Exeter
Hospital Advances Its Technology Goals with 5.6 Platform
(10/29/2008)
What a difference a year makes. Just ask the
staff at Exeter Hospital (Exeter, NH), pilot users of
MEDITECH's Client/Server 5.6 release. This long-time customer
wanted to improve patient safety by automating the medical
record in its Emergency Department and implementing automated
medication reconciliation. So, during the spring of 2008, the
facility implemented the new platform as a foundation to its
2008 clinical information strategy.
"The concept actually started during a brief
conversation at the 2007 CIO Technology Workshop. This got
the ball rolling for us, in terms of 5.6," says David
Briden, VP and CIO. "Our EMR Steering Committee attended
an Advanced Clinical Solutions demonstration, where we saw
the new and improved medical record within the platform. We
learned we could help steer the development direction of the
system while getting closer to achieving our own goals. And,
we were already implementing components of Emergency
Department Management (EDM), Ambulatory Order Management (AOM),
and Physician Care Manager (PCM), so 5.6 fit in perfectly
with our overall business strategy."
Careful
Planning Keeps Implementation on Schedule
Before becoming initial users of 5.6 in March 2008, Exeter
had planned for an EDM go-LIVE to take place only two months
later, in May 2008. Staying on track with the 5.6 update
timeframes was critical for them to achieve both goals.
"Experience has taught me you can't count on having
extra time to resolve issues at the end of the implementation
process. So, we decided to build in more time on the front
end of the timeline for tasks such as menu building and
training. Although we had roles-based profiles already in
place, our staff still had to get used to the concept of
roles-based desktops within 5.6," explains Bonnie
Thibault, IS Director.
"However, we made it very clear to our staff that the go-LIVE
date would not change, and promised plenty of support to get
them through. We blocked off rooms for the purposes of
training and re-training close to our go-LIVE date, so we
could be sure staff members got the help they needed."
Already familiar with the methodology from past updates,
Thibault brought together a team consisting of 22 technical
leads for their current MEDITECH system, to work closely on
the implementation process. "We met every other week,
sometimes weekly. One of our strategies was to utilize
internal testing plans from previous updates," says
Thibault. "With this structure in place, we were able to
look at outcomes and identify potential problems up-front. It
made the process go so much smoother."
In addition to setting up a core group of users, Exeter set
out to use MEDITECH's Update Tool, which turned out to be an
integral part of the process. "Any facility planning a
project like this must get used to using the Update Tool—it's
really helpful to have an automated method of guidance
through the process," Thibault says. "It also
provides an audit log of what's already been completed, so
users can easily keep track of their progress. All MEDITECH
customers will quickly find the value in the Update Tool when
taking updates or Priority Packs."
Collaboration
Brings Benefits to All
Even though Exeter had quality tools and resources at their
disposal, MEDITECH still worked closely with them throughout
the entire implementation, to ensure the project's success.
"I feel MEDITECH went above and beyond for us during our
installation," says Thibault. "We can't say enough
about the amount of support we received, from beginning to
end."
In addition to training, members of MEDITECH's Update Group
and Development teams were often on-site at Exeter to attend
process meetings. "We knew we would have to make many
process changes along the way and even after go-LIVE,"
state Briden. "But we had the MEDITECH team to partner
with, so we never felt like we were out to sea."
MEDITECH performed several 'mini assessments' to see how the
system was being used at Exeter, and if there were areas for
improvement. "We had a very open, working dialogue that
allowed the entire team to learn from each other,"
Briden adds. "There was a lot of give and take in terms
of how the product should work—a major advantage to
piloting a new release. We were all focused on making a
better product."
Thibault agrees both the MEDITECH and Exeter staffs benefited
from their collaborative efforts. "The close
relationship we have with MEDITECH made it a very positive
experience for everyone," she says.
Joint
Commission Confirms Project's Success
Just one week after going LIVE with the C/S 5.6 release,
Exeter got an unexpected surprise: an unannounced visit from
The Joint Commission. As the surveyors made their rounds,
they were pleased to find Exeter's nursing and registration
staff using the new MEDITECH system with both ease and
comfort.
"The surveyors were astounded when they learned our new
update occurred right before their visit. They were very
complimentary of how well our staff knew and used the system,"
says Briden.
With this milestone under its belt, Exeter immediately
continued with the EDM, AOM, and Prescription Management
implementation—achieving LIVE status for these in June
2008. Exeter is now undertaking a new challenge with the
implementation of PCM and automated medication reconciliation.
"We now interface to our physician practice EMR systems
and have recently created comprehensive summaries of ED
visits, which flow quickly to the ambulatory physician
offices—an important reporting requirement. Also, we are
charging ahead with the Advanced Clinicals in outpatient
settings so we will be better prepared for 6.0 down the road,"
Briden says.
"We are committed to being a MEDITECH-centric hospital,
because in the end we're getting exactly what we expected: a
true, complete electronic medical record for our patients."
MEDITECH
Medical
Information Technology, Inc.
MEDITECH Circle
Westwood, MA 02090
781-821-3000
www.meditech.com