Cerner Corporation : Physicians becoming more efficient using Cerner EHR

Physicians becoming more efficient using Cerner EHR

February 19, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. and COLUMBIA, Mo. - Feb. 19, 2014 - Physicians at University of Missouri Health Care are among a select group who are working with Cerner to improve usability of the electronic health record (EHR). These recommended settings are helping physician specialists become more efficient, improving their overall experience.

Since adopting these standards, the time pediatricians at MU Health Care spent creating a comprehensive list of medications for each patient at discharge dropped by 74 percent. Similarly, the time spent reconciling medications when patients were admitted dropped by 18 percent, and the time spent on creating order sets dropped by 11 percent.

Becoming more efficient with these types of tasks translates into more time with patients, according to Jason Prostrollo, DO, pediatric resident physician, MU Health Care.

"If I can do those tasks quickly, I can spend a few more minutes with a family, with that patient, and provide the care that I want to do," said Dr. Prostrollo, who personally lowered his time spent on documentation by 26 percent and order sets by 71 percent.

These improvements are the result of close collaboration between MU Health Care physicians and Cerner solution designers to "optimize" the EHR in specialties like family medicine and child health. Using the optimized configuration, doctors say the EHR enhances their ability to do research, dictate directly into charts and have the most relevant data available automatically.

The goal? To build a system that's "intuitive, speedy and easy," said Bernie Eskridge, MD, pediatrician, MU Health Care.

"Those who have experienced it and have had those changes really do feel like it is so much easier to get into the EHR and to use it, to let it be in the same realm as your stethoscope, your otoscope - have it be a true tool like you need and use every time," he said.

Tom Selva, MD, CMIO and pediatrician, MU Health Care, says Cerner has gone to great lengths to understand the ins and outs of each specialty's workflow.

"I've had them meet with neurosurgeons, ophthalmologists, our surgery staff. They've visited OB - it's been a great interchange of information," he said.

Cerner's Physician Experience team is working with its clients to tailor workflows and solutions to meet the unique needs of specialists like Dr. Selva. The company has engaged more than 500 physicians at more than 60 client sites, including large and small, community, academic and children's hospitals, to help create these specialty-specific standards.

This work at MU Health Care comes after the organization achieved Stage 7 on the HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Model in both the inpatient and ambulatory settings. The organization is one of only two health systems in Missouri to achieve Stage 7 designation for advanced EHRs in outpatient clinics.

Dr. Eskridge will speak about the collaboration with Cerner in booth #6965 at the 2014 HIMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Fla., on Monday, Feb. 24. Joining him in the booth will be Dr. Selva and Jeff Belden, MD, family physician, MU Health Care.

About Cerner

Cerner is contributing to the systemic change of health and care delivery. For more than 30 years Cerner has been executing its vision to make health care safer and more efficient. We started with the foundation of digitizing paper processes and now offer the most comprehensive array of information software, professional services, medical device integration, remote hosting and employer health and wellness services. Cerner systems are used by everyone from individual consumers, to single-doctor practices, hospitals, employers and entire countries. Taking what we've learned over more than three decades, Cerner is building on the knowledge that is in the system to support evidence-based clinical decisions, prevent medical errors and empower patients in their care.

Cerner® solutions are licensed by approximately 14,000 facilities around the world, including more than 3,000 hospitals; 4,900 physician practices; 60,000 physicians; 590 ambulatory facilities, such as laboratories, ambulatory centers, behavioral health centers, cardiac facilities, radiology clinics and surgery centers; 3,500 extended care facilities; 150 employer sites and 1,790 retail pharmacies.

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