While EHRs are beneficial repositories of patient data and are able to transform that data into actionable information, that information still needs to be communicated to the right people quickly and effectively. Learn how to pair your EHR with communication tools that promote clinical conversations and collaboration.

1. HOW TO BOLSTER THE BENEFITS OF YOUR EHR BY
IMPROVING COMMUNICATIONS IN YOUR HOSPITAL

2. 2
AGENDA
Healthcare Technology Evolution Timeline
EHR Adoption
The Role of EHRs
EHRs and Communications Platforms
Six Ways Communications Platforms Can
Complement EHRs
EHR and Communications Platform Integration:
An Example
Conclusion

3. 3
EVOLUTION OF HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY
PBXs connect operators,
physicians, patients, &
families
Proliferation of department-
specific systems
The birth of the electronic
health record (EHR)
Patient monitoring
devices keep the pace
1950s
Pagers change critical
communications
1960s
1960s –
present
1970s
1960s –
1970s

4. 4
EVOLUTION OF HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY
On-call scheduling
gets smart
Nurse! Nurse call
technology puts patients’
needs first
Smartphones put apps
at our fingertips
mHealth apps and
wearables take hold
1980s
PACS pivot radiology
from film to digital
images
1980s
1980s –
1990s
2010s
1990s –
2000s

5. 5
EHR ADOPTION
ONC: 96% of nonfederal acute care hospitals
have adopted a certified EHR system
30% of hospitals achieved HIMSS Analytics Stage 6
Only 4.6% of hospitals have achieved Stage 7
Stage 7: Analytics and Interoperability
The hospital has a data warehouse and interoperability with
external caregivers

6. 6
THE ROLE OF EHRs
Repository Messenger Orchestrator Monitor
Source: AMIA Annual Symposium 2014: The EHR’s roles in collaboration between providers: A qualitative study

7. 7
LIMITS OF EHR FOR CARE TEAM COMMUNICATION
Requires user to find
information
Supports structured
documentation &
transactions
Optimized for
patient-centric
documentation
Forces encounter
model for most
interactions
No ability to
coordinate mass
notifications

8. 8
COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT
Many challenges, disjointed solutions

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HOW A COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM CAN COMPLEMENT YOUR EHR
1. Supports All Members of the
Health System
2. Provides Access to an
Enterprise-Wide Directory
3. Incorporates On-Call
Schedules and Clinician Status
4. Optimizes Device Choice for
Role and Activity
5. Integrates With Device
Manufacturers and Monitoring
Systems to Share Alerts
6. Delivers Emergency
Notifications and Tracks
Responses

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1. EHR ALONE: SUPPORTS SOME MEMBERS OF THE CARE TEAM

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Only individuals with
credentials are
supported by the EHR
1. EHR ALONE: SUPPORTS SOME MEMBERS OF THE CARE TEAM

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1. COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM: SUPPORTS ALL MEMBERS OF
THE HEALTH SYSTEM
EHR ALONE: SUPPORTS SOME
MEMBERS OF THE CARE TEAM
Only individuals with credentials
are supported by the EHR

13. 13
2. EHR ALONE: LIMITED CONTACT INFORMATION AVAILABLE
(NO CENTRAL DIRECTORY)
X

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2. COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM: PROVIDES ACCESS TO AN
ENTERPRISE-WIDE DIRECTORY
Accessible anywhere, anytime
Always reach the right person
Contact preferences,
escalation protocols
Contact details for ALL staff
X
EHR ALONE: LIMITED CONTACT
INFORMATION AVAILABLE (NO
CENTRAL DIRECTORY)

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61%
of physicians express
concerns about having
access to colleagues
and specialists
3. EHR ALONE: LACKS ON-CALL SCHEDULES AND CLINICIAN STATUS
53%
of nurses cite difficulties
determining which
physician is available
*http://www.spyglass-consulting.com/Abstracts/Spyglass_PCOM_Physician2014_abstract.pdf

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3. COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM: INCORPORATES ON-CALL
SCHEDULES AND CLINICIAN STATUS
Status Availability On-Call Directory
Communications
Platform
61%
of physicians express
concerns about having
access to colleagues
and specialists
EHR ALONE: LACKS ON-CALL
SCHEDULES AND CLINICIAN
STATUS
53%
of nurses cite
difficulties determining
which physician is
available

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4. EHR ALONE: OFFERS LIMITED DEVICE OPTIONS FOR ACCESS
AND COMMUNICATION

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4. COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM: OPTIMIZES DEVICE CHOICE
FOR ROLE AND ACTIVITY
Communications
Platform
EHR ALONE: OFFERS LIMITED
DEVICE OPTIONS FOR ACCESS
AND COMMUNICATION

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5. EHR ALONE: MOST EHRs NEED MIDDLEWARE TO DELIVER ALERTS
X

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5. COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM: INTEGRATES WITH DEVICE
MANUFACTURERS AND MONITORING SYSTEMS TO DELIVER ALERTS
Communications
Platform
EHR ALONE: MOST EHRs NEED
MIDDLEWARE TO DELIVER
ALERTS
X

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6. EHR ALONE: NOT DESIGNED FOR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS
X

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6. COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM: DELIVERS EMERGENCY
NOTIFICATIONS AND TRACKS RESPONSES
CRITICAL
TEST ALERT
CODE BLUE
RM 212
TORNADO
WARNING.
TAKE COVER
Communications
Platform
EHR ALONE: NOT
DESIGNED FOR
EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION
X

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Patient admitted/
consult request
Nurse call request Radiology/escalation
Discharge/internal
communications
Discharge requestCritical alert

24. 24
Patient admitted
with severe
pneumonia
Intern enters admission
orders in EHR
Communications
platform messages
on-call pulmonary doctor

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Patient, short of
breath, hits nurse call
Communications platform
messages assigned nurse
with context

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Patient short of breath
Blood pressure: 110/60
Temperature: 102.5°
Respiratory rate: 27 bpm
Heart rate: 105 bpm
Rapid response team ordered
Sepsis
possible
Nurse Supervisor
Critical Care RN
Respiratory
Therapist

27. 27
Intern orders portable
chest X-ray
Radiologist sees new
pneumothorax
Critical test alert
goes to intern
5
MIN
Escalated
to resident

28. 28
Patient recovering
Nurse messages physician
about discharge using
web messaging portal

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Automated messages to transport,
valet, and environmental services

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CONCLUSION: EHR+ COMMUNICATIONS PLATFORM IS A POWERFUL
COMBINATION
Submitting
orders
Documenting
patient
encounters
Connecting
care teams
Connecting
systems
Connecting
clinical data
Communications PlatformEHR

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