August 19, 2009
EPIC GO-LIVE: T-6 and counting—We are fast approaching the go-live date
for the implementation of EPIC on our inpatient units (AHU,
hematology/oncology, 3 east, 3 west, PICU and NICU) as well as the
emergency department. By the end of this week, approximately 175
practitioners will have completed their training. At 7:00 am on August 25,
we expect to make the changeover. Questions that have arisen:
I haven’t been able to train but I have to be able to use EPIC. What do
I do? We have scheduled two additional training sessions for Friday,
August 28, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm and on Monday, August 31, from 5:00
pm to 9:00 pm. If you haven’t scheduled your training, call Amy Blevins
at 937-641-5871. Without training, you will not be able to access the
medical record, provide any documentation (progress notes) or write
orders.
I have competed my training, but I’m worried that this is going to be
hard. What kind of support will be available? There will be a command
center that will be open 24 hours a day for at least the first two
weeks. This command center will be staffed by Dayton Children’s
personnel, as well as staff from EPIC. There will be an immediate help
desk to address concerns or questions. Call 3-CIS (3247). There will be
many “superusers” on the floors and in the units during the go-live (24
hours a day). Look for staff in blue shirts. These staff includes Drs.
Milford, Morgan, Toussaint, Cox, Murphy, Pence, Fink, Patel, Abboud,
Dritz, Rone and Broxson. In the ED, look for Drs. Krzmarzick, Evans and
Henry. There will also be a large number of nurses and educators who can
help, as well as the Dayton Children’s and EPIC staff. Finally, there
will be huddles held twice a day at 9:00 am and 9:00 pm by our staff to
address and solve problems.
As I use the system, I am sure I will have suggestions for improvement.
What do I do? You can send us your suggestions electronically. Please
remember that for the first few weeks, we will only be making changes
that are essential to the function of the system, or that have
significant patient safety impact. Once the go-live is complete, we will
enter a stage called optimization. At that point, we will begin to
address others issues, such as building new order-sets, helping to
develop smart phrases and preference lists, etc. Please be patient.
When I tried this elsewhere, it really slowed me down. Is that going to
happen here? YES. Like most electronic innovations, your speed will be
directly linked to your knowledge of the system, as well as the
frequency with which you use it. For our inhouse physicians and
residents, we expect them to become more comfortable and increasingly
efficient day-by-day. For a community physician who is here
intermittently, it will be more of a struggle. Hopefully time and use
will make it simpler. For the physician who is here infrequently, we
anticipate having to provide some ongoing support.
How can I figure out which patients are mine when I come to the
hospital? When you walk in to the hospital through the lab entrance,
there is a workstation immediately to your right. You need to use your
ID card to access the station. You will be able to sign on and create a
list of patients that belong to you/your group. You can print the list
from there and carry it with you. Details are still being addressed. I
expect to have some information at the workstation that guides you
through the process of accessing the system and getting the data, as
well as defining any limitations that might exist.
Finally, this is a major undertaking that will require the collaboration
of scores of staff, both on the units and behind the scenes. We have been
working toward this for three years. Please be patient, especially with
the staff. If you want to talk to someone directly, don’t hesitate to call
Tom Murphy, MD, at 937-641-5871 any time during the first 28 days of the
go-live.
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