UCI Health Launches Epic EHR-Integrated Patient Navigation Tool
A new initiative at California-based UCI Health will give patients access to an Epic EHR-integrated patient navigation mobile app.
UCI Health in California recently partnered with health IT solutions provider Connexient to integrate its MediNav solution into the health system’s Epic EHR through the UCI Mobile app.
UCI’s patient-facing mobile app is powered by Epic’s patient portal, MyChart. Using MediNav, UCI Health patients will have access to turn-by-turn indoor navigation, as well as the Parking Planner, Find My Car, and Meet Me features.
UCI Health is connected to the University of California, Irvine. The health system includes care facilities at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County, including UCI Medical Center. UCI Medical Center is a 417-bed acute care hospital providing tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, and behavioral health and rehabilitation services.
“We are always looking for new and innovative ways to improve the patient experience,” said Sriram Bharadwaj, senior director, applications, UCI Health Information Services. “Connexient’s wayfinding technology enables us to build upon our digital platform while creating a seamless integration with our EMR system.”
Connexient provides indoor mapping, navigation, and location-based services for organizations with large, complex buildings and campuses. The MediNav Navigator Edition Patient Experience solution is specifically designed to help patients navigate hospitals and health systems to improve patient satisfaction and reduce instances of missed or late appointments.
“We are thrilled to partner with UCI Health,” said Mark Green, Connexient CEO and co-founder. “They will be one of Connexient’s first clients to connect MediNav with MyChart. Sri Bharadwaj and his team are experts at utilizing digital technologies to improve operational efficiencies and patient experience.”
UCI Health patients can also use the mobile Epic MyChart app to access lab results, appointment information, current medication lists, immunization histories, and other health information.
Several large California health systems including Sutter Health have launched EHR-integrated health IT tools this year.
In March, healthcare providers at Sutter Health’s Northern California campus gained access to Epic’s EHR-integrated virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence (AI) as part of an effort to reduce the administrative burden associated with EHR use.
The health system collaborated with digital assistant solutions provider Suki to pilot the new health IT tool. Suki is a voice-enabled virtual assistant that uses voice commands from physicians in context to create clinical accurate notes within EHR systems.
“Maximizing the amount of time clinicians spend with patients while reducing the documentation burden on our clinicians is a strategic and tactical priority,” said Sutter Health Vice President of Clinical Informatics and EHR Howard Landa, MD.
“Personalized care paired with digital assistant tools will enhance care delivery and have a positive impact on health outcomes for our consumers, which is what really matters,” added Landa.
The health system launched Suki in its primary care, dermatology, and orthopedics care settings. The AI-powered software will eventually gain the ability to distill a physicians’ conversation with patients into actionable treatment plans based on the physicians’ known preferences and clinical practice guidelines.
“We are excited to work with Sutter network doctors to help ease the burden of administrative work like medical charting and to give doctors time back in their day,” said Suki CEO and co-founder Punit Soni. “Through this collaboration, we will expand our footprint into new specialties, allowing Suki to master new skills from one of the most tech-savvy health systems in the country.”
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Hello, I have a personal interest in this matter. Does this system assist/alert doctors, nurses, pharmacy when doctor’s orders, either infusion, injection, medication, or lab orders have expired and need to be renewed? Is there any kind of imbedded failsafe mechanism which helps guard against medication errors, i.e. the need for renewal of doctor’s orders? This would apply to lab orders as well. Is there a means whereby this failsafe mechanism, if it exists, allow attending nurses, doctors, and hospital pharmacy to be alerted of the need for renewal concurrently? I would appreciate a response.