Less than a year ago, the electronic medical records team at HCR Home Care was inefficient due to manual order processing. They were spending too much time waiting for signed patient orders. The major hurdle was HCR’s disconnected electronic medical records (EMR) systems. They had to fax orders manually and take notes in separate systems. If a patient’s records were in both systems, they had to ask doctors twice.
The Problem of Busy Work
This tracking system monopolized the workday for HCR’s three full-time employees. Their productivity suffered, and managers had to step in and manage inefficiencies. As the company grew to serve 2,500 patients across 23 counties, it became increasingly difficult to keep track of care. Patients were getting care as fast as possible, but the team knew it could be faster. The management team wanted to reduce the busy work generated by an inefficient system so employees could focus on building relationships — with each other, the clinical team, and provider partners.
In Search of a Solution
The first step was to connect EMRs so managers and employees could track physician orders. Taking manual faxing off the table was also an important step. HCR turned to WorldView, one of its existing health care technology partners. WorldView’s software already powered many of HCR’s processes, including medical records and accounts payable. So HCR asked WorldView to create a content management system that would simplify order tracking and provide an easy way to view staff productivity. Ideally, the solution would be cloud-based, so less personal health information would be on local servers.
WorldView’s Answer
The WorldView team shared HCR’s vision of an integrated process, using an approach designed to put patients first. The collaboration began with a detailed discovery process. WorldView explored HCR’s systems and talked with team members to learn what needed to happen. In December of 2021, WorldView migrated medical records to the new EMR system. By March of 2022, the turnaround time for physician orders was three days faster. Supervisors were able to track order progress and staff productivity. Plus, faxing was finally automatic.
Results They Can See
With the new system, team members can follow up on physician orders quickly. They get completed orders faster and can escalate more efficiently when necessary. The whole process has been a positive experience, HCR says. They’re grateful to WorldView’s skilled support team and a process that anticipated the needs of HCR and its patients. WorldView has continued to be there for HCR, offering resource guides and timely responses to questions.
“Working with WorldView is easy!” one HCR representative said. “Often, if we can dream it, you can make it happen. I feel like I live in Disneyland!”
Watch Webinar: How Order Management Improved Care Delivery and Cash Flow for a New York Home Health Agency
