Before using Epic’s MyChart as their primary means of communicating with patients about routine matters, Dr. David Coats’ staff in the Division of Ophthalmology spent a lot of time transcribing conversations they had with patients and families into the hospital’s electronic health record.
With MyChart, that process is automated, saving staff valuable time and creating better documentation that can easily be accessed by both the patient and Coats’ medical staff.
“I believe that as we see increased utilization of MyChart, our staff will become more efficient and effective,” Coats said. “I also believe the health of our patients will improve and that there is significant potential for better patient satisfaction scores.”
This is just one of many examples of how Epic directly impacts patient care and will continue to do so the more it is used and improved. Texas Children’s started using the electronic health record software in 2008 and continues to see benefits from it organization wide.
“Technology is at the center of everything we do,” said Julie McGuire, director of Enterprise Systems for Information Services. “It impacts our culture, our quality of care and our effectiveness. To continue to lead in medicine and nursing, we must continue to advance technology.”
To help continue the momentum built over the past seven years, Texas Children’s is preparing to upgrade Epic as part of the FY16 Epic Ecosystem Lifecycle Program, which includes a new version of Epic, OnBase and other infrastructure updates to ensure a safe, reliable and secure environment.
Epic version 2015 will debut Sunday, June 12, delivering more than 700 new and enhanced features to improve tasks Epic users do every day, including enhancements to InBasket, Chart Search, Care Everywhere (Interoperability) and MyChart.
Questions?
To keep up with the latest Epic update news:
- Visit the Epic Hub for key information about new and improved functionality coming your way
- Check out Yammer at Texas Children’s Yammer (join the Epic Upgrade Group)