Parkview Health's push to position itself at the forefront of EHR innovation involves not only keeping pace with standard EHR upgrades but embracing Epic's early adoption programs.
Leading the charge is Mark Mabus, MD, chief medical informatics officer and vice president of EHR clinical and revenue cycle solutions at Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Parkview. With nearly 15 years of experience at Parkview, he has played a pivotal role in the implementation and optimization of the health system's Epic EHR system.
"Early on, I was identified as someone who could control system implementation with our EHR," Dr. Mabus told Becker's. "We adopted Epic in 2012, and my role has since evolved into helping providers and staff improve their workflows and finding best practices."
For example, Parkview was one of the first health systems to go live on Epic's Hyperdrive platform.
"Putting us early in Hyperdrive has positioned us to help Epic take some of these new features and test them out for their general customers," Dr. Mabus said. "We take them [Epic features] about 14 weeks after Epic releases them."
In the last year and a half, Parkview Health has completed four early adoption projects with Epic. One of these projects includes diagnosis-aware notes, which supports problem-oriented charting. It allows providers to see all assessments and plans for a particular diagnosis across the continuum of care, facilitating more efficient and comprehensive documentation. Parkview was the first health system to implement this feature.
Parkview was also one of the first organizations to go live with Epic Cosmos' clinical decision support tools. The Look-Alikes Network, for example, helps providers find and connect with peers treating similar rare disease cases, fostering collaboration and improving patient outcomes, according to Dr. Mabus.
Additionally, in collaboration with Epic, Parkview developed a tool to optimize infusion scheduling in its cancer institute. According to Dr. Mabus, this project not only enhanced operational efficiency but negated the need for a third-party solution.
Parkview has also participated in various AI pilots, including Epic's augmented response technology for in-basket MyChart replies and ambient notes in conjunction with Microsoft Nuance DAX Copilot.
Impact on patient care and clinical workflows
The adoption of new Epic assets has had a transformative impact on patient care and clinical workflows at Parkview Health.
"If my providers can get through their day faster with their documentation, they can answer messages more quickly, see more patients and improve access," Dr. Mabus said.
One of the most promising innovations, according to Dr. Mabus, is the Best Care Choices tool, which leverages Epic Cosmos' database to provide personalized treatment recommendations based on patient demographics and health conditions.
"Providers can show patients why a particular treatment is being recommended, enhancing transparency and trust," he said.
Looking ahead
As Parkview continues with EHR innovations, Dr. Mabus said he remains committed to ensuring that technology serves the needs of providers and patients alike.
"We don't implement tech for tech's sake," he said. "We look for the value proposition before making any investment."