Epic Systems partnered with OCHIN to enhance Washington’s care coordination during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Epic Systems and OCHIN have deployed the COVID-19 Preparedness App, aiming to improve interoperability, care coordination, and overall clinical readiness in Washington state, where the country’s first confirmed case of the pandemic occurred.
For more coronavirus updates, visit our resource page, updated twice daily by Xtelligent Healthcare Media.
In an effort to limit the number of individuals who are visiting local health facilities and triage sites, the new mobile EHR app allows for patient screening and triage on smartphones.
Want to publish your own articles on DistilINFO Publications?
Send us an email, we will get in touch with you.
“This is an unprecedented, innovative solution for rapidly building capacity in the face of this growing public health emergency,” said Abby Sears, CEO at OCHIN. “We applaud the leadership of the state of Washington and the generosity and foresight of Epic as we stand together in this crisis.”
Patients are able to access a self-screen for potential coronavirus symptoms and find local care sites. Meanwhile, citizen volunteers can use the app to help providers triage potential patients when health resources cannot immediately be accessed. The app can also be monitor the state’s data trends on a county-by-county basis to identify areas where the virus is most prevalent.
“A retired nurse, or any other volunteer or staff, with her own smartphone can be up and running in minutes,” said founder and CEO of Epic, Judy Faulkner. “This allows states, counties, and health systems to increase capacity quickly, which will be helpful especially in hard hit and underserved communities. It has been meaningful to work with Washington state and OCHIN to help patients during this crisis.”
Using Epic’s Care Everywhere interoperability platform, patients who see a clinician can link their medical records to the app.
And because the app is on a mobile device, citizens who may be living in rural areas or even individuals experiencing homelessness, have the ability to be screened by a health professional.
Initially targeted for Washington’s coronavirus outpouring, the app is now being shared with other states.
Along with the COVID-19 Preparedness App, Epic is using its software to identify potential cases and limit the spread of the virus. It’s also one of the first EHR vendors to make updates to its system and come up with a plan for how it can help its customers.
The Care Everywhere interoperability network not only works with the app, but it also allows both Epic users and users of other vendors to know about potential exposure risks, while also sharing patient travel screening information, and infection status.
With most citizens quarantined in their respective households, Epic’s patient portal allows patients to get to utilize video visits, e-visits, and patient portal messaging to contact clinicians. This capability not only allows the patient to get medical treatment without spreading a potential virus, but it also lessens overcrowding in hospitals.
Patients are also able to use patient portal questionnaires to get screened for coronavirus at home, rather than visiting a medical center.
With some clinicians asking for travel history to be implemented into the EHR, Epic created a report system to track and follow up with patients who haven’t been screened for travel to areas where coronavirus is most prevalent. Users may also utilize these reports to monitor quarantine status and follow up with patients who possibly have the virus or are confirmed to have the virus.
The vendor also created an analytic tool, SlicerDicer, which is a search tool showing where patients with COVID-19 are living. They can then send an alert to patients in that area showing that it’s an infected zip code.
Source: EHR Intelligence