A potential safety issue was identified for anyone logged into the Office/Clinic Non-Physician Provider position. The colors in the Laboratory flowsheet (only) do not match the colors for all other flowsheets, nor the colors for the Lab flowsheet in other positions. Colors across all flowsheets on other positions have been checked and are all uniform and consistent. Critical values are red in all, but highs, lows and normal colors are different.
Modification of the flowsheet color setup will be implemented this week.
This is an update related to the original posting in regards to the use of Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) in the inpatient setting. See original post for reference if needed, link is posted at the bottom of this article.
The OpenNotes initiative encourages provider note availability to patients through means such as the patient portal. All patients have the right to read these notes already but must access this information through the health record request process which takes time, may cost the patient money, and many patients may not even know about.
OpenNotes encourages health systems and clinicians to make notes automatically available to patients in order to avoid these issues for the patient as well as improve things such as patient engagement in their own care, the efficiency of care and patient-physician communication. They call this "transparency".
Starting on August 1st, 2016 all “office/clinic” note types will be published to MyTeamCare (our patient portal). This decision was made after seeing success stories at many other major health systems across the country and our own desire to improve patient engagement and access to their health information. Input from multiple clinicians from multiple specialties and practice types was considered and the decision was approved by the EHR Use & Standards Committee and Med Executive Committees.
Here are some additional details to our OpenNotes plan:
This will only apply to “office/clinic” notes. Not hospital notes, op notes, messages to nurses, etc.
This will be proactive only – NOT retroactive. Notes signed prior to August 1st will not be published to MyTeamCare. But be aware, a patient can request any of their medical records at anytime just by simply going to Medical Records department.
The notes will be published to MyTeamCare 72 hours after the note is signed by a clinician – this includes resident notes that have yet to be cosigned by an attending. We have no way to limit this to attendings only.
Any updates made to the note in the EHR after publishing will also be updated to MyTeamCare.
Education and information for both clinicians and patients will be coming in the next weeks in preparation for the OpenNotes kickoff.
Many sites have benefitted from OpenNotes including MD Anderson, Geisinger, Kaiser Permanente, Ochnser and many more.
The UMC Endoscopy Center will convert to electronic scheuduling and order entry this month. Back scheduling of patients starts May 3, 2016. A powerplan specifically for endoscopy has been built and is located in the applicable order folders for provider use.
Training for schedulers and providers has been completed. If you missed the opportunity for training and will be doing procedures in the Endoscopy Center, please call the UMC help desk, 775-9109, to set up your training.
Full conversion date is currently scheduled for May 17th, 2016.
Reminder to prescribing providers: per Texas law, to"prohibit the substitution of a generically equivalent drug or interchangeable biological product for a brand name drug product” the practitioner must write across the face of the written prescription, in the practitioner’s own handwriting, the phrase 'brand necessary' or 'brand medically necessary'." Part 15 Texas State Board of Pharmacy, Chapter 309.3
Text will be updated at the bottom of prescriptions relecting this law stating, "Texas law mandates that a generically equivalent drug product may be dispensed unless the practitioner hand-writes the words ‘Brand Necessary’ or ‘Brand Medically Necessary’ on the face of the prescription.”
A Powerchart Touch Inpatient issues has been corrected; to have the progress notes show face up now. It used to say “no notes in the last 72 hours” and and you previously would have to tap on “more” to look for the notes. They now show on the initial review screen.
