Trying to disrupt the status quo for EHRs
Photo: CliniComp
Electronic health records are at the very heart of the HIT industry. They have pros – and they have cons. The cons are why CliniComp says it's time to disrupt EHRs.
Holly Urban is vice president of clinical product design at CliniComp, a vendor of an electronic health record with an architectural framework designed to manage interoperability, scalability, adaptability and real-time performance data challenges.
We interviewed her to get her views on the state of healthcare information technology today, how her company is attempting to solve real-world EHR pain points, and why the healthcare C-suite should be looking for "meaningful disruption."
Q. What is the most pressing issue or trend facing healthcare information technology at this moment as the industry gathers for HIMSS23?
A. In our industry plagued with persistent staffing shortages, clinician burnout and financial pressures, it’s time for technology to deliver on its promise. For years, healthcare provider organizations have invested billions in time and money, pushed forward by federal regulations, yet most have not realized real return on their investment.
It seems that healthcare IT – EHRs in particular – is stuck in a transactional world – placing orders, viewing results, entering documentation – but not yet achieving the value in improved patient outcomes.
How do we make sure that health systems gain lasting value from their EHRs? First, it’s important to ensure that regulations that help drive digital transformation and interoperability, such as Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA), are enforced to facilitate data sharing among systems and providers.
Enabling more seamless data sharing just scratches the surface. Delivering real value also requires that we reduce the burden EHRs have created for physicians, nurses and other clinicians.
Instead of being the focus of their day, the EHR should support them as they provide care to patients, with documentation resulting as a natural by-product. Our goal as an industry needs to be on bringing happiness back to healthcare for clinicians, by freeing them to focus their time and passion on their patients.
Q. What is the primary message that your company is trying to get through to the healthcare provider organization health IT leaders on the exhibit floor at HIMSS23?
A. Our primary message is that it’s time to disrupt the status quo for EHRs. It’s time for meaningful change in how users, especially clinicians, interact with EHRs to reduce the burden EHRs have caused. At the heart of an innovative EHR needs to be human-centered design, resulting in systems that are patient-centric, workflow-oriented, user-aware – and intuitive to use.
For example, what if one of the most critical and often frustrating processes – medication reconciliation – was so easy and intuitive that users could take care of it quickly and accurately with no training at all?
In addition, with skyrocketing costs and long implementation times, healthcare organizations are eager for a better approach. By taking advantage of proven architectural platforms with system-as-a-service solutions, healthcare organizations can benefit from EHRs with strong performance and reliability and lower cost of ownership in the most complex high-acuity hospital environments as well as ancillary and ambulatory environments.
Q. What should CIOs, CMIOs, CISOs and other health IT leaders at provider organizations keep their eyes on in the year ahead?
A. In the year ahead, the C-suite should be looking for meaningful disruption. While today’s market is full of innovative niche solutions that address specific areas, real value needs to be delivered at scale.
At the heart of that is a modern foundational architecture that is adaptable to change. As government agencies signal continued intervention that legislates improvements in healthcare IT, such as the recent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services final rule mandating electronic prior authorization, healthcare organizations have alternatives to the status quo.
By considering new approaches, healthcare organizations can take advantage of modern technology that alleviates IT complexities, eliminates downtime and provides human-centered design.
This will make it possible to focus on clinician wellness – reducing clinician burnout and enabling organizations to achieve better clinical and financial outcomes.
At HIMSS23, CliniComp is sponsoring the CXO Lounge, Level 1, Room W190, in the West Building.
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