing data and charge the wrong amount to the wrong customer in a supply chain, but it’s a whole other issue to misplace important patient information that could lead to a misdiagnosis or wrong treatment. When lives are potentially on the line, maintaining data standards and ensuring proper use and storage of that data is increasingly important.
This is where Epic medical software comes into play for your organization.
Read on to learn more about Epic and the ways it can help your hospital system or healthcare facility track patient history, maintain electronic medical records, and optimize data management processes to ensure patient and provider satisfaction.
What is Epic Systems?
The Epic Systems Corporation is the leading telemedicine software provider for a wide range of healthcare organizations, including independent practices, offices, clinics, and large hospitals. Epic’s comprehensive medical software offers several modules from new patient scheduling to medical imaging, billing and more.
The Epic cloud-based software system focuses on improving patient engagement and facilitating better remote care operations. Its easy-to-use interface, various modules, and reliable data and record management capabilities enhance patient and physician communication and improve the efficiency of operations within the organization.
Is Epic an EMR or EHR System?
While Epic is the nation’s foremost electronic medical records (EMR) system, its versatility allows it to also act as an electronic health records system (EHR).
What is Epic EMR?
An EMR is essentially a digital version of a patient’s records that includes medical history from a singular practice. The information contained in EMRs is typically kept within one office or practice and is not shared between organizations. Even if a patient decides to switch doctors for one reason or the other, their EMR will not follow.
Epic’s EMR system offers improved data tracking and management for patient records over time. This way, both patients and providers have access to up-to-date information and medical history, and the quality of their healthcare experience can be improved.
What is Epic EHR?
An EHR offers a more comprehensive view of patient care, including records from multiple physicians, practices, or hospital systems. EHRs contain present and historical patient information, including demographics, medications, illness history, comparative test results, and overall patient experience.
Epic’s cloud-based electronic health record systems offer a variety of core specialties and features that focus on improving patient experience and engagement with their own electronic health record and history. The solution can be easily customized to fit specific patient or provider needs, including adding specialty-dependent modules and capabilities.
Integrating Epic with Other Systems
Because of its cloud-based nature, the Epic software system is easily integrated with other operating systems and third-party systems and applications. Epic is considered a Software as a Service (SaaS) system with no complicated software installation requirements, making its integration and operation with other systems much simpler than other medical software.
Epic’s integrated system capabilities are also open-sourced and follow HL7 compliance, making integration with comparable systems easier. Records managed and stored in both Epic systems and other EHR systems with the same operational standards can be shared with no added system requirements, costs, or headaches.
Breakdown of Epic Modules
Whether you’re a privately-owned practice with a database of 100 patients or a hospital system with many different healthcare facilities and more than 10,000 patients, Epic is guaranteed to have a module that fits your personalized needs. Let’s take a look at some of the key modules that Epic offers and what they can do for your healthcare system.
- EpicCare Ambulatory & Inpatient: Used by physicians and other healthcare providers for charting (and offers various specialty modules for specific practices)
- Cupid: Used in Cardiovascular practices and departments
- Beacon: Used for Oncological programs
- Stork: Used in obstetrics and labor and delivery management
- Kaleidoscope: Used by ophthalmology physicians
- Phoenix: Used for solid organ transplant management
- OpTime: Used in the management of operating rooms (ORs) in hospitals
- Beaker Clinical & Anatomic: Used in hospital and clinic laboratories (Clinical) and surgical cytology and pathology labs (Anatomic)
- Prelude: Used for patient registration and tracking
- Cadence: Used for appointment scheduling
- Willow: Used for pharmaceutical department management
- Resolute: Used in financial analysis and billing systems
- Radiant: Used in radiology departments
- EpicCare Home Health: Used for home care patient monitoring
While this is not an exhaustive list of all modules included in Epic medical software, it should give you a better idea of the versatility of the Epic system and help you understand where it could have a place in your organization. In addition to the various modules listed above, Epic also offers modules for anesthesia, nurse triage, and even complete intensive care unit (ICU) management.
Main Advantages of Using Epic in Your Organization
With its unique data management functionality and wide range of modules, Epic is a “catch-all” system for healthcare organizations of any size, location, or specialty. And, now that you know a little more about the key modules and capabilities of the system, let’s talk about a few of the main advantages of using Epic:
1) Reduction of IT Demand Management:
When managing and maintaining a software system as vast as Epic, clinicians and healthcare providers are often found relying on IT departments to keep up with new releases, upgrades, innovations, and even bug fixes. With Epic, software updates and improved functionality are dependent on the company’s release schedule, allowing IT departments to be released from such high demand (and, thus improving overall employee experience).
2) Increased Patient Engagement & Satisfaction:
Because Epic is centered around patient satisfaction and employee engagement, the software offers greater visibility into patient history, data insights, and other important information regarding treatment, medication, or scheduling. Patients and providers have access to updated medical records, appointment scheduling, and other Epic EHR features that make data management more effective.
3) Improved Federal Law Compliance:
Meaningful use involves ensuring IT departments remain compliant with federal law by using EHR technology properly and maintaining data integrity and security. And, Epic makes staying in compliance with federal government rules and regulations easier with its commitment to meaningful use standards and guidelines.
Partnering with the Best
Getting started with Epic can seem a bit daunting if your team doesn’t have the right resources, personnel, or support to keep up with a complete implementation or integration process. This is where Surety Systems comes in.
Whether you need help replacing your current electronic record system with a more functional Epic system or just an extra hand integrating Epic with your other systems, our team of senior-level Epic consultants has the experience and skills to help you.
Even better, we’ve included a sample profile of one of our top-notch Epic consultants to give you a better idea of what to expect when partnering with us.
Surety Senior Epic Software Consultant
- 10 years experience as an Epic Credentialed Trainer
- Ambulatory, Cadence, Radiant expert
- MyChart patient portal foundation
- 20 years of Nursing experience
- Credentialed in Ambulatory, Radiant, Cupid, Stork, Willow, and a handful of other Epic modules
Contact us today to start your Epic system journey or learn more about how Surety Systems can fit your Epic needs.
