You know the scenario. It’s after business hours and you’ve just remember you forgot to make an appointment with your healthcare provider. It would be so convenient if you could use your Smartphone to schedule it from home. Now you can! Roosevelt Medical Center, of Culberson, has invested in new technology capable of meeting the demands of busy patients who want to manage their healthcare outside of normal business hours.
Roosevelt Medical Center has partnered with Athenahealth to implement a new electronic health system that promises to provide technology that enhances the patient experience while making access to healthcare convenient at any hour.
The new system will replace the old, less efficient health IT system to enable more advanced patient care delivery across the organization’s entire operations from the clinic, outpatient services and the hospital. Fully-integrated, the cloud-based system will help streamline patient diagnosis, treatment plan administration and management. Through the system, patients will gain access to a patient portal for online appointment scheduling, secure provider messaging, test results and improved billing processes.
“This is about delivering better healthcare by embracing technology and the convenience it can provide our patients,” said Brian Fordyce, Information Technology Director.
Patients will be required to validate the accuracy of their contact, insurance and other vital data points within the new system. Patients will be asked to bring their most current driver’s license, insurance card, medications and provide their cell phone or home phone number to maximize communications concerning their healthcare. Also, the implementation of the patient portal will require patients to provide an email address allowing for your most recent health information to be communicated to you using the portal. The same information will be needed for hospital and clinic visits.
Patients who choose to schedule online will need to make sure to always confirm their appointments on their Smartphone by listening to the entire message and pressing the number one button. If a patient doesn’t confirm the appointment they will continue to receive up-to three reminder call or text messages. Appointments made for the same day a visit will take place can also expect to receive a reminder text or call that day.
Board members, providers, department managers and staff have been working with Athenahealth since January to build and customize the system to meet the specific needs of the community and its’ facility. For the last month, employees at RMC have received comprehensive EHR training to ensure a smooth transition to the new system with key staff members designated as super-users who will train new staff in the future.
The facility’s contract with Medworxs, its’ current EHR vendor, has been in place since May of 2012. The Board decided to make the transition because the laboratory’s computer system is old and as of last December is no longer supported with updated software technology or interfaces. “With all of the requirements for documentation it seemed to be a good time to make a total system change to meet our needs while also providing better service to our patients,” said Audrey Stromberg, CEO.
Although the investment made by RMC was sizeable, Athenahealth limits the amount of up-front costs RMC will have to pay, making it more affordable for the implementation phase. Instead, Athenahealth receives payment as RMC gets paid from billed revenues.
“This is never an easy process but it’s one we believe is worth its’ growing pains. Bringing convenience to patients through this technology gives our community better access to care in a way that works with their busy lives,” Fordyce said.
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